Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

TANZANIA
State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
ALERT
DATE: 2002-02-15
PERSON(S): Jenerali Ulimwengu
VIOLATION(S): Expelled
The government has turned down an
application for naturalisation by
Jenerali Ulimwengu, a veteran journalist
and publisher.
Ulimwengu, aged 53, is chairman
of Habari Corporation and publisher
of the highly regarded and fiercely independent
newspapers “Rai”,
“Mtanzania” and “The African”,
which have often run foul of the government
by writing revealing stories
and biting commentaries about corruption
in high places.
In 2001, in a move that shocked
many, the government announced that
Ulimwengu and three other individuals
had been stripped of their citizenship
for allegedly failing to prove their
parents’ citizenship.
The four individuals were all advised
to apply for naturalisation to address
“technical problems.” On
Wednesday February 13, 2002 it was
revealed that all except Ulimwengu
had been granted naturalisation by the
Minister of Home Affairs.
According to MISA’s Tanzanian
chapter (MISA-Tanzania), this move
has confirmed fears, expressed last
year, that the whole affair was organised
to punish Ulimwengu for his journalistic
activities.
Ulimwengu’s ‘s critical newspaper
articles and weekly television programme
have often irked the authorities.
ALERT
DATE: 2002-05-08
PERSON(S): George Maziku
VIOLATION(S): Legislation
George Maziku, a correspondent for
“Mwananchi” newspaper, is facing a
criminal case after being interrogated
and detained by the police for several
hours. He is alleged to have displayed
“contempt of Parliament” by writing
a seditious article against Parliament.
In his column that appeared on
April 7, 2002, entitled “Mabadiliko ya
Sheria ya Uchaguzi yanakusudia
nini?” (Where does electoral law reform
lead us?), Maziku explained how
the law reform is used to legalise different
election scenarios in favour of
the ruling Revolutionary Party of Tanzania
(CCM).
National Assembly Speaker Pius
Msekwa wrote to the editor of
“Mwananchi” on April 9, saying that
according to Provision No. 3 of the
1988 Parliamentary Immunities, Powers
and Privileges Act, Maziku’s
newspaper article misrepresented the
intentions of Parliament. Msekwa explained
that by doing so, the journalist
faces a charge of “willful misrepresentation”.
On April 12, Maziku received a letter
from National Assembly Clerk
Kipenka Musa, summoning him to
report to the National Assembly to
explain himself. The attorney general
was instructed by the speaker of Parliament
to take legal action against the
journalist. Maziku was detained for
some time by the police and has since
been released on bail.
The correspondent has yet to be officially
charged but is looking for a
lawyer to assist him. He claims he is
terrified by the potential outcome of
a court case and is considering seeking
asylum beyond the country’s bor-
So This Is Democracy? 137