REPORT

MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

The Canada–Africa Parliamentary Association was represented by the Honourable Raynell Andreychuk, Senator, Co-Chair of the Association; the late Honourable Mauril Bélanger, P.C., M.P., Co-Chair of the Association; the Honourable Jim Munson, Senator, Director of the Association; and Mr. Peter Goldring, M.P., Member of the Association. The delegation was accompanied by Ms. Elizabeth Kingston, Association Secretary.

As Co-Chair, the Honourable Mauril Bélanger, P.C., M.P., was working on this report. We note with respect and appreciation his work on behalf of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association.

MEETING OBJECTIVES

The Canada–Africa Parliamentary Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association) undertook bilateral visits to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Port Louis, Mauritius March 16 to 20, 2015. The visits had the following objectives:

• to strengthen bilateral relations and parliamentary cooperation;
• to engage parliamentarians on democracy, governance, rule of law and parliamentary diplomacy;
• to acquaint the delegates with the situation in each country and with Canada’s activity in the region, through contacts with parliamentarians, government officials, civil society groups, and the media.

In Tanzania, the Association also had the following objectives:

• to learn about the constitutional review process;
• to receive an update on the general elections and pending referendum to be held in October 2015;
• to engage non-governmental organizations (NGO), government officials, and members of the press corps with respect to transparency, accountability and efficiency in the extractive industries and development.
• to learn about the country’s economic development strategies;
• to update the Association on regional integration issues;
• to learn about national and regional security issues;
• to update the Association on maternal health initiatives, educational reforms, and other priority development issues;
• to receive an update on the state of election preparedness and issues related to the election process;
• to engage with the media and civil society with regards to their role in the democratic process;
• to meet representatives of Canadian businesses operating in Tanzania; and,
• to receive information and to dialogue with Tanzanians (and NGOs in particular) about the situation of persons with albinism.

In Mauritius, the Association also had the following objectives:

• to engage with parliamentarians, government officials, community leaders, members of the press corps, and business leaders in order to acquaint the Association with Mauritius’ present progress in governance, development, education, business opportunities and strategic positioning in the Indian Ocean and Africa;
• to meet with the Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Commission;
• to meet with Canadian businesses representatives;
• to meet with the Speaker of the National Assembly;
• to meet with the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius;
• to meet with their Excellencies, the President and Prime Minister of Mauritius; and,
• to meet with the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel.

To meet these objectives, the delegation met with Tanzanian and Mauritian parliamentarians and government officials, Canadian representatives, civil society groups and members of NGOs.

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA[1]

The United Republic of Tanzania is situated on the east coast of Africa just south of the equator, and includes the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba in the Indian Ocean. The total area of Tanzania is 945,087 km2 (or about the size of British Columbia). Tanzania is bordered by Uganda and Kenya to the north, by Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and by Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south.

The population of Tanzania is approximately 52.5 million (2016), of which 99% of people are ethnically African on the mainland. The ethnic composition of people in Zanzibar is a mix of Arab and African backgrounds. The country’s official languages are Swahili and English, and there are numerous tribal languages. The religious make-up of Tanzania is estimated to be 61% Christian and 35% Muslim; 4% of people are estimated to hold other religious beliefs or are unaffiliated with a religion. Zanzibar, which has a population of approximately 1.3 million, is 99% Muslim.

Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania and the seat of the country’s Parliament. Dar es Salaam is the former capital and the country’s largest city (population of approximately 5.1 million in 2015). It remains a major centre for national politics and home to many government departments.

A. System of Government   

The unicameral parliamentary system of the United Republic of Tanzania comprises a single chamber called the National Assembly or Bunge. The Assembly is made up of 389 seats composed of the following: 264 members elected from constituencies; 113 special seats reserved for women members, elected by political parties in proportion to their share of the electoral vote; five members elected by the Zanzibar House of Representatives; the Attorney General; and not more than ten members appointed by the President (currently six).[2]

The President of Tanzania is elected by universal suffrage for a five year term and appoints the prime minister and a cabinet of ministers. At the time of the Association’s mission, the President was Jakaya Kikwete, of the Chama Cha Mapinduz party (CCM), or Revolutionary Party. The CCM was the result of a merger in 1977 between two parties, the Tanganyika African National Union, in power since Tanganyika’s independence in 1961, and the Afro-Shirazi Party, in power in Zanzibar since that island’s independence in 1963. Mr. Kikwete stepped down in October 2015, at the end of his constitutionally mandated two-term limit.

In December 2013, following public consultations, the Constitutional Review Commission (CCR) of Tanzania released a final draft of a new constitution. Tanzania was supposed to hold a referendum on this new constitution on 30 April 2015. However, the referendum was postponed until July 2017 after delays in registering voters and calls from some to start a fresh process. The constitutional reform process has created polarization between Tanzanian political parties. Government members have been in favour of the status quo, while opposition members largely support the CCR recommendation of a three-tiered federal government (one for Zanzibar, one for the mainland and a smaller one representing a joint Union government). The new constitution would also make other reforms, such as allowing presidential elections to be legally challenged, and a requirement of gender parity in the National Assembly.

B. Economic and Social Development   

Tanzania’s gross domestic product (GDP) was US$44.9 billion in 2015 or US$865 per capita. GDP growth was 7.0% in 2015, but inflation was 5.2% in that year. The agricultural sector made up 25.6% of Tanzania’s GDP in 2015; the industry and service sectors made up 26.5% and 47.4% of GDP respectively that same year. Recent economic growth in Tanzania is attributable mainly to tourism and gold production. Gold production laws were relaxed in the 1990’s to allow for private and foreign companies to operate. In 2015, the World Bank provided a loan of US$45 million to Tanzania, to support small-scale gold operations.

In 2014, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) classified Tanzania’s level of economic development as “low”, and the country ranked 151st out of 188 on UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is composed of indicators that measure life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and per capita GDP.

In 2015, Tanzania ranked 139th out of 189 on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index. This ranking is based on criteria such as the ease of starting a business, access to credit, access to electricity and trading across borders.

C. Governance and Human Rights   

In 2015, Tanzania ranked 18th out of 54 countries on the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Index of African Governance. Tanzania’s sector-specific rankings were as follows: safety and rule of law (17^th), participation and human rights (15^th), sustainable economic opportunity (20^th), and human development (25^th). Among the sub-categories of these four larger categories, Tanzania ranked especially well in the gender (8^th), rural sector (13^th) and national security (13^th) categories. On the other hand, it performed less well in the health (31^st), education (32^nd), and infrastructure (36^th) sub-categories.

D. Canada-Tanzania Relations   

Canada and Tanzania have longstanding bilateral relations that began in 1961 following the country’s independence. Both countries collaborate in international fora such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth. The High Commission of Canada in Tanzania notes, “Since the 1960s, Canada has supported training for Tanzania’s armed forces. To date, over 850 officers have been trained through the Military Training and Cooperation Program. In 2014, Canada contributed $1.3 million to build the new Tanzanian Peacekeeping Training Center in Dar es Salaam.” [3]

In 2015, Canadian exports to Tanzania ($52 million) exceeded imports from Tanzania ($12 million). A bilateral Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement came into force in December 2013. Tanzania is considered a “priority market” for Canadian businesses, particularly in the sectors of mining, oil and gas, as well as renewable energy.

MEETINGS IN TANZANIA

1. Meeting with the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TEITI) Secretariat   

During this meeting, the members of the delegation met with Mr. Benedict Mushingwe, Head for Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

2. Meeting with Hakielimu   

Hakielimu is a Tanzanian non-profit civil society organization focused on promoting the right to education for all Tanzanian children. The delegation met with:

- Godfrey Boniventura, Manager, Research and Policy Analysis
- Pius C.K. Makomelelo, Manager, Community Engagement and Action
- Robert Mihayo, Quality Assurance Coordinator
- Mwemezi Makumba, Program Officer, Research and Policy Analysis

3. Meeting with Sikika   

The members of the delegation met Mr. Irenei Kiria, Executive Director of Sikika and with Mr. Patrick Kinemo, Head of Programs. Sikika is a Tanzanian NGO advocating for reform in the health care sector.

4. Roundtable on Human Rights and Democracy    

The members of the delegation met with:

- Prof. Chris Maina Peter, Professor of Law at the University of Dar es Salaam
- Mr. John Ulanga, Political Analyst
- Ms. Vicky Ntetema, Executive Director at the Under the Same Sun Tanzania
- Mr. Daniel Loya, Executive Director at the Tanzania Centre for Democracy
- Mr. Horald Sungusia, Director of Advocacy at the Legal and Human Rights Centre

5. Roundtable on Extractives and Development   

The delegation met with:

- Alex Lugendo, Acacia Resources
- Russell Gates, Head of Programs, VSO/CUSO
- Rose Tesha, Head of Livelihood Programs, VSO/CUSO
- Patricia Loreskar, Search for Common Ground

6. Meeting with White Ribbon Alliance   

The members of the delegation met with Ms. Rose Mlay, National Coordinator at White Ribbon Alliance.The White Ribbon Alliance’s mission is to advocate for the right of all women to health care and safe births.

REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS[4]

A. Issues and Relations with Canada    

Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, located approximately 800 km east of Madagascar. The total area of Mauritius is 2,040 km² (roughly the same size as Ottawa). Mauritius has a population of approximately 1.3 million. 35.5% of the population is 24 years old and under; 44% of the population is between 25 to 54 years old; and, nearly 21% of the population is 55 years old and over.

More than 68% of the population is of Indo-Mauritian descent and 27% is Creole. The remainder of the population is made up of people of Sino-Mauritian and Franco-Mauritian descent. While the official language is English, Creole is the language most commonly spoken, followed by Bhojpuri and French. Most of the population is Hindu (48.5%), followed by Roman Catholic (26.3%) and Muslim (17.3%). The capital of Mauritius is Port-Louis, which is also one of its nine administrative districts.

A. System of Government   

Mauritius has a unicameral system. Its National Assembly has 70 seats, of which eight are allocated to non-elected candidates by the Electoral Commissioner’s Office to ensure fair representation of each community and party in the Assembly.

President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was elected in June 2015. The President and Vice President are indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term). The last election was held on 4 June 2015, and the next elections are to be held in 2020. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are appointed by the President. The Prime Minister is Sir Anerood Jugnauth.

B. Economic and Social Development   

With a GDP per capita of US$19,500 in 2015, Mauritius is classified by the World Bank as an “upper middle income country.” Since it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, its economy has diversified, moving from an economy based primarily on growing sugarcane to an economy resting on tourism, textiles, services, information and communication technologies, and wholesale and retail trade. This economic diversification was encouraged by preferential tariffs with the European Union and India. The real GDP of Mauritius (taking out the effect of inflation) grew by 3.2% in 2013, 3.6% in 2014 and 3.4% in 2015. These rates are lower than the average growth rate of 4.5% observed between 1990 and 2012. This decrease in economic performance is explained primarily by a contraction in the textile and construction sectors.

C. Governance    

In 2015, Mauritius ranked 1^st out of 54 countries on the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Index of African Governance. The sector-specific rankings for Mauritius were as follows: safety and rule of law (2^nd), participation and human rights (3^rd), sustainable economic opportunity (1^st), and human development (2^nd). Mauritius ranked between first and fourth in all of the four categories of this index and all the sub-categories, except for the gender sub-category, where it ranked 14^th.

D. Canada-Mauritius Relations   

Canada established diplomatic relations with Mauritius following that country’s independence in 1968. Canada maintains an Honorary Consul in Port Louis. The High Commission of Canada in South Africa, which is responsible for diplomatic relations with Mauritius, notes the following:

Canada and Mauritius have limited but positive bilateral relations, generally centered on interaction within the Commonwealth, La Francophonie, and the United Nations. The two countries share similar views on a number of multilateral issues as well as various foreign policy objectives related to the environment, including a desire to preserve and manage highly migratory fish stocks. A large number of young Mauritians also come to study in Canada each year.[5]

In 2015, Canada exported $9 million in goods to Mauritius and imported $24 million worth of goods from Mauritius, for a trade deficit of $15 million. Since 2011, Canadian imports to Mauritius have more than doubled, while exports have increased by 79% (in current dollars, which include the effect of inflation). The top-three Canadian products exported to Mauritius in 2015 were injection/moulding machines for working rubber or plastics ($2.6 million), lentils, dried and shelled ($1.3 million), and pork products ($1.2 million). The top-three Canadian imports from Mauritius in 2015 were men’s shirts ($6.1 million), live primates ($3.8 million) and men’s trousers, overalls and shorts ($3.5 million).[6]

MEETINGS IN MAURITIUS

1. Meeting with the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD)   

The delegation met with:

- Mr. Sayadaly Maudarbocus, Acting Deputy Director
- Mr. Mohunlall Hanseraj Putty, Divisional Manager, Research, Planning and Curriculum Development
- Ms. Reshmee Kaleeka, Program Coordinator, Saskatchewan Polytchnic

2. Meeting with Heads of Missions   

The delegation met with:

- Her Excellency Shari Villarosa, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Mauritius
- Her Excellency Susan Coles, High Commissioner of Australia to the Republic of Mauritius
- Ms. Sophie Maysonnave, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France

3. Meeting with the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius   

The delegation met with Mr. Ramesh Basant Roi, Governor of the Bank of Mauritius.

4. Meeting with Afrasia   

The delegation met with:

- Mr. James Benoit, Chief Executive Officer
- Mr. Thierry Vallet, General Manager
- Mr. Rouben Chocalingum, Genaral Manager
- Mr. Maurice Lam, Chairman
- Mr. Jean Francois Boisvenu, Group Head Legal

5. Roundtable with journalists and Transparency International-Mauritius   

The members of the delegation met with:

- Touria Prayag, Editor, L’Express Weekly
- Rabin Bhujun, Managing Editor, ION News
- Rajen Bablee, Executive Director, Transparency Mauritius

6. Courtesy Call with the Prime Minister   

The delegation met with His Excellency Anerood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius.

7. Courtesy Call with the President   

The delegation met with His Excellency Kailash Purryag, President of the Republic of Mauritius.

8. Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade   

The delegation met with Mr. Etienne Sinatambou, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Mauritius.

9. Meeting with the Indian Ocean Commission   

The delegation met with the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission, Mr. Jean Claude de l’Estrac.

10. Meeting with the Mauritius Board of Investment   

The delegation met with:

- Mr. Ken Poonoosamy, Managing Director
- Ms. Shamima Mallam Hassam, Senior Director
- Ms. Nirmala Rewa, Senior Investment Executive

11. Meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly   

The delegation met with Her Excellency Mrs. Maya Hanoomanjee, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius.

CONCLUSIONS

A. United Republic of Tanzania   

The members of the delegation took the opportunity in this visit to concentrate on the civil society, international associations and local associations who work on issues of democracy, good governance and the rule of law. The delegation concluded that Tanzania has moved forward in its governance with the great assistance and scrutiny of various community actors as well as government initiatives. The delegation particularly noted the work of the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Much in the past has been noted about the difficulties of mining and the issues of corporate social responsibility. It would appear that Tanzania is attempting to address these problems.

Another example of the growing and excellent work of NGOs was seen in the meeting with Sikika. While in the past NGOs have identified problems that concern their community, new initiatives are addressing not only the problems but working with government on reform and providing recommendations as well as scrutiny and accountability.

As usual the delegation met with human rights and democracy organizations and individuals to assess the progress on the governance of Tanzania. While the situation in Tanzania is improving in many sectors, one issue preoccupied the delegation. The issue of albinism in Tanzania was raised and the delegation underscores the excellent work being done by the organization Under the Same Sun Tanzania. Throughout the conversations in Tanzania, the delegation noted the plight of those with albinism and the need to address and bring international attention to their plight. The delegation noted that people with albinism suffer discrimination and are exposed to acts of violence including dismemberment, infanticide, killing and gang rapes. A particular concern to the delegation was the involvement of politicians, particularly at election time in the attacks on people or use of parts of people with albinism. Recognizing the critical role parliamentarians can play in advocating for tolerance and the promotion of human rights, the Executive Committee of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association adopted a resolution urging parliamentarians to lead in upholding the rights of persons with albinism on 3 June 2015. The delegation noted that the Government of Canada is engaged with this issue internationally and encourages the Government of Canada to continue to work on this issue as it is a problem beyond the borders of Tanzania.

The delegation noted Canada’s contributions and partnership with Tanzania.

B. Republic of Mauritius   

The delegation visited Mauritius for the first time. While parliamentarians meet Mauritian delegates at international parliamentary associations, the delegation concluded that it was this bilateral visit that was extremely timely and helpful in understanding the changes within Mauritius. They have set themselves on a path of democratic governance and perceive themselves to be “a Singapore in the Indian ocean” for the purposes of business and corporate residency. The government is involved in creating structures and environments to attract business in various sectors as well as the financial sector. Their strategic location gives credibility to their aspirations. We noted their progress and would encourage the Canadian government to engage more comprehensively with Mauritius in the future.

The delegation also took the opportunity to meet with NGOs and other civic officials. It notes the excellent work of Collectif Arc-en-Ciel.

With the number of linkages with expats in Canada, the delegation would encourage the government to look for opportunities to strengthen our bilateral partnerships.

The delegation also took the opportunity to meet with the Indian Ocean Commission. Their concern about climate change and ocean levels was front and centre in the conversation.

Overall, Mauritius is an island where its citizens are reflecting, along with their government, about possibilities for a brighter and sustained development of their island. They are taking the financial approach but are balancing it with community needs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The members of the delegation wish to thank the staff of the Canadian High Commissions in South Africa and Tanzania for their cooperation in organizing the visit. In particular, they express their gratitude to Mr. Gaston Barban, High Commissioner of Canada to South Africa, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia and Madagascar and to Mr. Alexandre Lévêque, High Commissioner of Canada to Tanzania, Zambia, Seychelles and Comoros for their support throughout the whole visit.

The delegation wishes to thank all participants from Tanzania and Mauritius for their warm, frank and open approach to the visit and to the issues that were addressed. Their input was invaluable in furthering the delegation’s understanding of Tanzania and Mauritius and the opportunities for partnership.

Respectfully submitted,