Most visitors to Tanzania arrive through our international airports, so it is important that these facilities appear clean, efficient and welcoming. Generally, I believe they do. However, having one’s first few hours in the country disrupted by being wheel-clamped—due to a few drops of oil—by an overzealous or opportunistic official issuing a hefty fine is hardly the ideal start to a trip.
While I can appreciate that oil spills on an otherwise pristine car park can be unpleasant, no one intentionally soils a parking space. Such incidents are clearly accidental and may already come with their own inconvenience and cost. A more conciliatory approach—perhaps offering advice on a mechanic—might be more constructive than imposing an immediate fine.
In my case, the “oil slick” in question amounted to no more than one or two fresh droplets, scarcely different from the many older stains already present in every parking bay in that car park. Nonetheless, the damage was done. Unaware I had been clamped, I drove over the clamp spikes, puncturing my tyre. Thus, my guest’s first hours in Tanzania involved an apparent attempt at extortion, watching me change a wheel, and waiting at a garage to repair the puncture. Not quite the start to his African adventure he had imagined.
What’s more troubling was the lack of response from the airport authorities. Despite submitting four complaints, I received no apology, no explanation, and no justification—only a curt “Received” after multiple follow-ups.
So who was my guest? Was he a potential investor in industry, agriculture, or education—or simply a tourist eager to explore our wildlife? Even if it were just the latter, is the negative word-of-mouth about his oil-drop fine really worth the meagre few thousand shillings gained, especially when the “offence” was so questionable?
