The geographic scope of the study was limited to Tanzania, covering three administrative regions: Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Tanga. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) as well as five universities in these regions were studied. These institutions are the University of Dar es Salaam, Open University of Tanzania (OUT), Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT) and Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU).
2.2.1 Overview of Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is in East Africa, bordered in the North by Kenya and Uganda, in the West by Burundi, Rwanda and Congo, in the South by Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi and in the East by Indian Ocean. It is the largest country in East Africa and covers 945,087 square kilometers. It includes the Tanzania Mainland and the Islands of Zanzibar (URT 2007a). Tanganyika and Zanzibar attained their independence in 1961 and 1963 respectively. They united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania (Nawe 2001:139).
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Figure 1: Map showing location of regions selected for study Source: Map of Tanzania (United Republic of Tanzania 2011)
2.2.2 Climate and rainfall patterns
The climate in Tanzania varies according to the geographical location. In the coast regions and off-shore islands the average temperatures range between 270c and 290c, while in the Central, Northern and Western parts temperatures range between 200c and 300c and above between the months of December and March. In the Northeast and Southwest which are mountainous and include the Makonde Plateau, the temperature occasionally drops below 150c at night during the months of June and July. In some parts (Southern Highlands) temperature can reach as low as 00 c – 60 c (United Republic of Tanzania 2007a).
The rainfall patterns in the country are subdivided into: tropical on the coast, where it is hot and humid (rainy season March – May): semi- temperate in the mountains with the short rainy season in November to December and the long rainy season in February to May and drier in the plateau region with considerable seasonal variations in temperature. The mean annual rainfall varies from 500 millimeters to 2,500 millimeters and above. The average duration of the dry season is 5 to 6 months.
However, recently, a rainfall pattern has become much more unpredictable with
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some areas/zones receiving extremely minimum and maximum rainfall per year (United Republic of Tanzania 2007a).
2.2.3 Population
According to the Census of 2002, Tanzania had a population of 34.4 million people.
Of these, 33.5 million or 97.1 percent lived in Tanzania mainland and 982,000 or 2.9 percent in Tanzania Zanzibar. The total population almost tripled between 1967 and 2002. In the most recent inter-censal period of 14 years from 1988 to 2002, the total population increased from 23.1 million in 1988 to 34.4 million in 2002, an increase of 11.3 million or 49.1 percent. The average annual rate of growth during this period was 2.9 percent (URT 2006). The census of 2012 showed that Tanzania had a population of 44,928, 923 people. Of these, 43,625,354 and 1,303,569 people reside in the Tanzania Mainland and in Zanzibar respectively (United Republic of Tanzania 2013b; Faustine’s Baraza n.d).
2.2.4 The government
The United Republic of Tanzania Executive comprises the President, the Vice- President, the President of Zanzibar, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers.
The President of the United Republic is the Head of State, the Head of Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Vice President is the principal assistant to the President in respect of all matters in the United Republic generally and in particular is responsible for assisting the President in following-up on the day to day implementation of union matters; performing all duties and functions of the Office of the President when the President is out of the office or out of the country. The Prime Minister of the United Republic is the leader of government business in the National Assembly and has authority over the control, supervision and execution of the day to day functions and affairs of the government.
The Prime Minister also performs any matter or matters that the President directs to be done. The President of Zanzibar is the Head of Executive for Zanzibar, Head of the revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and the Chairperson of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council. The cabinet, including the Prime Minister is appointed by the President from among members of the National Assembly. The Government
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executes its functions through Ministries led by Cabinet Ministers. Each minister is charged with a sector portfolio (United Republic of Tanzania 2007b).
2.2.5 The parliament
The parliament is the third organ of the government. It is responsible for making laws. The parliament has authority on behalf of the people to oversee and advise the government of the United Republic of Tanzania and all its organs in the discharge of their respective responsibilities (United Republic of Tanzania 1998; 2007b). The National Assembly comprises members elected directly to represent constituencies.
Other members of the National Assembly include the Attorney General, members nominated by the president with women members being not less than 15 per cent of the members of all categories on the basis of proportional representation among those parties in the parliament. The parliament is headed by the Speaker assisted by the Deputy Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly as Head of the Secretariat of the National Assembly (United Republic of Tanzania 1998; 2007b).
2.2.6 The judiciary
The judiciary in Tanzania comprises three organs; the Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania, the High Court for Mainland Tanzania and Tanzania Zanzibar, the Judicial Service Commission for Tanzania Mainland, Magistrates Courts and Primary Courts. The Judicial Services Commission for Tanzania Mainland consists of the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Tanzania (Chairman); the Justice of the Court of Appeal of Tanzania; the Principal Judge of the High Court; and two members appointed by the President. The head of Judiciary is the Chief Justice, with the Registrar of the Court of Appeal as the Chief Executive Officer (United Republic of Tanzania 2007b).
2.2.7 Tanzania’s economy
Tanzania’s economy is highly dependent on agricultural productivity. Agriculture is the most important sector in Tanzania’s economy. It employs nearly 80 percent of the work force population and accounts for about 50 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 75 per cent of foreign exchange (Masilingi n.d). GDP growth is
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estimated to have increased to 7.5 per cent in 2008 from 7.1 per cent in 2007. The increased GDP is mostly driven by the service economic activities which were expected to contribute 43.3 per cent to total GDP in 2008. Agricultural economic activities were expected to have grown by 3.3 per cent in 2008. This decline from the 4.0 per cent growth rate realised in 2007 reflects the sharp decrease in food crop production in 2008 caused by inadequate rainfall in some parts of the country.
Livestock, hunting and forestry sub- activities are expected to have grown at a slightly higher pace as a result of improved livestock extension services, measures to curb the illegal export of logs, and reductions in licence fees for forestry and hunting (United Republic of Tanzania 2009).