This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
On October 25, 2019, Tanzanian authorities arrested four Chinese contractors for slow progress in state-funded construction projects in Dar es Salaam.
The three men and a woman were employed by two companies contracted to build a canal and a section of road in the city.
Abubakar Kunenge, executive secretary of the Dar es Salaam region, stated that work on the two schemes was 'going nowhere' and that the governor, Paul Makonda, had ordered the arrest as an example to others.
According to Kunenge, the four contractors would spend each night at the central police station and go every morning to supervise the works until Makonda decides the speed of work is sufficient.
President John Magufuli's government has been known for taking summary measures against foreign companies it considers unfair, including breaking or renegotiating contracts and cracking down on certain groups.
