Uniteand defend press freedom – scribes urged

Media houses in the country have been urged to unite and defend press freedom while at the same time desist from promoting personal interests that suppress professionalism.

The call was made by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) in Dar es Salaam yesterday during a press conference over the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC)’s conduct of allegedly storming into Clouds Media Group (CMG) premises.

The LHRC Executive Director, Dr Helen Kijo-Bisimba, also urged the government through the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports to consider views by stakeholders on laws that oppress press freedom in order to protect media houses and journalists.

She said media were operating according to the Media Services Act of 2016, which in any way should work in accordance with the law and not interrupted by an individual or authority.

“Journalists need to unite to denounce such behaviour of press freedom violations in order to work according to rules, because the ongoing incidents will also affect the community’s access to information,” she advised.

The Centre condemned the move by the Dar es Salaam RC of invading CMG offices while accompanied by law enforcement officers and stressing that it is illegal in a democratic country. “LHRC calls for the government to take disciplinary measures against RC Makonda.

We also require them to immediately stop the use of state machinery for personal benefits,” she stressed. According to her, the use of the state machinery in suppressing freedom of the press is something to be strongly condemned because it breaches the principles of the Constitution of 1977, Article 18.

Watch Video Below