Tanzania's troubling moves against freedom

[nngu007]

​

Tanzanian President and East African Community chair Jakaya Kikwete speaks at the East African Community summit in Dar es Salaam.

ADISTURBING trend of repression has been sweeping across East Africa. From Ethiopia's crackdown on journalists and opposition viewpoints to Kenya's attempt to restrain media freedoms, governments have been using the pretext of counterterrorism to suppress criticism. Even in countries less affected by terrorism, governments are using draconian laws to restrict independent reporting on official activities.

Take Tanzania, for example. Ranked as "partly free" by Freedom House in its annual report on press freedom, the country is part of the U.S.-led Open Government Partnership , a coalition of 65 governments and numerous civil society organizations committed to transparency. But the government of President Jakaya Kikwete is on the verge of adopting some of the region's most draconian information laws, which were passed quickly through parliament in March and now await Mr. Kikwete's signature.

One, a cybercrime bill, would criminalize the publication of information that the government deems to be "misleading, deceptive or false," with a penalty of up to six months in prison. Another would criminalize the "distortion of facts" by the publication of statistics not authorized by the National Bureau of Statistics; offenders could be sentenced to at least a year in prison. If signed by Mr. Kikwete, these strictures would stifle informed policy debates ahead of the country's elections in October.

This is not the first time that Tanzania has used legal means to squelch the press. Earlier this year, the East African newspaper was banned in Tanzania after 20 years of operation after it published a cartoon lampooning Mr. Kikwete. The government claimed that the paper violated a 1976 newspaper registration law, which has been used to shutter media houses with which the government disagrees. At least 17 laws are on the books that hamper the media's ability to report freely in Tanzania.

Tanzania has long been held up in the region as a U.S. partner in open governance, rule of law and transparency. In 2008, the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation awarded the country the largest grant in the program's history, nearly $700 million. The World Bank is proposing to loan Tanzania $100 million for an open government program. What's more, Tanzania is set to host the second Africa regional meeting of the Open Government Partnership from May 19 to May 21, under the theme "Enhancing Accountability through Open Governance." But a country that is on the verge of criminalizing data dissemination and is shutting down newspapers to stifle criticism can hardly be called a leader in open governance.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation already has linked a renewal of its compact with Tanzania to steps by the government to combat corruption. It should go further and make future aid conditional on the dropping of laws stifling free expression. The World Bank should do so as well.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry recently called Tanzania a "model in the region of good governance, democratic ideals and individual freedoms" - praise that's impossible to square with the information crackdown. The Obama administration does democracy in Tanzania - or in Africa - no favor by continuing to ignore the country's backslide on freedoms.

Source: washingtonpost.com

 

[iArmaniAdamson]

nngu007
The gorvernment has good intentions to stop "trolling", web and social media trolling is a genuine problem even in developed country and its linked to high court rullings (a million dollar industry). Many people from all walks of life, companies even governments have been fined millions because of cybercrimes breaches or information insecurity breaches, and 'high ranking' officials trolling.

So its amazing to say the least, that a journalist in Washington will critisize The governement for taking these measures. Some of the elements in the bill will have to be amended in the future but its good the government has started by enacting cybercrime bill.

Many people who have not been in high position in government or society will not understand how crucial and important this piece of legislation is. People need to be assured that the government has good intentions and that is all to it.