In Summary
Registration, improper or otherwise, is actually beside the point. Before the government issued the ban letter on January 21, an official had summoned the bureau chief to bitch about the paper’s coverage. He did not like the paper’s criticism of the government’s position on the anti-Kigali rebels based in the DR Congo, and most certainly not a cartoon that depicted president Jakaya Kikwete lounging about, his harem attending his every need while official corruption and incompetence eat away at the country
The EastAfrican cannot be sold inside the borders of Tanzania, so says the government over there. That is a boneheaded act.
The paper, published out of Nairobi by the Nation Media Group, is not “properly registered” in Tanzania. That is the reason the government has formally given. After 20 years, it is only now that the government in Dar notices that the EastAfrican is not properly registered. Such a competent government over there!
By using the word “proper”, I assume the government is saying the paper is somehow registered. If that were the case, why not call the owners in to register it “properly”. That is how a government that purports to be interested in East African integration and attracting foreign investment acts.
Kikwete cartoon
Registration, improper or otherwise, is actually beside the point. Before the government issued the ban letter on January 21, an official had summoned the bureau chief to bitch about the paper’s coverage. He did not like the paper’s criticism of the government’s position on the anti-Kigali rebels based in the DR Congo, and most certainly not a cartoon that depicted president Jakaya Kikwete lounging about, his harem attending his every need while official corruption and incompetence eat away at the country.
The cartoon certainly carried the rub, suggesting that the president has a sizzling private life that is possibly distracting him from properly running the affairs of state. This is something I can understand someone bristling at, but it is no reason to ban the sale of the offending publication. And certainly not the critical opinion piece about the Dar stance toward the anti-Kigali rebels.
By banning the EastAfrican, for its alleged negative agenda against Tanzania, the government has allowed people like me who had missed the cartoon to go hunting it down online. Cartoonist Gado cannot possibly be complaining.
The Tanzanian government claims to be tolerant of free speech. Why not simply answer back, or indeed complain loudly to the bosses at the Nation Media Group – also majority owner of Monitor Publications, publishers of this newspaper. Or simply ignore everything. Now people will want to know whether the cartoon actually carried any truth. No good can come out of this for president Kikwete and his government.
In any case, the EastAfrican is largely read by Tanzanians who can afford access to the Internet. They will read the paper online. All that they may miss are the many tender and job adverts.
It is surprising how presidents in East Africa have thin skins. They like to lecture the rest of us but do not expect a response. So reasonable! We the wananchi respond all the same by asking some questions, by lampooning them, by criticising them, by insulting them, by offering some sensible advice (which they routinely ignore), and by spreading rumours about them. It comes with the territory, guys. Get used to it and stop lashing out at the slightest feeling of discomfort from the media, acting like despots yet you claim to be democrats.
Regional intolerance
Bloggers are jailed in Kenya, media outlets are banned in Tanzania and Rwanda and journalists routinely battered by the police that is supposed to protect everyone in Uganda.
The way we are going, we are not just integrating regional economies, we are also integrating intolerance of criticism and other bad manners.
This is what happens when the leaders read too much on these processes. Soon, these governments will be acting like the terrorists in Paris, shooting journalists they do not like – or maybe some are already shooting them anyway.
Mr Tabaire is the co-founder and director of programmes at African Centre for Media Excellence in Kampala.
bernard.tabaire@gmail.com
Twitter:@btabaire