Mwanza, Tanzania - Tanzania has conducted a marine survey that covered nine old lake vessels to determine sea worthiness. According to the Minister for Transport, Samwel Sitta, “The survey was conducted to passenger vessels 25 years old and above including marine vessels from Tanzania Mainland that ply on inland waters and those in Zanzibar,” he said.
He said the aim of the survey was to determine if the nine marine vessels had the capacity to provide services.
“The survey established that the marine vessels were capable to serve for another five years if necessary rehabilitation is to be done,” Sitta said. The survey was conducted during the 2014/15 financial year.
Sitta said the marine vessels surveyed in Tanzania Mainland were MV Victoria, MV Serengeti, MV Butiama, MV Songea, MV Iringa and MV Liemba.
The 593-passenger ship MV Serengeti was recently launched on Lake Victoria to ply the Mwanza-Bukoba ports route on the lake.
This was after MV Victoria was grounded because of mechanical problems. MV Victoria, the 53 -year vessel is the biggest passenger ship on Lake Victoria with capacity of carrying 1,200 passengers and 200-tone cargo.
In Zanzibar, marine vessels surveyed were MV Maendeleo, MV Serengeti and MV Flying Horse.
At over 100 years old, MV Liemba is believed to be the oldest running passenger ferry in service.
The MV Liemba, formerly the Graf Goetzen or Graf von Goetzen, is a passenger and cargo ferry, that runs along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.
The Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) of Tanzania sails her, with numerous stops to pick up and set down passengers, between the ports of Kigoma (1,200 kilometres from Dar es Salaam) in Tanzania and Mpulungu in Zambia.
The vessel navigates on one of the world’s longest lake, Lake Tanganyika.
Graf von Goetzen was built in 1913 in Germany, and was one of three vessels the German Empire used to control Lake Tanganyika during the early part of the First World War.
Her captain had her scuttled on July 26, 1916 in Katabe Bay during the German retreat from Kigoma.
In 1924, a British Royal Navy salvage team raised her and in 1927 she returned to service as MV Liemba.
MV Liemba is the last vessel of the German Imperial Navy still actively sailing anywhere in the world. Sitta says at least two new passenger ferries would be built. One for Lake Victoria and the other one on Lake Tanganyika.
By Andrew Zablon, Sunday, June 21st, 2015
Source: https://www.busiweek.com/
