CALM PREVAILS ON LAKE MALAWI

The situation around Lake Nyasa has remained calm and people whose livelihoods depend on the lake should continue with their activities undisrupted, Tanzania's Mbeya Regional Commissioner Abbas Kandoro has said.

Kandoro told the 'Daily News' in a telephone interview on Wednesday that there is no need for anxiety for residents around the lake as the Tanzania-Malawi border dispute was being solved by the governments of the two countries.

Kandoro, who by virtue of his post as RC is also the Chairman of Mbeya Regional Defence and Security Committee, assured the residents that everything was under control.

"People should remain calm and continue with their economic and social activities. Everything is under control and there is no need to worry," he said.

The explanation by the RC follows rumours going round in Tanzania and Malawi that the armies of the two countries are deployed at the border following a simmering border dispute.

At the heart of controversy is a move by the government of Malawi to grant oil and gas prospecting licences to British companies on the entire lake. Dar es Salaam has maintained that it owns half of the lake and has thus urged Malawi and the oil and gas prospecting companies to stop their activities pending diplomatic discussions to resolve the standoff.

Meanwhile, media reports from Malawi have accused what they described as "some overzealous Tanzanian officials" for war-mongering.

"Despite Malawi government saying it wants the matter to be handled diplomatically, some overzealous Tanzanian officials have been war-mongering," reads part of comment in a Malawian newspaper.

The two countries have scheduled Aug 20, this year, in Mzuzu, the northern city of Malawi for talks on the matter.