Tanzania’s communications regulator has suspended the online platforms of Mwananchi Communications Ltd, accusing the media company of publishing content that violates the country’s regulations.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) announced on Wednesday that the company’s online content licenses will be suspended for 30 days, citing material published on October 1 that allegedly harmed the nation’s image.
The TCRA referenced the Online Content Regulations of 2020, stating that the content posted on Mwananchi’s social media platforms disrupted “unity, peace, and national harmony.” While the specific content was not detailed, it is believed to relate to an animated video posted by The Citizen, one of Mwananchi’s publications. The video depicted people expressing concerns about missing or murdered relatives.
The video followed the discovery of an opposition official’s body in Dar es Salaam in September, which heightened fears of targeted violence. Although The Citizen later removed the video and issued a statement explaining it had been misinterpreted, the suspension still went ahead.
Mwananchi Communications, a subsidiary of Kenya’s Nation Media Group, has said it will comply with the suspension. This move comes amid criticism of Tanzania’s government for rolling back press freedoms, despite earlier reforms under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The government, however, denies these claims.
