By Elisha Magolanga
The Citizen Correspondent
Dar es Salaam.
Media industry stakeholders have proposed the establishment of an independent National Media Council that will have the constitutional mandate to regulate all media outlets in the country without being interfered with either the government or the judiciary.
The new organ should be established within six months after the first meeting of the Parliament after the coming into force of the new Constitution.
Besides that, media stakeholders have also proposed that the Parliament should not enact any law that prohibites freedom of speech or press or the right to information or freedom of expression to strengthen democracy in the country.
Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) chairman Absalom Kibanda told reporters yesterday after airing views before the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) that the council should consist of 15 members from various professions while the chairperson would be elected by members of the organ.
Mr Kibanda noted that TEF had gone through some African countries’ constitutions, including that of Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, adding that theirs were good examples to be followed since they strengthed freedom of expression to the media and individuals, a situation that encouraged the growth of democracy in their countries.
“We believe in responsble freedom and the rights of the media industry that can help the media maintain and harmonise peace and security, avoid religious friction, tribalism and other issues that can bring negative effects on society,” Mr Kibanda noted.
“Editors, writers, newspaper publishers and other media institutions should neither be subjected to control or interference by the government, nor be penalised, harassed because of their editorial, opinions and views or content of their publications,” hee added.
For his part, Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) secretary general Nevil Meena said administrative expenses of the National Media Council, including salaries, allowances and pensions payable to or in respect of a person serving with the council shall be charged on the consolidated fund.
Mr Meena said if the new body were given the green light all bad laws opposing press freedom would be discussed.
since there woulbe be a free council that would involve media owners, association of writers, training institutions of journalism, library associations, workers associations and the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS).
The chairperson of Media Owners Association of Tanzania (Moat), Mr Reginald Mengi, said the government should encourage private media investment and withdraw itself from such public media since it could not establish a system of criticising itself.
Mr Mengi said the private media had played a great role in educating, informing and entertaining members of the public, a situation that had added positive impacts on good governance and democracy.
“It is the multiparty era that the government should not involve in media activities due to the fact that it cannot be fair and free to opposition parties, something that may lead to misunderstanding between the public media and opposition parties,” he said.
Tanzania Media Women’s Association (Tamwa) managing director Valerie Msoka said to ensure all people were well informed as their constitutional right to get information, the new Constitution should establish a Safety Coverage Act that would protect journalists during their news coverage in risky areas.
Citing the ugly dealth of Channel Ten journalist David Mwangosi, who was killed in the hands of the police in Iringa last year, she said it had been prompted by the silence of the current Constitution.
Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) secretary general Kajubi Mukajanga said the council wanted the new Constitution to state that the public media should be funded by the Parliament budget unlike currently that it depended on the adverts from companies, a situation that hindered press freedom.
He added that in order for the public media to be independent it should be under the Parliament supervision rather than the ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports. He remarked that the content of the media would focus on public interest when it became under the Parliament. |
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