Tanzania Govt suspends weekly newspaper Raia Mwema for ‘misleading’ headlines

DODOMA-(MaraviPost)-A Tanzanian newspaper has been suspended for 30 days for publishing false information, the government spokesperson has said.

The weekly publication, Raia Mwema, headlined a story linking the gunman who attacked soldiers near the French embassy last month to the ruling party.

The government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa the paper’s story violates the information act arguing that could threaten the country’s security.

He displayed two other headlines from the newspaper that he said were misleading.

The suspension is meant to give the publication time to change their operations.

According to BBC, the newspaper has not commented on the suspension.

This is the second publication to be banned in Tanzania since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office.

The ruling party-owned Uhuru newspaper was suspended after publishing a story saying that the president would not run in the 2025 elections.

President Samia had allowed media outlets banned by former President John Magufuli to operate.

Lloyd M’bwana

I’m a Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR)’s Environmental Science graduate (Malawi) and UK’s ICM Journalism and Media studies scholar. Also University of Malawi (UNIMA) Library Science Scholar. I have been The Malawi Country Manager and duty editor for the Maravi Post since 2019. My duty editor’s job is to ensure that the news is covered properly, that it is delivered on time, and that it is created to the standards set out in the editorial guidelines of the Maravi Post.