A piece on investigative journalism that needs some

[Pundit]

Inaelekea huwezi kupata article ya IPPMedia isiyo utumbo! Yaani the last thing on my mind was to find a gaffe, I was just trying to see whats up.Lakini wapiii, waandishi wetu hawawezi hata ku google "Tanzania Head of Government"!

They validate Sumaye's point clearly by exhibiting his point.

They wrote

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Sumaye, who served as Head of Government during retired President Benjamin Mkapa`s two-term office tenure...

The president, not the Prime Minister is the Head of Government as well as the Head of State. The Prime Minister is the head of government business in the parliament, if that is where they confused it.

Ukishaona hilo unakosa hata confidence ya kuendelea kuona utumbo gani wamekosea huko mbele.



Sumaye speaks on investigative journalism

2008-06-04 10:07:36
By Gadiosa Lamtey

Former Prime Minister, Frederick Sumaye yesterday advised Tanzanian investigative journalists to be objective by gathering enough details and evidence before publishing their stories.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Sumaye, who served as Head of Government during retired President Benjamin Mkapa`s two-term office tenure, also cautioned newspapers to be cautious of investigative stories that touched directly on the reputation and integrity of persons.

``It takes so long to clean up the name of a person which had been tainted by false allegations published in the newspapers,`` said Sumaye.

As public watchdog, the former premier said journalists and media houses needed to collect sufficient facts and evidence in the course of pursuing investigative stories implicating government officials and other people in the private sector.

Sumaye will pocket some 100m/- from Tanzania Leo as damages for a false story published by the newspaper which stated that the ex-PM operated an offshore account with a 10 trillion shillings balance, an amount which could finance the government budget for two years.

``Time is ripe for media managers and employers to facilitate the further education of journalists so that they specialise in investigative reporting on different sectors?economy, politics, business?so to avoid projection of misleading news and distortion of information.

``I am quite sure that specialisation on the part of investigative journalists could solve the problem of publishing false and poorly researched stories which sometimes appear in our media,`` he said.

He said it was not easy to restore a person`s image which had been tainted by unfounded allegations. ``It is not easy to convince people to believe that what was published about that particular individual was untrue,`` he said.

Asked if he could forgive Tanzania Leo by following the footsteps of former African Union Secretary General Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who refrained from collecting almost 1bn/- from the East African as damages after winning a court case, Sumaye responded:

``They asked that I should pardon them. If they really had wanted me to forgive, then they should have pleaded with me earlier. But they cannot do now, because we have already signed an agreement for payment of 100m/- as ordered by the court,`` he said.

On the controversial mining contracts signed during Mkapa`s tenure of office when he (Sumaye) served as premier, he said: ``?I have already commented on these matters. If you want more information, please come to my office,`` he said.

Sumaye, a former close ally to retired President Mkapa, who is facing allegations of high-profile corruption,has completely declined to comment on Mkapa?s raging scandals, describing them as a personal matters best dealt with by Mkapa himself.

``I cannot comment on such allegations because they are directed at Benjamin Mkapa as a person, and not in his capacity as the then president of Tanzania,`` told reporters on Saturday.

Among allegations levelled against the ex-president are murky private business dealings conducted from the State House when he was in power, including his involvement in the questionable privatisation and ownership of the formerly state-run Kiwira Coal Mine along with one of his cabinet ministers, Daniel Yona.

Mkapa is also alleged to have deliberately violated the law in 2005 by ordering extension of the Tanzania International Container Terminal Services container terminal lease by an additional 15-year term under highly suspicious circumstances.

He is also accused of imposing lopsided contracts, including the purchasing of a multi-billion air defence system and the hiring of private management of Tanesco by NetGroup Solutions.

Nevertheless, Sumaye had defended the highly questionable agreements as correct government decisions

 

[Kuhani]

Mi nishasema Tanzania hakuna Press!

 

[Pundit]

Yet again Lusekelo manages to butcher an otherwise good story with his now signature acute colloquism and almost profane language. I refuse to believe that he needs to further enrich his diction, is he just a lazy bum ? Is this the "new style" or what? Dishing out an unhealthy dosage of excreta regardless if the reader is eating or not?

Picture your youngun reading this and asking you "Daddy, what is crap?"

http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/columnist/?id=4985

Adam Lusekeso
Daily News; Wednesday,June 04, 2008 @07:58

I remember the late Mwalimu. He once said if someone tells you crap and you accept that crap, he will know that you are a bum. He will be having a very low opinion of you.

Now some guy or a bunch of guys on Sunday called a press conference and swore that he saw Jesus Christ boogying the night away in Cape Town. The story came out in the Daily Blah on Monday.

I read it and decided the guy who calls himself a CEO thinks the people of Bongoland are a bunch of dum dums. That the people of Tanzania a so thick that they will accept any crap.

He categorically clarified that neither the retired president Uncle Ben Mkapa or his wife, were major shareholders of the Kiwira coal mine.

And I categorically say that I am related to Julius Caesar and Queen Cleopatra of ancient Egypt was my aunt. Kweli tena!

You have to give some people credit for saying a load of untruths without batting a lid. The guys have the nerve!

So what the media and all the Tanzanians were talking about are mere fabrications? Malicious lies by the media?

"It is very regretful that for a long time now a section of the local media has pursued a very negative smear campaign aimed at frustrating the Kiwira Power Project.

"This has had very bad influence on the general public who tend to view the project negatively," said the CEO.

It is true. It is the talk of the whole country. We think Kiwira has been pinched from us. This country belongs to all of us, not a few guys who accidentally find themselves called leaders.

If this action of impunity is the trend then – Jesus seen boogying in Cape Town! who knows? Another – ex-president might privatise the Serengeti National Park and say it's his and his wife and totos!

You ask yourself why weren't there any floating of shares to privatise the Kiwira coal mine published for all capable wananchi to buy? Why is the name of the former president, his former minister of energy and minerals , Dan Yona and their families cropping up again and again in this scandal?

So the media was lying? We've got courts, you know. Why then, didn't the former president go to court and sue for damages!

Apart from cleansing his name the ex-president could also be awarded some handsome dosh. His former premier, Fredo Sumaye sued some paper and got himself 100 million shillings. Not bad for a retiree.

Another thing – why should other guys speak for the ex-president. His silence is palpable. But I hope he realises that by keeping silence he is actually saying something.

Silence gives consent, the saying goes. Silence is a way of saying yes he did it! Now we don't want some CEOs to tell Tanzanians that Jesus was seen in downtown Kiwira eating some ripe bananas!

Mbwene2@yahoo.com

 

[Msanii]

kAAAZI KWELI KWELI

Ktk taarifa ya habari za ITV kuna makosa mengi ktk kutafsiri fro inglish to kiswahili. Ndio maana wameamua sasa kuacha kutafsiri ili wazee wangu wa kijijini ambapo kiingereza ni anasa wajitafsirie wenyewe.....

Kuna lile gazeti la Alasiri ambalo hivi sasa halina tofauti na gazeti la udaku. kaaaz kwelikweli