Editors in fight to publish

DAR ES SALAAM: The editors of two newspapers shut down by the Tanzanian government after publishing a series of critical articles are in talks with officials to overturn the ban.

The director of Tanzania Information Services, Assah Mwambene, announced at the weekend that Mwananchi newspaper, a daily with one of the largest circulations in the country, would be banned for two weeks. Mtanzania, a smaller daily, was banned for 90 days.

Both papers publish in the KiSwahili language, the most common tongue in the East African nation.

The papers are accused of publishing allegedly seditious and provocative items, including a report on the salaries of government employees and editorials against the government’s heavy-handed approach to tackling protests.

“We have written to the minister explaining why we believe that the stories which have been faulted by the government are valid. We hope that the minister will see to our explanation,” Tido Mhando, an executive working with the publishing house behind Mwananchi, told staff yesterday.

“Otherwise we will be back on October 11,” Mhando added.

Absalom Kibanda, the managing editor at New Habari, which publishes Mtanzania, confirmed that his company, too, was turning to the government to reverse the ban. – Sapadpa