Tamko la Kamati ya Kulinda Wanahabari Duniani kuhusu kufungiwa magazeti ya Mwananchi na Mtanzania

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Tanzania suspends two leading newspapers Nairobi, September 30, 2013-The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by Tanzanian authorities to suspend two leading private Swahili dailies on accusations of sedition. The government issued a statement on Fridaysuspending Mwananchi and MTanzania for 14 and 90 days respectively. Tanzanian authorities often rely on an arsenal of anti-media laws such as the 1976 Newspaper Act that allows the Information Ministry wide discretionary powers to ban publications, according to CPJ research.  "The government could have taken their grievances against Mwananchi and MTanzania to the Media Council of Tanzania, an ombudsman, rather than summarily suspending the publications," said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. "We call on authorities to allow the papers to resume publication and to reform the laws that allow these suspensions, which are not in line with international standards of press freedom." The statement said that Mwananchi's suspension was in connection with a story published on July 17, called "New Government Salary Scheme 2013," which was allegedly based on a classified document. Mwananchi Managing Editor Tido Mhando said the paper had published the article to inform the public, according to news reports. Bakari Machumu, communications executive editor for Mwananchi, the company that publishes the paper, told CPJ that the paper had received and replied to two letters from the government on August 1 and August 22. On September 5, police summoned Mhando for questioning. Five days later, police also questioned Machumu. The statement said that the Information Ministry had also taken offense to a second story, published on August 17, called "Muslims Pray Under Heavy Security," which was accompanied by a picture of a police dog. Authorities said the photograph implied that "the police had taken dogs to Islamic places of worship. This was not true." Tanzanian authorities also banned MTanzania, part of the New Habari Publishers company, in connection with articles that alleged police involvement in attacks against citizens and suggested government incompetency in contending with terrorist threats, the statement said. The statement pointed out three articles: "The Bloody Presidency," published on March 20; "Revolution Cannot Be Avoided," published on June 12; and "The Government Stinks of Blood," published on September 18. The statement said the paper had been warned on multiple occasions to stop publishing "inflammatory content." The paper's managing editor, Absalom Kibanda, said in an interviewwith Cloud FM that New Habari had not been given the opportunity for a hearing to defend the paper before the closure. New Habari Managing Director, Hussein Bashe, said on Twitter that Mtanzania'sweekly sister paper, Rai, will be published as a daily during the suspension. Assah Mwambene, Director of Information who wrote the statement, did not immediately respond to CPJ's calls and messages for comment. In July 2012, authorities banned the critical weekly Mwanahalisi for a series of articles that accused the government of involvement in a brutal attack against a leader of doctor's strikes in the country, Managing Editor Saed Kubenea said. ·      For more data and analysis, visit CPJ's special report on Tanzania, "The Invisible Plight of the Tanzanian Press." ### CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. Contact: Sue Valentine Africa Program Coordinator [email protected] Mohamed Keita Africa Advocacy Coordinator Tel. +1.212.465.1004 ext. 117 Email: [email protected] Tom Rhodes East Africa Consultant Email: [email protected]

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Watanzania Wana Haki ya Kujua Hali ya Uchumi wa Taifa lao

Kumekuwa na tetesi za muda mrefu kuwa hali ya uchumi wa Tanzania ni mbaya.Hata hivyo,kama ilivyozoeleka,wahusika serikalini wameendelea kuwanyima Watanzania haki yao ya msingi ya kufahamishwa hali ya uchumi wa taifa lao. 

Hivi karibuni Gavana wa Benki Kuu,Profesa Benno Ndulu,alizungumza na waandishi wa habari kuhusu ubora wa noti mpya.Licha ya kuonekana kufahamu kuwa wananchi hawaridhishwi na kiwango duni cha noti hizo,Gavana Ndulu alizitetea kwa nguvu zote.Akemee ili ifahamike kuwa 'zimechakachuliwa'?

Akiichambua hali ya uchumi, gavana huyo alisema kwa sasa hali ya uchumi ni nzuri na kwamba nchi ina uwezo wa kulipa huduma kwa miezi sita bila kutegemea sehemu yoyote.Lakini katika kile kinachoweza kiashirikia kiwa kauli hiyo ilikuwa ya kisiasa zaidi kuliko ya kitaalamu,Gavana alidai kuwa mwenye dhamana ya kueleza athari za mgao wa umeme kwa uchumi ni Waziri wa Nishati na Madini.Huku sio tu kukwepa majukumu bali mwendelezo wa danadana za kibabaishaji zinazoeleka kuunda mfumo wa utendaji wa viongozi wengi wa taasisi za umma.Na kwa vile 'Mteuzi Mkuu' Serikalini,yaani Rais,anaonekana kama yupo usingizini kubaini mapungufu ya baadhi ya watendaji aliowateua,ni dhahiri utendaji kwa mfumo wa 'bora liende' utaendelea kuwepo kwa muda mrefu.

Kwa hapa Uingereza,Benki Kuu imekuwa ikitoa taarifa kuhusu viwango vya riba kila mwezi.Taarifa hiyo huambatana na maelezo ya kutosha kuhusu mwenendo wa uchumi wa nchi hii.Na kila baada ya miezi michache,ofisi ya takwimu nayo hutoa taarifa yenye takwimu zinzoashiria kupanda,kutuama au kushuka kwa uchumi.Kadhalika,vielekezo muhimu kuhusu uchumi wa nchi kama vile idadi ya wasio na ajira,mfumuko wa bei,wastani wa thamani ya sarafu,nk vimekuwa vikiwekwa wazi kwa umma.

Na huko nchini Marekani,Serikali ya Rais Barack Obama,imekuwa ikitoa taarifa za hali ya uchumi wa nchi hiyo mara kwa mara,hata kama kufanya hivyo kufanya hivyo kunaathiri namna wananchi wanavyoridhishwa au kutoridhishwa na serikali hiyo.Huku sio tu kutambua haki ya wananchi kuhabarishwa bali pia kuelewa kuwa kuficha ukweli kuhusu hali ya uchumi hakuwezi kuufanya uchumi husika kuboreka.

Na ndio maana licha ya kuwaficha Watanzania kuhusu hali ya uchumi wa nchi yao,sambamba na kauli mbalimbali za kisiasa kuwa 'hali cha uchumi ni poa' gazeti la Mwananchi katika toleo lake la leo linaripoti kuwa Serikali imelazimika kufumua bajeti yake ya mwaka wa fedha 2010/11 kwa kupunguza matumizi ya Wizara ili kufidia upungufu wa Sh670.4 bilioni zilizotegemewa kupatikana kutokana na makusanyo ya kodi katika mwaka huu wa fedha.

Hata hivyo,gazeti hilo lilipomtaka Waziri wa Fedha na Uchumi, Mustaffa Mkullo, kuihusina na hali hiyo alisema taarifa ya hali ya uchumi wa nchi alishaitoa hivi karibuni kwenye chombo kimoja nchini, hivyo hahitaji kuitoa tena."Nilitoa taarifa kwa wenzenu wa gazeti (sio Mwananchi) sasa siwezi tena kuirudia," alisema.Ni dhahiri kuwa laiti hali ingekuwa nzuri,Mkulo asingefanya dharau hiyo hasa kwa vile viongozi dhaifu huwa wepesi sana kumwaga hadharani habari njema wakiamini zitawaletea sifa.

Wakati Watanzania wanasubiri 'waletewe' Katiba mpya,ni muhimu kuangalia tatizo hili la ukandamizwaji wa makusudi wa haki ya kuhabarishwa.Nchi mbalimbali zina sheria zinazoilazimisha Serikali na taasisi za umma kutoa au kuruhusu upatikanaji wa taarifa.Japo tunafahamu kuwa taarifa nyingi nchini 'zinachakachuliwa' kwa minajli ya kufisadi,kudanganya wapiga kura,kughilibu wafadhili,au sehemu tu ya utamaduni wa kutowajibika,uwepo wa sheria ya Haki ya Habari (Freedom of Information act) utakomesha tabia kama hiyo ya dharau Waziri Mkulo kupuuza kuwaeleza Watanzania kuhusu hali ya uchumi wa nchi yao

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