Internet Training for Regional and Local Based Journalists in Iringa



Class in progress

Materials were in local Swahili language 

Active participation by participants

Surfing is going on despite frequent network failure

Participants in a discussion group session



Technlogy was used during the  training



Constitution Does Not Recognize Media Freedom

The World Press Freedom Day is commemorated each year on May 3, to recognize principles on media freedom and freedom of expression. In Tanzania, the day was organized by Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania Chapter and  was inaugurated by the former Chief Justice, Augustino Ramadhani who urged media fraternity to lobby for inclusion of media freedom in the proposed new constitution.

Elaborating on the meaning of Article 18 of Tanzanian Constitution when he was giving a key note address to media fraternity and other invitees, the retired Chief Justice said the Article does not recognize any media freedom, instead is recognizing right to freedom of expression and opinion of individuals and not institutions.

According to Article 18 of the Constitution, “every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to seek, receive and impart or disseminate information and ideas through any media regardless of national frontiers, and also has the right of freedom from interference with his communications”.

Article 19 goes further to say “Every citizen has the right to be informed at all times of various events in the country and in the world at large which are of importance to the lives and activities of the people and also of issues of importance to society”.

He said media freedom is not enshrined in the National Constitution just like the judiciary freedom which was not constitutionally recognized until ten years ago.

“You are celebrating 20 Years of Windhoek Declaration when the Constitution does not recognize your freedom,” he told more than 200 journalists and other media stakeholders attending the World Press Freedom Day celebrations at Mlimani City Hall, in Dar es Salaam. ”But you are not late, even at the judiciary despite with all lawyers and judges our freedom was not recognized until the year 2000.”

But he challenged media fraternity when addressing media freedom to look into its broader perspectives. Citing the example of judiciary freedom, he explained the broader perspectives of media freedom as freedom against government, freedom against media owners, freedom against general public, freedom against source/subject and freedom against self conscious.

He said all these aspects need to be taken care off in order to make the media freedom meaningful. He said sometimes media fraternity might think the main enemy of media freedom is government, but in real sense might not be government, instead might be media owners and journalists themselves.

He urged journalists and media fraternity to use the existing Constitutional review opportunity to make sure that media freedom is included in the New Constitution.

During his state address to mark the end of the year 2010 and welcoming 2011, President Jakaya Kikwete expressed his commitment to create a team to work on a new Constitution after growing calls especially by civil society organizations and political parties for the need of the new Constitution.

The government has already come up with a bill to review the Constitution which was rejected by majority during consultations held in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Zanzibar. The state has agreed to make necessary amendment of the bill before it continues with further consultations.

Call for repeal of Newspaper Act to expand media freedom

As the review of the Tanzanian constitution draws closer, local civil society representatives and media practitioners call for the government to replace the 1976 Newspaper Act with a progressive media law that conforms to international human rights standards, in order to enhance press freedom and freedom of expression in the country.

“ARTICLE19 joins stakeholders’ calls asking for the Tanzania Government to review laws that impede freedom of expression and access to information,” said Dr. Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE19.

The Newspaper Act has been used to curtail freedom of expression in a number of instances, During the October 2010 election campaign, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Sethi Kamuhanda, visited print media houses to warn them that the government would ban any media that portrayed the government negatively. During the same period, the country’s security forces issued a press statement warning the media against reporting on matters perceived sensitive to national security.

“The government must give priority to reviewing laws that negate freedom of expression and press freedom as the country prepares to embark on the road to constitutional review,” said Rose Haji, the National Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa,Tanzania Chapter.

Other laws limiting press freedom in the country include the National Security Government Notice No. 133 of 1970, the Public Service Act, the Film and Stage Act No 4 of 1976 and the Records and Archives Management Act.

MISA is supporting a court case to repeal Newspapers Act filed by Hali Halisi Company, the publishers of weekly investigative newspaper, Mwanahalisi. The move by Hali Halisi came after Tanzania Government banned Mwanahalisi for 90 days late 2008. The case is yet to be concluded by the High Court of Tanzania.

End