Reps fault govt over inaction on people who abuse national leaders

ISSA YUSSUF in Zanzibar

SOME members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives have faulted the government for not taking quick punitive measures against people attacking the Zanzibar and Union presidents.

“If one opens the social media and internet, he/she will surely come across abusive language directed at our leaders. Yet it is very easy to track and arrest all those who are doing that.

It is unfortunate that responsible organs have remained quiet,” complained the backbenchers, led by Mr Nadir Abdul-latif Yussuf.

He said it was annoying “to see our presidents being attacked everyday but no action has been taken against the culprits who also attack other people, which is a misuse of the social media’’.

In response to the concern raised, the Minister for Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, Ambassador Ali Karume, said that Zanzibar was in the process of considering use of the Union cyber crime law or enacting its own cyber law.

“It is unacceptable for some people to misuse social media; we are considering either to adopt the current law approved by the Union Parliament or form our own law for Zanzibar,” he said