The new press bills in Tanzania

This is a modest critique of the oppressive media laws in Tanzania, arising from the country's still-born socialism, which was adopted at the Arusha Declaration of 1967. The emperor worship syndrome characteristic of the first and, to a large extent, second generation of the autocratic presidents of African states, led them to muzzle the press and trample on their subjects' fundamental human rights like freedoms of expression, association, conscience, assembly and much else, is presented as the historical origin of a feeble press in the continent, including Tanzania. Taking Tanzania as the unit of analysis, the article argues that such undemocratic tendencies have no place in the modern world. The Tanzanian government is, therefore, invited to review its communication policies to make them more responsive to media development. The starting point should be the repealing of the obsolete media laws, to enable the media to play their adversary roles to the government objectively, authoritatively and independently. The paper then explores the various media legislations and concludes that the country has a vague communication policy which needs to be changed. In summary, the author philosophises and sympathises with the hackneyed view that there is no absolute freedom, therefore, in a way understands the limitations put in the way of the Tanzanian media by the new press bills.