A five year ban has been lifted off a Tanzanian newspaper – Mawio. The newspaper can now publish again.
Mawio, the then leading newspaper in Tanzania, was accused by the authorities for “jeopardising national security”, following a series of published stories over two former heads of state – the late Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete – linking them to corruption in the country’s mining sector.
The ban was originally intended to last for two years, but took additional three years to be granted permission to return to the shelves.
“It will take some time for Mawio to go back into publishing, as it needs huge capital. We need to start afresh. We need a printing budget, which is more than 100 million Tanzanian shillings for a few months before the newspaper even stands on its own feet financially and generates revenue. We need equipment and to hire the team. So there is hard work to be done. We have already started doing some of this work; looking for a team and new offices.” Simon Mkina, who was the publisher and chief editor of the newspaper revealed in an interview with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Mawio was not the only newspaper to be granted freedom to operate again. Other Tanzanian newspaers like Magafuli – MwanaHALISI, Mseto, and Tanzania Daima had their ban lifted.
Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), another newspaper has been suspended for the next six months.
The DRC, its media regulator, the Superior Council for Freedom of Communication (CSLC), suspended Sel-Piment for six months in January over its republication of an article from a website believed to be run by government critics in exile.
In December, police arrested Augias Ray Malonga, acting director of the newspaper, for seven days without charge.
Three months into the ban, Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa programme coordinator, has called on authorities to immediately lift the suspension of Sel-Piment and refrain from arresting journalists for their work.
“Journalists should be free to re-publish and report on issues of public interest without fearing that they may be detained or face sanction.” She said.