CNN recently featured Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete in all glowing coverage that portrays him as a decent and promising leader in Africa. The coverage hovered around phantom developmental issues that the President has achieved and of course continuing sympathies over the terrorist bombings in Tanzania that took place a few years ago. I however beg to differ with CNN especially if one looks at developments in that country. The death and injury of many from unsecured army weapons that exploded last month to the recent granting of USD 3 million in damages to a leading businessperson and ruling party politician against a leading but small and struggling newspaper, ‘Mwanahalisi’ shows a country desperate for true and visionary leadership. My argument is anchored on the sad but inspirational story of ‘Mwanahalisi’ newspaper, which for some reason never found its way into the CNN discussion, at least for its significance as an attack on the free press.
The source of the legal case that the newspaper lost, the Richmond saga as it is known is a true story of monumental corruption and it resulted in senior politicians and government officials getting into trouble. It is one of the many stories of corruption that the media has exposed. It seems it payback time for the ‘Mwanahalisi’. The alleged damages to this politician have not stopped him from being an MP and running his business empire, he did not suffer a stroke as a result of ‘Mwanahalisi’ story. One would think with such as award the politician committed suicide, hence the level of monetary damages awarded. In this instance the justice system in Tanzania has to be questioned and rightfully so. Is it truly independent and how does it relate to the Tanzanian society? It is part of the establishment and elite groups attempting to thwart dissent?
On a recent visit to Tanzania, a senior editor of one of the leading media groups remarked to us that Tanzania is increasingly becoming a dangerous place for journalists and the media in general.
“Losing one case is enough to shut down whole” newspaper she said in March 2009. This statement might come out to be prophetic as lasty month the High Court awarded damages of close to USD 3 million to ruling party MP and well known businessman. This ruling against the ‘Mwanahalisi’ newspapers, a young and bold investigative newspaper sums up the situation in Tanzania. After hopes raised by economic revival in the 1990s and early 2000s, the human rights costs of this facade of a stable, peaceful country is finally being exposed for what it is, a sham. For starters one really wonders how ‘Mwanahalisi’ can pay USD 3 Million, for a story that in the public court was true, serve for a few errors that have been exploited by some politicians. Leading figures in the government were sent to jail and others resigned over this matter. While the principle is to given the judiciary all protection and respect, one really wonders how the judge reached a damage ward of USD 3 million in country were the majority survives on less than a dollar a day. Is this ruling a just ruling, we ask? Is this ruling meant to ensure justice and leave the newspaper surviving or is in fact an opportunity to deal with the ‘Mwanahalisi’ once and for all. For those of my readers not in the picture, ‘Mwanahalisi’ is a Swahili weekly, owned and run by a young team of Tanzanian journalists, operates from what others might called backyard offices, was shut down in 2008 for allegedly impugning on the name of the head of state, President Kikwete. Before that its editor Saed Kubunea was scalded with acid, beaten up, left for dead and almost; lost his sight. The ‘Mwanahalisi’ was instrumental in exposing what is now known as the Richmond saga in Tanzania where senior government officials received bribes to push for the purchase of obsolete power generators for Tanzania from the USA. The newspaper has also exposed other serious official corruption cases in Tanzania. For all its work and efforts the newspaper is now saddled with USD 3 Million in damages for allegedly defaming a ruling party and prominent businessperson in the Richmond deal. The judiciary, in its wisdom or lack of it, saw it fit that the damage to this official is worth 3 USD million not shillings, but USD.
Corruption is a disease that many agree has eaten Africa to the bone. That is not difficult to see even as one walks the streets of Dar. Ordinary people hassle for life in the streets, public transport is in disarray, roads are pot holed that one can even fish in them and any semblance of planning is zero. In the same streets, one sees the latest four wheel drive 4x4s and some of the officials exposed by Mwanahalisi are known to have stashed millions of USD, ill gotten wealth in overseas banks. The newspaper exposed this, and had its offices and the house of Kubenea raided and some computers and documents confiscated. For all its supposed good name, peace and so called economic progress, Tanzania is on the contrary regressing. I say so because no country and no government confident of itself and its projects and closeness to people, can harass a small newspapers as is happening to Mwanahalisi. This is in a country where there is no access to information laws, where getting the slightest of government information is a hassle. While the Tanzania of yesteryear failed because of inappropriate economic policies, at least Nyerere cycled around on his bicycle and rode an old, ordinary car. What of Kikwete and the team that surrounds him? What has this government done to improve the lives of people?
Tanzanian dreams, disappointed after a false start at independence, face yet another hurdle as the new system, a dog eat dog primitive capitalist system devour even its own children. The Mwanahalisi is suffering not because it is such a bad paper; it is suffering because it has dared to challenge the clique that is feeding on the system. This clique obviously has political protection, striving on intimidation, bribery, pseudo media enterprises and greasing the palms of those with power. It is time the international community rise to the human rights threats in Tanzania. A stable Tanzania has always been a key factor in the sub region. At some point in its life, the University of Dar was bedrock of African nationalism and revival. We wonder what to say about Dar today. The death of Mwanahalisi, should it ever come, will be a victory of evil over good, the losers in all this will be the people of Tanzania, ordinary man and women many I saw queuing hours long to ride home in creaking, life threatening buses, many who cannot even pay fees for their children, many who cannot afford to buy or build a house, many who are fed empty promises year in and years out, many who faced unsecured bombs and paid with their lives recently, many who survive in the streets of Dar. Its time we tell the Tanzanian government that their good boy image is soiled. It is time we stand by the people of Tanzania. This charade cannot go on forever //End//
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