Nyani Ngabu
Platinum Member
- May 15, 2006
- 97,077
- 136,505
What is a police state?
Per the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, a police state is a "country where people’s freedom, especially to travel and to express political opinions, is controlled by the government, with the help of the police."
Now, given what is currently going on since Magufuli's ascension to ascendancy, aren't we now a police state? If we aren't a police state, then what are we?
Everyday we wake up to [news] stories of members of opposition parties getting arrested, harassed, denied their right to peaceably assemble and all that jazz.
We wake up to stories of Joe Publics getting arrested and taken to court just because they posted some unflattering things about his Excellency on social media.
We wake up to stories of some news media outlets getting suspended and/ or fined under questionable pretexts.
We wake up to sights and sounds of members of the police force doing what they term as 'routine exercises' in full view of the public...hmm....really?
The right of free speech, freedom of expression, and to peaceably assemble are some of the most important civil liberties.
I know they are not absolute rights. They do have some restrictions. But come on now, Magufuli doesn't even want people to do politics. We should not let him infringe those rights on us. No way, no how.
He just wants people to work. What if politics is what some people do for a living? What the hell should they do? Construction or something?
Our rights are being trampled on and we all must say no. Say no to a police state.
We are Tanzania, not Kim Jong Un's North Korea.
Per the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, a police state is a "country where people’s freedom, especially to travel and to express political opinions, is controlled by the government, with the help of the police."
Now, given what is currently going on since Magufuli's ascension to ascendancy, aren't we now a police state? If we aren't a police state, then what are we?
Everyday we wake up to [news] stories of members of opposition parties getting arrested, harassed, denied their right to peaceably assemble and all that jazz.
We wake up to stories of Joe Publics getting arrested and taken to court just because they posted some unflattering things about his Excellency on social media.
We wake up to stories of some news media outlets getting suspended and/ or fined under questionable pretexts.
We wake up to sights and sounds of members of the police force doing what they term as 'routine exercises' in full view of the public...hmm....really?
The right of free speech, freedom of expression, and to peaceably assemble are some of the most important civil liberties.
I know they are not absolute rights. They do have some restrictions. But come on now, Magufuli doesn't even want people to do politics. We should not let him infringe those rights on us. No way, no how.
He just wants people to work. What if politics is what some people do for a living? What the hell should they do? Construction or something?
Our rights are being trampled on and we all must say no. Say no to a police state.
We are Tanzania, not Kim Jong Un's North Korea.