Crtd 06-05-16 Lastedit 15-09-14

End of 2004, I ordered a sailing dhow in Tanzania. When, after more than a year of undisturbed work, it started to show like a handsome, may be even expensive ship, to be finished in a few weeks, Mwanza Immigration started to take interest. I was told I was not allowed to witnessing the building of my dhow on the visitor's visa I had been given by the Mutukula border immigration. This would need a business visa. I could buy it from them. However, it was suggested that it was at the discretion of Mwanza Immigration to decide whether or not to grant me such a visa, but if I would pay them some money, they could arrange. I refused to comply with corruption and maintained I was legally in Tanzania on my visitor's visa. Thereupon, on Tuesday February 21, 2006 Mwanza Immigration had me lifted from my bed, at midnight, by a police team of six officers armed with AK47, arrested and jailed. Mwanza Police asked for my "machine gun", obviously a story told by Mwanza Immigration. In a full morning's detailed search of all my property and a full afternoon of grilling by a joined team of Immigration and Police, Immigration did not find anyting useful for their purpose of further harassing me for money. Police, now understanding they were taken in by Mwanza Immigration, obviously stopped liking the operation.
To avoid further problems they might get with this obviously criminal operation, Immigration stamped an "order to leave in three days" in my passport. No reason was given. Afer having thrown me on the street again, they called me back to "CANCEL" the visitor's visa in my passport. They apparently feared I might use that visa to stay and file the case of their sensational misbehaviour. So they seriously feared my visa to be legal after all!

Do these Mwanza Immigration officers realize how they are ruining Mwanza's business opportunities this way? I do think they really lack the intelligence. This is a matter of sheer incompetence, of officers totally unfit for their jobs. If not, these officers regard the loss of well paying customers for Mwanza companies simply as a "collateral damage" of the misuse of their government authority for extorting some money for their private expenses.
I am proud to report that Mwanza Immigration did not get a shilling out of me, even though I, an unarmed peaceful civilian customer of a Tanzanian ship yard, got guns pointed at me at my bed at midnight.