No more airplay: Tanzania media boycotts Mukangara

Dar es Salaam. Media stakeholders have declared a blackout on Information, Youth, Culture and Sports minister Fenella Mukangara and Director of Information Services Assah Mwambene effective yesterday.

The decision not to cover events organised or attended by the officials was reached at a meeting attended by representatives of various media houses.

The move is designed to convey the media’s disappointment with the government decision not to rescind a ban on Mwananchi, Mtanzania and Mwanahalisi.

The boycott is also aimed at expressing discontent with the government’s decision to play down pleas from various quarters to repeal the 1976 newspaper Act, as per the recommendation of the Nyalali Commission in 1992, since the Act runs counter to the constitution.

“We have been saddened by the government’s decision to ban those newspapers without giving them a chance to be heard,” the statement read. “This isn’t only misleading but it is against natural justice.”

The stakeholders included Media Owners of Tanzania, Tanzania Editors Forum, The Media Institute of Southern Africa-Tanzania Chapter, Media Council of Tanzania, Union of Tanzania Press Clubs, Dar City Press Club and Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition.

But Dr Mukangara said she was surprised at the decision, considering that the media work for the public and not for her. She asked: “Do they work for me or the public? This means they have taken the matter personally. I doubt that they considered the ethics that govern their profession.”

The minister vowed that she would work in accordance with the laws of the land and the media decision would not affect her job.

Mr Mwambene declined to comment, saying he was not ready to respond through The Citizen, which is published by Mwananchi Communications Ltd which also publishes Mwananchi newspaper, one of the banned tabloids.

He insisted, though, that the blackout would not affect his work as he was certain other media outlets would publish stories and photographs from events he is involved in.

Coming out of a four-hour closed door meeting, media stakeholders expressed their disappointment with the government’s stand not to rescind the ban--which has drawn criticism from within and outside the country.

They vowed to continue their campaign to have the 1976 Newspaper Act repealed.

According to the statement, media stakeholders will team up to support a 2009 court case filed by Hali Halisi Publishers Limited, the publishers of Mwanahalisi newspaper.

The government banned the weekly tabloid in July 2012 for publishing what it described as seditious and fabricated stories.

On September 27, 2013, the government hit Mwananchi and Mtanzania with a two-week and three-month ban respectively.

The two newspapers were accused of publishing provocative and seditious stories intended to incite the public against the government.

According to Government Notice No 333, the stories were likely to undermine peace and national integrity.

One of the contentious stories was titled “Mishahara Mipya Serikalini 2013” (New government salaries 2013). The government argued this information was 'confidential'.

The second story had the headline “Waislam wasali chini ya ulinzi mkali” (Muslims pray under tight security).

The Maelezo notice claimed the story sought to create tensions between Muslims and the government.