Tanzania: Twaweza - Nearly 90pc Believe in Faulting Govt

Tanzania president John Maguful By Gladys Mbwiga

Dar es Salaam — Nearly nine out of every ten Tanzanians (87 per cent) believe they should be able to criticise the government if they think there is concrete reason for doing so, according to a new Twaweza study.

The report says the vast majority of respondents believe that they should be free to criticise the government and the President "for making bad decisions and not taking advice".

"They believe that criticism helps leaders to avoid making mistakes," says the report of the study titled Not to That Extent? Tanzanians' Views On Information and Public Debate.

Eighty-one per cent of citizens feel criticism of leaders is a good thing because it helps them avoid making serious mistakes.

However, 60 per cent say they feel they are not free to criticise the President, and 54 per cent do not feel free to criticise the Vice President.

The report also shows a decline in trust in various major sources of information.

Trust in radio has dropped from 80 per cent in 2016 to 64 per cent in 2017, while trust in television has fallen from 73 per cent to 69 per cent during the same period.

Although trust in the media has declined, 62 per cent of citizens believe in media freedom and would rather a newspaper publish false or incorrect information and apologise and publish a correction than be shut down or fined.

Despite respondents' strong views on access to information, very few are aware of the law that governs this issue, and the majority are not connected to the system.

Twaweza executive director Aidan Eyakuze said, "Citizens strongly support access to information and free expression, but they rarely demand information, and they don't feel they can criticise senior government officials.

"The government must recognise the value of open public debate and constructive criticism," he added.