Tanzania bans weekly Raia Mwema tabloid for 90 days

The government says the article for which the tabloid has been outlawed was a “fair comment” but insisted that some lines purportedly quoting President John Magufuli were “cooked.” AFP FILE PHOTO | DANIEL HAYDUK 

In Summary

• Through a statement issued by the Director of Information Services, Dr Hassan Abbas, said the government had banned the tabloid for publishing an article titled ‘Uraisi Utamshinda John Magufuli’(John Magufuli’s presidency doomed to fail).

By THE CITIZEN
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Tanzanian government has banned another weekly tabloid, Raia Mwema, for 90 days.

Through a statement issued by the Director of Information Services, Dr Hassan Abbas, said the government had banned the tabloid for publishing an article titled ‘Uraisi Utamshinda John Magufuli’(John Magufuli’s presidency doomed to fail).

The government says the article for which the tabloid has been outlawed was a “fair comment” but insisted that some lines purportedly quoting President John Magufuli were “cooked.”

“This tabloid has been warned repeatedly in the past,’’ said the communiqué.

The statement, further added that the decision to ban the tabloid was arrived at in accordance with Section 59(2) of the Information Services Act, 2016, which gives the Minister of Information the powers to ban newspapers.

The government’s decision comes barely 10 days after weekly tabloid Mwanahalisi was banned for two years.

Raia Mwema Board Chairman Jenerali Ulimwengu has confirmed the ban, maintaining the decision was made in reference to an article published on Wednesday.

“We have been told that, the reason for the ban was our Wednesday’s story and others which were published in 2013. Right now I’m consulting other members to see a way forward,” he said briefly.

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