September 1st is the day when the Cybercrime Law become effective and the government has issued their warning as follows:
"MAMLAKA ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) imetangaza kiama kwa watumiaji vibaya na wahalifu wote wa mitandao nchini, kuwa siku zao zinahesabika kwani ifikapo Septemba mosi, mwaka huu, Sheria ya Uhalifu wa Mitandao itaanza kutumika na wengi huenda wakaishia gerezani. Sheria ya miatandao kuanza Septemba 1. Hayo maelekezo yalitolewa na Meneja Mawasiliano kutoka Mamlaka ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) Bwana Innocent Mungy akiwaeleza waandishi wa habari kuhusu matumizi mabaya ya mitandao." Read the attached document for a link to this warning.
In the message below, I said, "This year is election year. If these two laws (Cybercrime and Statistical Laws) were hastily crafted by the government to change the dynamics of the election and curtail freedom of the people to assemble and freedom of free expression via media, online or magazines, then itabidi yapigwe maombi mpaka magoti yetu yaote sugu ili Mungu wetu aliyehai, Jesus, aweze kusambaratisha juhudi zozote za serikali zenye uovu kwa wananchi . Anything that doesn't serve the people is built on shaky and sandy foundation and MUST GO in the mighty name of Jesus."
TGPM Members and Tanzanians and friends worldwide join us starting this coming Sunday August 30th to Sunday September 6th to pray for the following:
1) Pray for peace in Tanzania as we come closer to General Election.
2) Pray against any effort by the government to limit freedom of speech. Pray against Cybercrime and Statistical Laws if the government is planning to use them against the people and deny their right to freely voice their concerns peacefully.
3) Pray against any Tanzanian who want to use the freedom of speech to disturb peace.
4) Pray for all Presidential candidates for CCM, UKAWA and ACT
5) Pray for preparations for Kalamazoo Prayer Summit that will take place on October 24th and 25th.
Freedom of Expression and Freedom to Assemble are critical elements for our democracy to work, they are pillars of our democracy. Brethren we need to face this with fervent prevailing prayers ili kusambaratisha kila aina ya juhudi ya serikali kutaka kuzima midomo ya watu wake na kuwanyima uhuru wa kukusanyika na uhuru wa kuongelea wazi vyama vyao, viongozi wao na wale wanaogombea katika nafasi mbali mbali. The answer is in the knee mail and our God will intervene. We don't condone any criminal activity but we stand for freedom of speech/expression.
Endelea kusoma----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dr. Frank Mwakasisi <mwakasisi@tgpm.org>
To: 'Tanzania Global Prayer Movement' <prayers@tgpm.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 3:11 AM
Subject: [Prayers] Prayer for Freedom of Speech Part 2
To: 'Tanzania Global Prayer Movement' <prayers@tgpm.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 3:11 AM
Subject: [Prayers] Prayer for Freedom of Speech Part 2
Dear Fellow Tanzanians and Friends Around the Globe,
On behalf of Tanzania Global Prayer Movement (TGPM) leadership, I thank all those who joined us last Sunday to pray for peace in Tanzania as we get closer to general elections, pray for divine protection of Mr. Edward Lowassa, and pray against the evil vigilante plan.
On Sunday August 16th we prayed about Freedom of Speech. The email below and the attachment details the problems. September 1st is the day when the Cybercrime Law become effective and the government has issued their warning as follows:
"MAMLAKA ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) imetangaza kiama kwa watumiaji vibaya na wahalifu wote wa mitandao nchini, kuwa siku zao zinahesabika kwani ifikapo Septemba mosi, mwaka huu, Sheria ya Uhalifu wa Mitandao itaanza kutumika na wengi huenda wakaishia gerezani. Sheria ya miatandao kuanza Septemba 1. Hayo maelekezo yalitolewa na Meneja Mawasiliano kutoka Mamlaka ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) Bwana Innocent Mungy akiwaeleza waandishi wa habari kuhusu matumizi mabaya ya mitandao." Read the attached document for a link to this warning.
In the message below, I said, "This year is election year. If these two laws (Cybercrime and Statistical Laws) were hastily crafted by the government to change the dynamics of the election and curtail freedom of the people to assemble and freedom of free expression via media, online or magazines, then itabidi yapigwe maombi mpaka magoti yetu yaote sugu ili Mungu wetu aliyehai, Jesus, aweze kusambaratisha juhudi zozote za serikali zenye uovu kwa wananchi . Anything that doesn't serve the people is built on shaky and sandy foundation and MUST GO in the mighty name of Jesus."
TGPM Members and Tanzanians and friends worldwide join us starting this coming Sunday August 30th to Sunday September 6th to pray for the following:
1) Pray for peace in Tanzania as we come closer to General Election.
2) Pray against any effort by the government to limit freedom of speech. Pray against Cybercrime and Statistical Laws if the government is planning to use them against the people and deny their right to freely voice their concerns peacefully.
3) Pray against any Tanzanian who want to use the freedom of speech to disturb peace.
4) Pray for all Presidential candidates for CCM, UKAWA and ACT
5) Pray for preparations for Kalamazoo Prayer Summit that will take place on October 24th and 25th.
For those in US and Canada, please join us for a Prayer Conference Call on Sunday August 30th. The rest of the week, we will pray individually until we meet again on Sunday September 6th.
Please join us in a prayer conference call praying for Tanzania every Sunday by dialing (218) 895 9661 and passcode is 222555. The prayer starts at 9pm Eastern, 8pm central, 7pm Mountain or 6pm Pacific time.
For more information about Tanzania Global Prayer Movement (TGPM), please visit our website at: http://www.tgpm.org
May God bless each one of you individually and may God bless Tanzania. With confidence, TGPM decrees and declares TANZANIA FOR JESUS!
Frank Mwakasisi, Ph.D.
Founder
Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher, and Preacher
Tanzania Global Prayer Movement - "Praying for the Power of the Resurrected Jesus Christ, our Lord to Transform Tanzania and spring forth Personal Renewal and Community Revival."
Chicago, Illinois
USA
Website: http://www.tgpm.org
Email: info@tgpm.org
From: Dr. Frank Mwakasisi [mailto:mwakasisi@tgpm.org]
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2015 7:31 PM
To: 'Tanzania Global Prayer Movement'
Subject: A Call for Prevailing Prayer for Freedom of Speech
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2015 7:31 PM
To: 'Tanzania Global Prayer Movement'
Subject: A Call for Prevailing Prayer for Freedom of Speech
Dear Fellow Tanzanians and Friends Around the Globe,
Prepare your heart as we switch gears tomorrow and pray our heart out to our God about an issue that is becoming more sensitive as we come close to general elections. It is about Freedom of Expression (Speech) and freedom to assemble or gather. Starting tomorrow night and for the entire week our prayers will focus on Freedom of Expression in Tanzania. For those in US and Canada, we will meet over a conference call tomorrow on Sunday. Throughout the week the prayers will continue at individual level for all Tanzanians worldwide.
Freedom of Expression and Freedom to Assemble are critical elements for our democracy to work, they are pillars of our democracy. Brethren we need to face this with fervent prevailing prayers ili kusambaratisha kila aina ya juhudi ya serikali kutaka kuzima midomo ya watu wake na kuwanyima uhuru wa kukusanyika na uhuru wa kuongelea wazi vyama vyao, viongozi wao na wale wanaogombea katika nafasi mbali mbali. The answer is in the knee mail and our God will intervene. We don't condone any criminal activity but we stand for freedom of speech/expression.
Please join us in a prayer conference call praying for Tanzania every Sunday by dialing (218) 895 9661 and passcode is 222555. The prayer starts at 9pm Eastern, 8pm central, 7pm Mountain or 6pm Pacific time.
Let me share something with you with regard to Open Government Partnership (OGP). I will quote from some websites that will be referenced below. "OGP was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens1." 2"Tanzania joined the Open Government Partnership Initiative in September 2011. The intention is to make the Government business more open to its citizens hence improve public service delivery, government responsiveness, combating corruption and building greater trust. As stipulated under the Tanzania OGP Action Plan of 2012/2013, the OGP commitments are focused on the four pillars namely transparency, accountability, citizen's participation and technology and innovation."3
The question is can the current government live up to the commitments under OGP? At an OGP Summit in April 2012 in Brazil, His Excellency President Jakaya Kiwete said, ""I promise that we will do our best to live up to the expectations of this partnership to promote transparency and accountability of our government to the people of Tanzania. I wish to reaffirm that our political will to achieve the OGP goals will not falter because open government is at the heart of the contract between state and citizens."4
The question again, is Tanzania living up to these bold words of the president that he announced to the world in Brazil? Maybe not even close.
This year the government through its parliament, hastily fast-tracked two disturbing laws in the middle of the night. These two laws are the Cybercrime Act and the Statistical Act. Both of these laws squarely contradict what the president promised to the world and call into question Tanzania's transparency and accountability.
"Cybercrimes Act empowers the government to arrest citizens for publishing information deemed "defamatory," likely to "disturb the public peace," or "misleading or inaccurate" in print and online."5 Brethren, you can be sent to jail by sending unsolicited message via computer like a spam.
"Statistics Act is also disturbing. Under certain clauses in the bill, "any communication media, (magazines, newspapers, websites, or radio, for example) which publishes false or misleading statistical information" could be punished with a fine of "not less than 10 million shillings [about $5000] or to imprisonment of not less than twelve months, or both." Furthermore, any person who dares publish statistics that may lead to what the government deems as a "distortion of facts" and without the authorization of the National Statistics Bureau can be punished with at least a year in prison."6
When the details of the two laws were not yet known, we just wondered why the rush. But now it is very clear why! Passing of the Cybercrime Act and Statistical Act "has been met with apprehension by the public due to its overt disregard for press freedom and freedom of expression, the excessive powers granted to police, and the limited protections afforded to ordinary citizens. On social media, critics have suggested that the timing and content of the Bill were intended to control the media and bloggers ahead of the October 2015 elections."7
"Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has been in power for 50 years, is facing significant challenges from the opposition. Now more than ever, the use of mobile phones and social media in Tanzania makes information sharing much easier. The hurried passing of these bills serves to stifle criticism and dissent ahead of October's national election and speaks of a government uncomfortable with the new realities of online media and data flows. What better way to control the narrative about the country's politics and development than by controlling statistics and information sharing?"8
"Tanzania rose to the top of the class of aid-dependent countries by enacting reforms aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law. In 2008, Tanzania scored a five-year package of grants in 2008 worth $698 million from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) – the largest grant in the program's history. Last year, the MCC agreed to provide another $10 million."9 The question is, what was the motive behind the reforms, just to attract money from donors with fat pockets? Or transform the government for real?
"MAMLAKA ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) imetangaza kiama kwa watumiaji vibaya na wahalifu wote wa mitandao nchini, kuwa siku zao zinahesabika kwani ifikapo Septemba mosi, mwaka huu, Sheria ya Uhalifu wa Mitandao itaanza kutumika na wengi huenda wakaishia gerezani. Sheria ya miatandao kuanza Septemba 1. Hayo maelekezo yalitolewa na Meneja Mawasiliano kutoka Mamlaka ya Mawasiliano Tanzania (TCRA) Bwana Innocent Mungy akiwaeleza waandishi wa habari kuhusu matumizi mabaya ya mitandao."10
This year is election year. If these two laws were hastily crafted by the government to change the dynamics of the election and curtail freedom of the people to assemble and freedom of free expression via media, online or magazines, then itabidi yapigwe maombi mpaka magoti yetu yaote sugu ili Mungu wetu aliyehai, Jesus, aweze kusambaratisha juhudi zozote za serikali zenye uovu kwa wananchi . Anything that doesn't serve the people is built on shaky sandy foundation and MUST GO in the mighty name of Jesus.
Wapendwa hili ni swala zito, hivyo inabidi tujipange sawa sawa kiroho ili tuombe kwa jazba ya Roho Mtakatifu ili kung'oa kile shetani alidhani amepandikiza cha kukandamiza watu wetu, kwani hakujua kuwa msingi wa mipango yake yote ni mchanga and easy to uproot!
All TGPM representatives worldwide and all members and non-members of TGPM worldwide and all Tanzanians and friends worldwide, take note of this important issue to pray for. Organize people wherever you are and pray in groups. Mlilie Mungu. Never underestimate your humble and baby steps. God is watching and will honor your baby steps.
For more information about Tanzania Global Prayer Movement (TGPM), please visit our website at: http://www.tgpm.org
Blessings and May God be with you as you pray!
Frank Mwakasisi, Ph.D.
Founder
Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher, and Preacher
Tanzania Global Prayer Movement - "Praying for the Power of the Resurrected Jesus Christ, our Lord to Transform Tanzania and spring forth Personal Renewal and Community Revival."
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Website: http://www.tgpm.org
Email: info@tgpm.org
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