IT is always good to be back home from wherever you might be. Home sweet home, and greetings from Johannesburg.
Soon after landing, it was comforting to read, in a local Daily, about the development projects being undertaken throughout the country. Like is implied in this news item headline submitted from Kagera Region: “Bukoba Municipal Residents paid 1.86bn/= compensation for road expansion”.
We have pointed this one out several times before but let us repeat for one more time. It is not: “Bukoba ‘Municipal’ Residents”. It is: “Bukoba Municipality Residents”; or “Residents of Bukoba Municipality”. Now, what has happened to these people? Here is the story:
“About 26 ‘Municipal’ residents have been paid a total of 1.861bn/-, being compensation for the rehabilitation and expansion of ‘a’ 5.1km Rwamishenye roundabout-Bukoba Port Road.”
This road is well-known, so it has to go with a definite article, “the,” instead of the indefinite one, “a”, used by the writer. The compensation is not for the rehabilitation and expansion of the road, but for the loss that the affected people suffered. The following re-write is proposed:
“About 26 ‘Municipality’ residents have been paid a total of 1.861bn/=, being compensation for the loss they suffered as a result of the rehabilitation and expansion of ‘the’ 5.1km Rwamishenye roundabout-Bukoba Port Road.”
Kagera Region officials thanked the President: “for allocating over 430bn/= ‘during’ a three-year period for improvement of the roads infrastructure that has greatly improved the region’s economy.”
I would go for: “over a three-year period”, instead of: “during a three-year period”. The sentence would then go as follows:
Kagera Region officials thanked the President: “for allocating over 430bn/= ‘over’ a three-year period, for the improvement of the road infrastructure that has greatly improved the region’s economy.” The officials are quoted as saying that this is a project that will cost 4.61bn/= upon completion.
The 4.61bn/= is the budget. With such projects, you are never too sure so it is best to be cautious: “this is a project that will cost AROUND 4.61bn/= upon completion.”
Let us move on. Travelling from Bukoba to Mwanza is no brainer these days. You can fly, take a bus, or travel overnight on the rehabilitated MV Victoria. While in Mwanza, your safety is ensured as can be implied from this news item titled: “Police nab over 400 suspects for various crimes in one month.”
The Regional Police Commander is quoted as saying: “A total of 280 cases were successfully taken to court, where suspects were found guilty and sentenced to various prison sentences.”
There are two misgivings about the above reporting: One, why use “sentence” twice in a phrase of five words? Two, court sentences, even when found guilty, do not always mean going to prison. You could be fined, for example. My re-write of the sentence is as follows:
“A total of 280 cases were successfully taken to court, where suspects were found guilty and handed various sentences, including prison terms.”
Regarding gender-based violence, it was reported as follows: “One case involving accused so-and-so was judged and given a 30-year prison sentence for rape.”
Reading the sentence above, one may ask oneself, whether it was the case that was given the sentence, or the culprit? To avoid such vague reporting, the following version is recommended:
“One case involving accused so-and so, was decided and the culprit given a 30-year prison sentence for rape.”
Lastly, some good news for maize farmers. The news item is titled: “Maize price increases NFRA purchases.” After she decided to raise the price of maize, “the President’s decision was met with widespread approval from farmers and grain dealers, who ‘turned in’ large numbers and sold their maize to NFRA.”
“Turned in large numbers?” No. “Turned UP in large numbers and sold their maize to NFRA”.
Goodbye October, welcome November. The end of the year is a nigh.
