Gov't Closes MSETO Newspaper Agency... No Printings For Period Of 36 Months
The Tanzanian government has banned a weekly local newspaperMseto for three yearson grounds that it breached the Newspapers Act.
Mr
Nape Nnauye, the Minister for Information, said the newspaper had
published a story that claimed the deputy minister for Works, Transport
and Communication, Eng Edwin Ngonyani, had implicated President John
Magufuli in corruption during elections.
Mr
Nnauye said the newspaper had tampered with a document from State
Mining Corporation to justify the story and when asked to produce the
original document, failed to do so.
He
said that the newspaper has had a "tendency of reporting irresponsibly"
and has been "warned several times for the last five years."
“The
newspaper was cautioned to stop publishing false, misleading and
seditious stories. Severally, they were reminded to follow the
journalism professional ethics,” he said.
The
1976 Newspapers Act section 25 (1) states that, “Where the Minister is
of the opinion that it is in the public interest or in the interest of
peace and good order so to do, he may, by order in the Gazette, direct
that the newspaper named in the order shall cease publication as from
the date (hereinafter referred to as ''the effective date'') specified
in the order.”
Mr Nnauye said the decision was lawful and that all the necessary precautions were followed before banning the newspaper.
He emphasised that journalists must abide by the Newspapers Act.
Consequently,
Mseto was also banned for publishing stories online, in accordance to
the Electronic and Postal Communication Act (2008).
In the past, the government has banned numerous newspapers said to have breached the law.
In
2015, The EastAfrican newspaper was banned on grounds that the paper
had been circulating in the country without proper registration. The
regional paper had been selling in Tanzania for about 20 years.
