ZNZist Weekly — 27 September 2026

Alia: Welcome to ZNZist Weekly, the Zanzibar News Digest. I'm Alia. Badru: And I'm Badru. This edition opens with the passing of a woman whose life ran alongside the founding of modern Zanzibar. Alia: Fatma Karume, widow of Zanzibar's first president, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, died on Monday the twenty first of September twenty twenty six, at her home in Mbweni, Unguja. She was ninety seven. Her death was announced by Zanzibar's Second Vice President, Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, on the Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation. Badru: Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan sent condolences, describing Mama Fatma as an important part of Zanzibar's history, tied to the independence struggle, the nineteen sixty four Revolution, and the founding of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Alia: According to Nukta Africa and Daily News, she was born Fatma Gullam Hussein Jamal in Bumbwini Misufini, and married Karume in nineteen forty four, at just fifteen years old. Before that marriage, she had already joined a women's group pressing for voting rights, when registration required literacy and three shillings, a large sum at the time. Badru: Reports say those women organised sewing and cooking cooperatives to raise the money needed, and Mama Fatma later said they were not just supporting their husbands, they were active participants in politics. Alia: She said she took part directly in the nineteen sixty four Revolution, and afterward became Zanzibar's first First Lady, a role she held until Karume was assassinated in April nineteen seventy two. She was mother to Amani Abeid Karume, who later served as Zanzibar's president from two thousand to twenty ten. Badru: Daily News reported that in a recent interview, she firmly defended the Union, saying she had not seen evidence it harmed Zanzibaris, and urged that disagreements be resolved through dialogue rather than division. Alia: Her death came just two weeks after President Samia lost her husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, who died on the seventh of September and was buried in Kizimkazi, according to peopledaily.digital. Badru: The same outlet noted President Samia had visited Mama Fatma at Lumumba Hospital in August, as her health declined. Alia: Her passing marks the loss of one of the few remaining direct witnesses to the events that shaped the Union and modern Zanzibar. Alia: British Airways says it is coming back to Tanzania, and this time Zanzibar gets a direct link to London. According to apanews.net, the airline will start seasonal flights from May the twenty ninth twenty twenty seven, running through October the thirty first, covering the peak safari season and the British summer holidays. Badru: That is a meaningful return. APAnews reports British Airways last served Tanzania more than a decade ago, when its route connected London with Dar es Salaam. This new service is structured differently, linking London Gatwick with Kilimanjaro Airport and then continuing on to Zanzibar. Alia: The airline told both apanews.net and sellingtravel.co.uk it will fly a Boeing seven seven seven on the route, departing Gatwick on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with return fares starting at eight hundred and forty nine pounds including taxes and fees. Badru: Kilimanjaro Airport is the gateway to the northern safari circuit, so travelers reach the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara before continuing to Zanzibar's beaches and Stone Town. Sellingtravel.co.uk notes this pairing lets visitors combine wildlife and coast on a single itinerary. Alia: The timing matters economically. APAnews reports Tanzania recorded two point two nine million international arrivals in twenty twenty five, up seven point one percent from two point one four million the year before, while tourism earnings rose thirteen percent to a record four point four one billion dollars. Badru: British travelers made up around six percent of visitors to mainland Tanzania last year and roughly seven percent of visitors to Zanzibar, according to the same reporting. So this route is entering a market that is already growing quickly. Alia: It also puts British Airways into more direct competition on the ground. Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways already sell London connections to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar through their Addis Ababa and Nairobi hubs. Badru: And Air Tanzania is planning its own answer. APAnews reports the national carrier intends to launch flights from London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from July twenty twenty seven, with at least three weekly departures. Alia: Industry voices cited by sellingtravel.co.uk framed the British Airways move as part of a wider shift, with Brussels Airlines and KLM also expanding European access to Tanzania. Badru: If those additional routes materialize as planned, Zanzibar could see meaningfully easier access from Europe by the middle of twenty twenty seven, though for now these remain airline announcements rather than completed launches. Alia: On ZNZist Weekly, we start with a major political moment for Zanzibar. President Hussein Ali Mwinyi has sworn in Othman Masoud Othman as the isles First Vice President, restoring the Government of National Unity. Badru: According to Daily News and The Chanzo, the ceremony took place on September 22 at State House in Zanzibar. Othman, who leads the opposition party ACT-Wazalendo, previously held this post from 2021 until the 2025 election, after which the office sat vacant while ACT disputed the results. Alia: The Chanzo reports that ACT's National Leadership Committee selected him as their nominee on September 16, President Mwinyi issued a reappointment notice two days later, and the formal swearing-in followed on the twenty second. This all traces back to a joint reconciliation declaration CCM and ACT-Wazalendo signed on July 9. Badru: Under Article 39 of Zanzibar's constitution, the president appoints the First Vice President after consulting whichever party finished second in the presidential race, so this appointment is constitutionally tied to that July agreement, according to The Chanzo. Alia: At the ceremony, President Mwinyi described reconciliation as the building of a political bridge, and said it was now time to cross it together, as reported by The Chanzo. He also stressed the reconciliation was reached without outside involvement, and urged focus on jobs, tourism, the blue economy and investment. Badru: Othman, for his part, cautioned against seeing the unity government as simply a way for parties to divide positions. Jamhuri Media and The Chanzo both report he called it instead a vehicle for genuine reconciliation and national unity, drawing on the image of togwa, a fermented millet drink whose water and grain separate if left undisturbed, to warn Zanzibaris against letting political differences pull them apart. Alia: The Chanzo also notes the ceremony opened with a minute of silence for Fatma Karume, wife of Zanzibar's first president Abeid Amani Karume, who had died the day before. Former president Ali Mohamed Shein, Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, diplomats and religious leaders were among those present. Badru: A Daily News commentary argues this restoration should not be treated as an endpoint. It says the real test is whether reconciliation translates into stronger services, more youth employment and investment gains that reach ordinary citizens, rather than remaining a symbolic arrangement between party leaders. Alia: So while the oath itself completes one step in implementing July's agreement, both the president and his new deputy were careful to frame it as a beginning rather than a conclusion of Zanzibar's political process. Alia: A new community project is coming to Zanzibar under the Rashid Villages initiative, according to reporting from sharjah24.ae and curlytales.com. Badru: The initiative was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown Prince, to honor his late brother Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed's legacy of giving. The announcement coincided with the eleventh anniversary of Sheikh Rashid's passing. Alia: According to the reporting, this marks the second Rashid Village overall. The first was established in Kenya last year, when the programme launched around the tenth anniversary of Sheikh Rashid's death. Badru: Sheikh Hamdan is quoted in the sharjah24.ae report saying the Zanzibar village continues that journey, extending the benefits to more families and communities. He framed it as a way to keep his brother's values alive through lasting projects. Alia: So what exactly is being built here? Both outlets describe an integrated, sustainable community offering furnished homes to beneficiary families, along with healthcare and education services. Badru: There is also a mosque planned, along with retail outlets meant to stimulate local economic activity. The design reportedly incorporates renewable energy and environmentally sustainable infrastructure to support long term operation. Alia: Training programmes are part of the model too, aimed at developing skills and supporting small businesses, alongside sports grounds and outdoor facilities. Badru: The stated goal, as described in the reporting, is to move families from dependence toward economic participation and self reliance, rather than simply providing housing. Alia: Oversight comes from a Supervisory Committee chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which is also monitoring the earlier Kenya village and reportedly studying further expansion of the initiative. Badru: For Zanzibar, if this development proceeds as described, it would add housing, health and education infrastructure funded through this UAE backed humanitarian programme, rather than through Tanzanian government or donor channels typically covered in our other stories. Alia: Neither report specifies an exact location on the islands, a start date for construction, or how many families are expected to benefit, so those details remain to be confirmed as the project moves forward. Badru: Worth watching, then, is whether Zanzibari authorities outline further specifics, including where precisely this second village will be sited and on what timeline residents might actually move in. Alia: For now, the reporting confirms the announcement itself, the model it follows from Kenya, and the ambitions behind it. Alia: Let us step into Stone Town, the historic heart of Zanzibar City on Unguja Island, as described in a feature from ad-hoc-news.de. Badru: The report walks through what makes this district so recognizable. Buildings built from coralline ragstone, mangrove timber, lime mortar and lime wash, giving houses, mosques, churches and old palaces a shared coastal palette. Alia: And those carved wooden doors everyone photographs. According to the report, their frames carry geometric and floral patterns with metal fittings, alongside balconies and projecting upper floors that break up the streetscape. Badru: The piece traces Stone Town’s roots to its role as capital of the Sultanate of Zanzibar and a major Indian Ocean port, with trade links to Arabia, Persia and India. That history, it notes, includes spices and ivory, but also the trade in enslaved people, a legacy still visible today. Alia: The Old Fort is one example of that layered past. It began under Portuguese rule before taking its current form under Omani rule in the seventeenth century, according to the report. Badru: Other landmarks mentioned include the House of Wonders, linked to Sultan Barghash, the Old Dispensary, and Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, which the report says occupies a central place in the memory of the slave trade because of its association with the former slave market site. Alia: The article also points to Tippu Tip’s former residence, the Malindi Bamnara Mosque, the Jamat Khan and the Royal Cemetery as part of this same compact historic quarter. Badru: What stands out in the reporting is that Stone Town is not treated as a museum piece. It remains a working residential and commercial district, with homes, shops and daily life sharing the same streets as these historic monuments. Alia: That combination is why UNESCO listed Stone Town as a World Heritage property in 2000, according to the report, with the designation covering both individual buildings and the wider townscape. Badru: The feature also functions as travel guidance, noting Stone Town sits on Unguja’s western coast, with the main airport to the south and ferry links to mainland Tanzania. It mentions Swahili as the official language and the Tanzanian shilling as the currency. Alia: For visitors, the report advises comfortable footwear given the narrow lanes, uneven paving and steps throughout the historic streets. Badru: Taken together, the piece frames Stone Town as a living record of Swahili, African, Arab, Indian and European influences meeting in one urban space, shaped over centuries by trade across the Indian Ocean. Alia: Zanzibar's president, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, opened the third Zanzibar Organic Festival on September 23rd at Dole Kizimbani in the West A District of Urban West Region, and Daily News reports he used the moment to lay out a broader agricultural strategy. Badru: Right, and the headline commitment was continued government investment in agriculture, improving production infrastructure, modern technologies, irrigation systems, affordable financing and better markets for farmers' produce. Alia: Dr Mwinyi said the goal is letting farmers raise food production at affordable cost while protecting soil fertility, water sources and the wider environment, alongside food security and consumer health. Badru: He put it plainly, saying organic farming is not only about producing food, but also about protecting the environment, improving people's well-being and strengthening Zanzibar's ability to cope with climate change. Alia: Concretely, the government has launched a Zanzibar Organic Agriculture Strategy covering production, budgeting, extension services, input access and value chain research. Badru: And he's directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock to start establishing a dedicated Organic Agriculture Unit to coordinate organic farming across the isles. Alia: The ministry has also been told to assess folding organic inputs into the existing agricultural input subsidy programme, while continuing to regulate hazardous inputs and train farmers on safe use. Badru: There's a tourism angle too. Dr Mwinyi pushed hotels, restaurants and food suppliers to buy more from local farmers through a Farm-to-Table system, arguing it would widen markets and raise farmer incomes. Alia: According to Daily News, he framed that link as a way to make sure benefits from Zanzibar's growing tourism sector actually reach agricultural producers, not just the hospitality industry. Badru: The festival itself ran under the theme Think Globally, Eat Naturally, bringing together farmers, experts and stakeholders to trade knowledge and technology on sustainable food production. Alia: Ikram Ramadhan Soraga, chairman of the Zanzibar Organic Agriculture Organisation, said the event was designed to connect farmers with business and market opportunities while educating the public on organic agriculture's importance. Badru: Dr Mwinyi also handed out awards to sponsors and stakeholders backing the sector, and was himself given an honorary award recognising his contribution to agricultural development. Alia: Whether the subsidy review and the new coordinating unit actually materialise will determine how much of this translates from strategy into practice for Zanzibar's farmers. Alia: Tanzania and UNESCO are renewing their cooperation, with Zanzibar's heritage as an early test case. According to a UNESCO release dated September 17, as reported by devdiscourse.com, the push follows a meeting between UNESCO Country Representative Michel Toto and Professor Hamisi Malebo, Secretary General of Tanzania's National Commission for UNESCO. Badru: The talks covered education, science, culture and information, with officials saying they want joint programmes that respond more directly to Tanzania's own development needs. That commission acts as the bridge between UNESCO's international expertise and Tanzanian ministries, universities and cultural bodies, so strengthening it could, in theory, make outside support more relevant on the ground. Alia: The clearest example so far is a proposed Development Partners' Roundtable on Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Tourism in Zanzibar. The idea is to bring government and international partners together around protecting sites like Stone Town, whose coral stone architecture faces pressure from construction, heavy foot traffic and unmanaged tourism growth. Badru: It is worth being precise here, because devdiscourse.com is clear that no date, no funding commitment and no participant list have actually been announced for that roundtable. This is a proposal, not a scheduled event, so it should be read as an institutional commitment rather than a finished plan. Alia: A second outlet, nomadlawyer.org, described the initiative in more definite language, suggesting timelines, revenue sharing for communities and licensing rules for guides were already being established. Those specifics go further than what devdiscourse.com confirms, so listeners should treat them as aspirational framing rather than settled fact. Badru: What both reports agree on is the underlying tension. Heritage tourism is an economic asset for Zanzibar, but poorly managed visitor growth can strain historic buildings and the communities living around them. The policy challenge is making sure tourism revenue actually funds conservation and reaches residents, rather than just increasing visitor numbers. Alia: For now, the real test will be whether this roundtable actually convenes, with a published programme, assigned responsibilities and real financing behind it. Badru: Until that happens, this remains diplomatic groundwork. Whether it becomes a working plan for Stone Town, or just another statement of intent, depends entirely on what Tanzanian authorities and UNESCO commit to next. Alia: We are closing this edition of ZNZist Weekly with a lighter, forward looking story from the tourism sector in Zanzibar. Badru: Habari Leo reports that Skylong Resort Zanzibar has officially launched in the city, with organizers describing the opening as a new door for the tourism sector. Alia: The launch event was attended by various leaders, government officials, and journalists, according to the outlet. Badru: Speaking at the ceremony, Zanzibar's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mudrick Soraga, said the opening is expected to stimulate the local economy by creating jobs and strengthening Zanzibar's standing as a global tourism destination. Alia: He also said small entrepreneurs and local artisans are expected to benefit as visitor numbers grow, which he suggested would add a cultural dimension to the experience offered to guests. Badru: For his part, the hotel's general project manager, Eric Leo, expressed his happiness at welcoming the resort's first guests, saying the team's aim is to provide a memorable and unique service while respecting the beauty and culture of Zanzibar. Alia: The event was led by the Executive Director of Showtime Zanzibar, Ibrahim Mitawi, who said the hotel has placed strong emphasis on environmentally friendly systems. Badru: It is worth noting that these are the stated goals and intentions shared at the launch, so how the resort performs on job creation and support for local artisans will become clearer over time. Alia: Still, Habari Leo describes the opening of Skylong Resort Zanzibar as a new catalyst for tourism on the islands, with organizers positioning it as an important pillar within the broader tourism landscape. Badru: If that ambition holds, it would fit into a wider pattern we have discussed this week, from the organic festival to heritage tourism efforts, all pointing toward Zanzibar trying to grow its tourism economy in different directions at once. Alia: That brings us to the end of this edition of ZNZist Weekly. Badru: Thank you for listening as we tracked developments across Zanzibar and Tanzania this week. Alia: We will be back with more updates next time. Until then, take care. Badru: Goodbye from ZNZist Weekly.