Bunge team to hear views of stakeholders on Media Bill

Dodoma. Media stakeholders are today going to present their views on the Media Services Bill (2016), before the Parliamentary Committee on Services and Community Development.

The Bill was tabled for first reading in Parliament last month, and some media stakeholders aired their dissatisfaction on its content.

Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) executive secretary Kajubi Mukajanga told The Citizen last month that the Bill was more draconian than the Newspaper Act, 1976 that it seeks to repeal.

The Parliamentary Committee’s chairman, who is Member of Parliament for Kigoma North, Mr Peter Serukamba, told journalists yesterday that his team will give its final say on the Bill on Friday after listening to the stakeholders’ inputs. However, some committee members were already pointing out flaws in the proposed law.

Chemba MP (CCM) and veteran journalist Juma Nkamia said although the Bill has been tabled in good faith, it still needs a major overhaul. He cited two areas of concern, including accreditation of foreign journalists where Section 18 (5)(b) of the Bill.

The section states that the accreditation of foreign journalists will be cancelled when they do not pursue the purpose for which accreditation was granted.

“That is to say, for instance, if a foreign journalists is accredited to cover elections, and during that period, a devastating accident occurs and kills say 200 people, foreign journalists will not cover it, and if they do, they will be deported. That’s unacceptable,” he said.

He also said the Bill is proposing the establishment of Journalist Accreditation Board and Independent Media Council but he is of the view that the two boards will collide in executing their roles and that will result into a conflict of interest.

“These are some areas that we need to work on, and I believe other stakeholders will come here tomorrow (today) and pinpoint other matters of concern that will have to be changed.”

Mr Nkamia also said the process of passing the Bill should not be limited by time and timetables, “We are in no rush of passing this Bill, the most important thing at the end of the day is to enact a Media Service Law that will harness the profession and not jeopardise it.”