JK defends govt against criticism over paper ban, Lipumba ordeal

Dar es Salaam. President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday defended his administration against growing accusation that it was muzzling the press and cracking hard on the opposition parties’ activities. 

The Head of State yesterday publicly spoke for the first time on widespread criticism following the recent beating and arrest of CUF national chairman Ibrahim Lipumba during a demonstration and last month’s the indefinite banning of the regional weekly The EastAfrican. 

Mr Kikwete reiterated the government’s stance that anyone going against the law will be dealt with accordingly. Home Affairs minister Mathias Chikawe told Parliament last week amid hue and cry from MPs that police would never stand by and watch the Opposition break the law.

The US, the European Union (EU), the Vienna-based International Press Institute as well as the governments of Canada, Norway and Switzerland have condemned the banning of the regional newspaper and asked the government to promote free speech and media freedom.

While responding to questions from journalists yesterday at a joint international press conference with the visiting German President Joachim Gauck at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Mr Kikwete said what befell Prof Lipumba “was simply a matter of compliance with country’s laws.”

“There are rules governing demonstrations in this country… for instance, you need to secure police permission first—you can’t just wake up and demonstrate,” he said, adding: “If you follow the rules nothing will happen to you, but if you don’t you will be booked.”

On Tuesday last week, baton-wielding police violently dispersed CUF supporters who had gathered in the city to commemorate the killing of 21 people in post-election protests in Zanzibar in 2001. Prof Lipumba and 32 CUF supporters were arrested and later sent to court. 

But President Kikwete said the arrest doesn’t mean the opposition parties are badly treated, adding that they actually conduct more rallies than the ruling CCM.

On press freedom and the ban of The EastAfrican newspaper, President Kikwete said that the paper had not been registered in the country and has stopped circulation until all proper procedures to operate are met.

“The owners of the paper have acknowledged that they contravened our laws and they have already applied for registration,” he said of the weekly paper that had been present in Tanzania for more than 20 years without being queried. According to him, there was a high degree of press freedom in Tanzania as shown by the numerous papers and radio and TV stations.

Earlier, calling on the need to strengthen economic ties, President Kikwete said Tanzania and Germany have enjoyed bilateral, political and diplomatic relations in the last 50 years.

“Currently there are 150 German investments in Tanzania with a value of 300 million euro. I believe German can do more; it can increase investment here up to 30 billion euro, and Tanzania has the capacity to absorb that,” he appealed.