History:
Mikindani is an old Swahili port that was once the centre of trade in southern Tanzania. The original inhabitants (the Makonde people) were joined around the ninth Century AD by Arab traders. A further influx of Arabs occurred in the 19th century under the reign of Seyyid Said, the graves and mosques from this period can still be seen.
In the late 19th century under German colonial rule trade in the area's natural resources of rubber, sisal, coconuts and oil seed grew. The boma (fort), a slave market, a prison and a dock were constructed in the village. During World War I the prison was largely destroyed, what remained was turned into a customs house. With the arrival of the British at the end of the First World War, Mikindani remained an important administrative post and attracted a sizeable Indian population (there is still an Indian temple)until 1947 when the British administration developed the port in neighbouring Mtwara for exporting peanuts grown as part of the infamous Tanganyika groundnut scheme.
As the centre for trade and administration moved to Mtwara, Mikindani's focus shifted back to fishing and agriculture. The town declined further through the unwise nationalizations by the Tanzanian government that drove away most of the Indian and Arab settlers, and left the town a beautiful ruin frozen in time. Due to its proximity to the Northern border of Mozambique and the lack of communications - the road to Dar es Salaam is still under construction - the whole area remained relatively unexplored; the area was off-limits to tourists during the 1977 - 1994 Mozambican Civil War.
The town is home to 'Livingstone House', that owes its name to the fact that the town is assumed to be the point of departure of Livingstone's last expedition. The building as such never housed Livingstone, and was erected long after his departure. It is likely that Livingstone's final departure point would in fact have been nearby Pemba on the northern side of the mouth of the lagoon rather than this location in the centre of Mikindani.
Today we announce new jobs opportunities at MTWARA Municipal Council.
Today we announce new jobs opportunities at MTWARA Municipal Council.
Read carefully all currently available jobs through the links below:
