Tanzania: EAJA Condemns suspension of Journalists as “unlawful”

The Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) has condemned the action by The Guardian Limited of Tanzania to send its junior journalists on an indefinite leave, terming the decision “un-procedural and unlawful”.

The Guardian Limited, publishers of Nipashe, The Guardian, Guardian on Sunday, Lete Raha and Alasiri newspapers, sent all its reporters last Saturday on leave until further notice. The action followed a meeting between the executive chairman of the IPP Group, the publishers of The Guardian, Mr Reginald Mengi, and the journalists.


“This action is not only un-procedural but also unlawful. The Employment and Labour Relations Act 2004 of Tanzania stipulates that an employer has to disclose all relevant information before carrying out a retrenchment for the purpose of proper consultation. In this case, this consultation was not done. No notice was given to the employees, and the action was made in haste without any regard to any law,” said Dr. Muheldin Ahmed Idris Titawi, EAJA President.

 

Dr. Idris said the method of selection of the employees to be sent home, the timing and severance pay in respect of the retrenchment ought to also have been looked into before sending the journalists home.


“This is not only a serious breach of both local and international labour standards and laws but also an affront on the rights of the journalists to justice and fairness,” Dr. Idris said.

 

Dr. Idris said EAJA stand strongly in solidarity with its affiliate the Tanzania Union of Journalists (TUJ) to condemn the action as an abuse of fundamental rights of the affected journalists.

 

He also condemned the 11 January 2010 closure and suspension, by the government of Leo Tena and Kulikoni newspapers respectively.


"This points to a new wave of media freedom violations in Tanzania, especially within this year when the country will be going for general election in August. These are not good signs,” Dr. Idris added.

 
On 9 January 2010, minister of Information, Culture and Sports, George Mkuchika, said Leo Tena was banned permanently for publishing a pornographic picture.


He said Kulikoni newspaper was suspended for 90 days for publishing a story purporting that soldiers of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) cheat in national examinations.


- January 13, 2010 by EAJA

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Source: eaja.org/index.cfm (accessed on 15.01.2010)