VZCZCXRO8480
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHDR #0022/01 0160658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160658Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8168
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1100
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 2758
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 1202
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3274
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000022 
 
STATE FOR AF/PDPA AND AF/E JLIDDLE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM KPAO TZ
SUBJECT: Banned Tanzania Newspaper Returns 
 
REF: 08 Dar es Salaam 708 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000022  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary: MwanaHALISI, banned by the GOT in October on 
allegations of publishing seditious material returned to the streets 
this week.  Ambassador Green highlighted the importance of press 
freedoms in his exit courtesy call with Tanzanian President Kikwete. 
 The President remarked that most African countries were not mature 
enough to allow unlimited media freedom.  Post will continue to 
underscore the USG commitment to press freedoms and report septel on 
the expected revision to the antiquated, and much disliked, 
Newspapers Act of 1976.  End Summary. 
 
Banned Newspaper Re-emerges 
------------ 
 
¶2.  (U)  MwanaHALISI, a weekly swahili tabloid banned by the 
Government of Tanzania for three months under the 1976 Newspapers 
Act on allegations of publishing seditious material began printing 
again this week.  Per reftel, the newspaper had published a story 
about an alleged conspiracy among members of the Central Committee 
and National Executive Committee of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi 
(CCM) party to bar President Kikwete from running for a second term 
in 2010.  Many observers believe the ban came down because 
MwanaHalisi said President Kikwete's own son, Ridhwani, was 
involved. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Upon implementation of the ban October 13, 2008, Tanzania's 
Editors' Forum condemned the act as intimidation.  Individual 
journalists, human rights activists and members of the media 
fraternity mounted protests, demanding that the GOT prove the 
"seditious" nature of the charge and send the matter to court. 
 
¶4.  (U)  According to Mwanahali's Editor Jabir Idrissa, the GOT 
never took any of the newspaper's staff to court, but "the police 
continued to harass" him and publisher Saed Kubenea requiring the 
pair to "weekly report to the station since October and sign piece 
of paper."  Press reports indicate the newspaper is facing four 
separate charges of libel by some government officials. 
 
¶5.  (U)  In an email communication circulated to foreign donors, 
Idrissa wrote, "we are completely crippled. With the suspension of 
the publication, challenges have grown into insurmountable problems: 
our plans for expansion have been dealt a blow as our coffers have 
speedily gone dry." 
 
¶6.  (U)  Mwanahalisi returned to the streets January 14 publishing 
the headline, "EPA papers vanish from BoT."  The story discusses 
that convictions of heavyweight personalities for siphoning millions 
of dollars from the External Payment Arrears (EPA) account may prove 
difficult as "crucial documents are said to have gone missing from 
the Bank of Tanzania (BOT), including files of Kagoda Agriculture 
Limited accused of pocketing over $30 million."  The newspaper cites 
sources stating that EPA funds had been distributed unsystematically 
resulting in poor record keeping.  Mwanahalisi concludes by noting 
that the BOT Governor, Professor Benno Ndulu, would follow up on 
allegations that sensitive BOT documents have been systematically 
replaced by forged ones.  Comment: While all Tanzanian papers have 
reported extensively on the EPA scandal, none have printed a story 
about missing documents.  Mwanahalisi breaking this news suggests a 
continued willingness to delve deeper (or stretch available facts) 
than other media.  End comment. 
 
Book Published on MwanaHalisi's Experience 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U)  On January 13, former chairman of the Media Council of 
Tanzania (MCT) Professor Issa Shivji of the University of Dar es 
Salaam officially launched the book entitled, "Freedom Imprisoned, 
90 days of arbitrary incarceration of MwanaHALISI" written by media 
consultant Ndimara Tegambwage.  The first-run print is 5,000 copies 
and supporters are seeking funding for an English translation.  The 
book does not limit its content to Mwanahalisi's suspension only and 
discusses matters of free speech and press freedom, the need for 
courage, and the necessity for "journalists to work together for the 
common good of the nation and profession." 
 
¶8.  (U)  During the last year, Tegambwage facilitated numerous 
courses through implementing partner Pact-Tanzania using Millennium 
Challenge Threshold Program funds, and authored the investigative 
journalism training manual used in Pact's courses.  At the book 
launch, Professor Shivji told the audience, "freedom of information 
belongs to the people and not to journalists alone."  He said that 
the 1976 Newspaper Act was transferred verbatim from the colonial 
newspaper ordinance and urged the public to demand its repeal for 
being "unconstitutional." 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000022  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Ambassador Raises Press Freedom with President Kikwete 
--------------- 
 
¶9.  (U)  In his January 13 exit courtesy call with Tanzanian 
President Kikwete, Ambassador Green highlighted the beneficial 
impact of press freedoms in Tanzania, especially for areas such as 
combating corruption.  Local English daily, The Citizen, reported 
the President remarked that "most African countries were not mature 
enough to allow unlimited media freedom, as it tends to divide a 
country along religious and tribal lines.  Kikwete insisted that the 
GOT would not tolerate irresponsible reporting aimed at inciting the 
people." 
 
¶10.  (U)  Comment: As mentioned in previous cables, Tanzania has a 
vibrant media environment that has seen a remarkable increase in the 
level of investigative reporting the past two years (with the 
implementation of a successful Millennium Challenge Threshold 
Program).  The press has played a leading role in exposing corrupt 
activities and prodding government action.  Unfortunately, we still 
see press freedoms infringed upon.  Just as the GOT ban on 
Mwanahalisi concluded, the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government banned 
the distribution of a newspaper on the islands (septel).  Post will 
continue to underscore the USG commitment to press freedoms and 
report in the future on the expected revision to the antiquated, and 
much disliked, Newspapers Act.  End Comment. 
 
Green