Monday 27 August 2012

[wanabidii] Govt tigtens noose

 
Gov of Tanzania tightens noose on publishers of MwanaHALISI
 
The government of Tanzania continues to tighten its noose on Hali Halisi Publishers Limited (HHPL) – publishers of MwanaHALISI and MSETO newspapers.
 
In its communication this afternoon, the registrar of newspapers, Assah Mwambene blocked an initiative by the publishers' attempt to use its exclusively sports outlet (MSETO) for both sports and hard news.
 
The publishers had on 13th August notified the registrar, their intention to combine both sports and hard news in MSETO effective 22nd August.
 
The registrar responded on the same date in a letter Ref. No. ISCN/N.100/1/VOL. V/106 delivered to the publishers' office on the morning of the following day by ordering that they were not allowed to make any changes until they sent to him the following:
1.               New affidavit by the publisher
2.               New affidavit by the printer
3.               Changes in the paper's policy, if any
4.               Editor's CV and copies of certificates
5.               New dummy of the paper
6.               Reasons for the change
 
The same were presented to the registrar on 17th August. Since then the publishers had not received any communication until today.
 
Today's order from the registrar was prompted by a communication from HHPL this morning telling the registrar that they were preparing the maiden issue of MSETO with sports and hard news to come out this Wednesday as 10 days had elapsed since delivery of documents demanded.
 
The registrar responded through his letter Ref. ISC/N.100/1/VOL. V/108 delivered to the publishers' office this afternoon as follows:
 
"By this letter, I am informing you that the office of the Registrar of Newspapers continues to scrutinize documents you tendered through your letter Ref. No. HHPL/MD/1012 of 17th August 2012. Therefore you are not allowed to publish MSETO as you had requested.
 
"Please continue to publish MSETO as a sports-only outlet until you are directed otherwise."
 
HHPL had not asked for any permission but had only sent a piece of information notifying the registrar of the changes after they had tendered every document demanded by government.
 
Observers in Dar es Salaam say, with MwanaHALISI silenced for an indefinite time, authority have it that publishers want to publish all the material they had on issues that chocked government and prompted the ban of an authoritative weekly.
Ends



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