We at the Guardian support the stand taken by the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF); the Forum is right when it says the government is using rules which have since been rubbished as unworkable and should be repealed by none other than our own illustrious first chief justice, the late Francis Nyalali.
It is unthinkable even to imagine that
the people who advice the government to close newspapers are people who
should know better; some of them were once practitioners; others have
lived, and so have been exposed to developed democracies where free
thought is a fundamental right.
Free thought, we repeat, is a democratic and fundamental right. Just the other day, this country's head of state received glowing tributes from US President Barak Obama; we are sure it wasn't for muzzling the press – which is what his government now seeks to do.
The US leader has commended Tanzania for being among few countries in the world to have signed a charter on government that strives towards transparency and good governance.
President Obama showered his praises on President Jakaya Kikwete whom he referred to as a brother and a friend for his efforts to enhance joint public-private partnership which aims at promoting transparency and good governance in government activities.
He made the comments on Monday during a meeting he organized in New York, the United States, for heads of state and civil society organizations that aimed at cementing the working relationship between the two in promoting good governance.
President Kikwete was among ten African countries heads of state invited to attend the meeting which also brought together 300 people from the civil society organizations. Other presidents at the meeting were from Liberia, Ghana, Benin, Libya, Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa and Botswana.
The one-hour meeting aimed at finding better ways to increase government and civil society partnership for improved accountability.
The meeting also called for doing away with unruly regulations in some countries which hinder performance of civil societies in attaining transparency, accountability and good governance.
In his opening speech, President Obama said Tanzania was among the countries which have signed the Transparency and Good Governance charter which looks towards incorporating the civil society organizations in attaining that end
These aren't lame praises. The media houses in this country have done a commendable job since the liberalization of the industry over two decades ago – so the last thing any sane person would want to see is an improvement on the 1976 act.
That despicable act should go to the dustbins!
Source:IPP media
Free thought, we repeat, is a democratic and fundamental right. Just the other day, this country's head of state received glowing tributes from US President Barak Obama; we are sure it wasn't for muzzling the press – which is what his government now seeks to do.
The US leader has commended Tanzania for being among few countries in the world to have signed a charter on government that strives towards transparency and good governance.
President Obama showered his praises on President Jakaya Kikwete whom he referred to as a brother and a friend for his efforts to enhance joint public-private partnership which aims at promoting transparency and good governance in government activities.
He made the comments on Monday during a meeting he organized in New York, the United States, for heads of state and civil society organizations that aimed at cementing the working relationship between the two in promoting good governance.
President Kikwete was among ten African countries heads of state invited to attend the meeting which also brought together 300 people from the civil society organizations. Other presidents at the meeting were from Liberia, Ghana, Benin, Libya, Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa and Botswana.
The one-hour meeting aimed at finding better ways to increase government and civil society partnership for improved accountability.
The meeting also called for doing away with unruly regulations in some countries which hinder performance of civil societies in attaining transparency, accountability and good governance.
In his opening speech, President Obama said Tanzania was among the countries which have signed the Transparency and Good Governance charter which looks towards incorporating the civil society organizations in attaining that end
These aren't lame praises. The media houses in this country have done a commendable job since the liberalization of the industry over two decades ago – so the last thing any sane person would want to see is an improvement on the 1976 act.
That despicable act should go to the dustbins!
Source:IPP media
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