(MISA/IFEX) – The government of Tanzania intends to review media laws which have been deemed oppressive, the government owned “Daily News” reported on 20 June 1998. Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye told the National Assembly in Dodoma on 19 June that the government would table before the House the possible amendments to laws relating to the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The government of Tanzania intends to review media laws which
have been deemed oppressive, the government owned “Daily News” reported on
20 June 1998. Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye told the National Assembly in
Dodoma on 19 June that the government would table before the House the
possible amendments to laws relating to the media.
“The government intends to bring recommendations for amending these laws in
this House for them to meet the requirements of the present time,” he said
in presenting his budget for the 1998/99 financial year. He did not mention
the bad laws to be reviewed.
MISA-Tanzania believes that the main laws which restrict journalists from
the right to information and freedom of expression are: the Newspaper Act of
1976, the Broadcasting Act of 1993, the Tanzania News Agency Act of 1976,
the Prevention Detention Act of 1962, the Official Secrets Act, the National
Security Act and the Prison Act.
On the performance of the media in Tanzania , Sumaye said that, despite
their good job of educating and entertaining the public, some media
practitioners violated the ethics of their noble profession. He said the
government would not hesitate to ban or take any other legal action against
an individual journalist or a media organ.
