CPJ condemns "Kulikoni" suspension; demand immediate lifting!

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

New York, January 12, 2010The Committee to Protect Journalists called today for the suspension of independent weekly Swahili newspaper Kulikoni to be lifted immediately. Information Minister George Mkuchika announced the suspension of the leading investigative weekly on Friday, citing a sales and distribution ban for a period of 90 days beginning January 11, according to local journalists and news reports.

The ruling was linked to a November 27, 2009, story that alleged cheating in the national exams for the Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces, the managing editor of Dar-es-Salaam-based Kulikoni, Evarist Mwitumba

, told CPJ. Presidential spokesman Salva Rweyemamu told CPJ that the minister had decided the newspaper had breached the security laws of the country. He suspended the newspaper under the 1976 Newspapers Act.

The minister can make direct decisions for suspension without consulting the independent media monitoring body, the Media Council, the spokesman added. The information minister said the paper could not substantiate their claims in the story after a formal request to do so by the government-run registrar of newspapers, according to the state-owned Daily News.

The information minister should not be able to censor a publication at will, said CPJs Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes . We call on the minister to lift the ban immediately and to allow the Media Council to reach its own decision on the matter.

According to local journalists, the decision was politicized because of upcoming election nominations. The paper is critical of the government and frequently investigates corruption issues. Tanzania is expected to hold its fourth multiparty general election October this year.

While the suspension announcement was made on Friday, Kulikonis staff were not invited to the press conference and only received official notification of their suspension Monday at 5 p.m., local journalists told CPJ. The newspaper published an edition on Sunday evening and distributed the newspaper Monday prior to receiving notice, Mwitumba told CPJ. The minister sent an additional letter demanding an explanation for publishing today despite the suspension order, he said.

The government suspended another leading investigative journal, MwanHalisi, under the same legal provision on October 13, 2008, for 90 days for inciting public hatred against the president.

CPJ is a New Yorkbased, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

 

[MaxShimba]

Mambo yanaaza kuwa matamu sasa.

 

[Shalom]

Kitakacho wazuia mafisadi ni Nguvu ya umma tu, lakini support kama hizi si haba!

 

[Richard]

Serikali ina wajibu wa kuelewa namna magazeti ya uchunguzi yanavyotofautiana na magazeti ya kawaida kisha kujua namna ya ku-deal nayo kiuwazi.

Magazeti yapo kwa ajili ya kupasha habari kama hizo za uchunguzi tena wa kina kwa manufaa ya umma bila kuvunja sheria zilizopo.

Hii sheria ambayo mheshimiwa mgosi Mkuchika anaitumia ya mwaka 1976 ni sheria ya zamani sana na inahitaji marekebisho. Sheria hii inasema kwamba mtu yeyote asie mwanajeshi asitoe maoni yoyote kuhusu jeshi!. Sasa ni nani atasema kwamba jeshi linafanya mambo kinyume na sheria za nchi?

Kuibia kwenye mitihani kumeonekana kumegeuka kuwa kama ni mdudu na mdudu huyo anarukaruka kila mahala na kama alikuwa kwenye mashule, vyuoni, anaweza kurukia kwenye vyombo muhimu vya nchi kikiwemo jeshi. Na kama wanajeshi wanaibia katika mitihani inamaanisha kwamba mfumo mzima wa kusaili na kuchuja wanajeshi imara umekuwa "compromised", na hiyo inaweza kupelekea kuhatarisha usalama wa jeshi lenyewe na taifa kwa ujumla.

Kwa hio gazeti la Kulikoni lilikuwa likitimiza wajibu wake wa kuihabarisha jamii juu ya suala hili.

 

[Mapinduzi]

Sio sheria ya magazeti tu ndio ya zamani. Sheria ya BIMA inayotumika Tanzania ni ya mwaka 1945. Legal Reform Porgramme sijui imefanya kazi gani tangu imeundwa.

 

[nguvumali]

Mkuchika na serikali yake inaogopa nini kuvipeleka vyombo vya habari mahakamani ? mimi nilidhani mahakamani ni mahala sahihi kujua ukweli wa mambo haya, mkuchika anajidai yeye hakimu na mwendesha mashitaka.

 

[Kichuguu]

Sijui kama wana nguvu yoyote ya kuilazimisha serikali yetu; ila hii ni picha mbaya kwa sana serikali yetu inyoishi kwa kutegemea misaada kuwa blacklisted na international human rights bodies kama hii.

 

[Consultant]

Hivi gazeti linapofungiwa, halina haki/haliwezi kuingia mahakamani kupinga hatua hiyo?

Naona kuna udikteta flani na kutishana hapa.

Sheria zinasemaje wakuu?

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Hivi gazeti linapofungiwa, halina haki/haliwezi kuingia mahakamani kupinga hatua hiyo?

Naona kuna udikteta flani na kutishana hapa.

Sheria zinasemaje wakuu?

sinyolita.. uamuzi huo wawaziri hauwezi kupingwa mahakamani. Ndiyo sheria yenyewe hiyo!

 

[Kibunango]

Kama wamekosa adabu shurti wafungiwe!

 

[G.MWAKASEGE]

Ivi inakuwaje mtu mzima na akili zako unatoa maamuzi based on sheria za toka 1970s lazima uwe mwoga kama uko timamu otherwise unakaa kimya tuu as utaonekana kituko.
Utu tusheria twa kikoloni kuanzia kwenye BIMA mpka mambo ya habari lazima tuvibadilishe!

 

[Wacha1]

Kama wamekosa adabu shurti wafungiwe!

Nani ambaye anaamua wamekosa adabu? Kama ni waziri basi naona naye amekosa adabu.

 

[August]

Ndugu yangu Muheshimiwa George Mkuchika anayetamba kwamba alisoma saana literature nk naa kutokana na background yake naona atakuwa ni mtu mwenye akili , lakini naona akili yake haina akili, kwa sababu kwa kulifungia gazeti la kulikoni ili kuficha matatizo/mapungufu yalioko katika jeshi letu hususana kwa mataifa ya nje au jumuia ya kimataifa , badala yake hatua yake hiyo ndiyo imelitangaza zaidi suala hilo na kuongezea kuonyesha kwamba tanzania hatuna uhuru wa biashara, na kushujudia maovu/mapungufu katika vyombo vyetu vya umma.

 

[didi drogba]

Kama wamekosa adabu shurti wafungiwe!

Acha ushabiki kupita kiasi,adabu wamemkosea nani?

 

[Tangawizi]

Interesting! Huyo ndio George Mkuchika. Mimi napata shida sana na reasoning ya huyu muheshimiwa. Naona mara nyingi anaongozwa na ukale akichanganya na jazba. Kama anataka kwenda mbele zaidi ya alipofikia, approach yake kwenye mambo ya msingi lazima ibadilike. Vinginevyo Rais ampe ukuu wa mkoa maan uwaziri hana uwezo nao. Ni kuleta bifu tuuuu na magazeti pasipo mpango. Au ushushu ukikubuhu unaleta kibri hiki alichonacho huyu jamaa?

 

[Consultant]

Uamuzi huo wawaziri hauwezi kupingwa mahakamani. Ndiyo sheria yenyewe hiyo!

Mimi nilidhani Waziri (kama Serikali) na Mahakama ni mihimili miwili tofauti kabisa.

Hii sheria itakuwa imeshapitwa na wakati

Kwa hiyo Waziri kesho akisimama akasema JF ipotee hewani, ndo tunapotea hivyo?

 

[MzeePunch]

Kama wamekosa adabu shurti wafungiwe!

Wewe ndio huna adabu. Humu linajadiliwa suala lenye manufaa makubwa kwa taifa, usiitetee serikali inayokandamiza uhuru wa vyombo vya habari. Huu ni udikteta na tusipoukemea siku moja tutaambiwa hata JamiiForum imefungiwa!

 

[MzeePunch]

Niliona kwenye TV (nadhani ITV) Ijumaa usiku Pinda akiwatetea Kulikoni na kuahidi kuziangalia hizi sheria zenye utata ili haki iwe inatendeka. Ni dhahiri alionyesha kuwa Mkuchika na wasaidizi wake walichukua maamuzi ya pupa na ya hila.

 

[Kaa la Moto]

Niliona kwenye TV (nadhani ITV) Ijumaa usiku Pinda akiwatetea Kulikoni na kuahidi kuziangalia hizi sheria zenye utata ili haki iwe inatendeka. Ni dhahiri alionyesha kuwa Mkuchika na wasaidizi wake walichukua maamuzi ya pupa na ya hila.

Shida ya viongozi wetu wao husema mambo mengi mbele ya press lakini hakuna utekelezaji.
Sheria hii imepigiwa kelele miaka mingi sana tena kuanzia kwa akinamarehemu Nyalali, lakini hadi leo serikali akiwamo Pinda mwenyewe wamekaa kimya.
Leo anaweza kuonekana haifurahii sheria hiyo lakini hakuna litakalofanywa wala hatamuadhibu junior wake kwa kutumia vibaya sheria hizi.
Wajinga ndio tuliwao.

 

[Magezi]

Kama wamekosa adabu shurti wafungiwe!

Tatizo la kunywa maji ya bendera