Tanzania suspends port chiefs over cargo theft allegations

Tanzania has suspended the head of its ports authority and six other senior port officials over allegations of cargo theft and embezzlement of public funds, the transport ministry and local media said on Friday. The government is struggling to crack down on corruption in ministries and state institutions, with the public losing patience at the slow pace of change.
Investors have long complained of graft as one of the main reasons for the high cost of doing business in east Africa's second-biggest economy. Tanzania's main port, in the commercial capital Dares Salaam, which serves six landlocked countries, has often been dogged by allegations of inefficiency and corruption. Transport Minister Harrison Mwakyembe has suspended the director-general of the state-run Tanzania Ports Authority, Ephraim Mgawe, and his two deputies while an investigation is carried out, the ministry said in a statement on its website.