with albinism are killed because their body parts are alleged to provide the potent ingredient for magic charms, which many local people use to bring about success in business and love. • ALERT Date: July 29, 2008 Person/institutions: Saed Kubenea/Mwanahalisi newspaper Violation/issue: Threatened/censored On July 18, Tanzania police detectives entered and searched Hali Halisi Media House and the residence of the chief executive and managing editor of Mwanahalisi newspaper, Saed Kubenea. The Police, who had a search warrant that was issued by the Resident Magistrates’ Court of Dar es Salaam at Kisutu, were searching for information relating to banking information of government and some public figures. The Police did not find any information but took an office computer that Kubenea was using and copied personal information from his laptop. Mwanahalisi has exposed embezzlement and graft. • ALERT Date: October 8, 2008 Person/institutions: Media Violation/issue: Legislation On October 8, Tanzania’s Freedom of Information Bill Coalition Campaign submitted a draft Media Services Bill proposal to the Minister of Information and Culture, George Mkuchika. The draft is part of efforts to push for media policy changes in Tanzania. The minister commended stakeholders’ efforts, which he described as geared towards improving press freedom, professionalism and accountability. He urged both public controlled and privately owned media to take responsibility to train journalists in order to enhance professionalism and accountability in the sector. • ALERT Date: October 13, 2008 Person/institutions: Saed Kubenea Violation/issue: Other On October 12, the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations summoned the managing editor of the Mwanahalisi newspaper, Saed Kubenea, for an interrogation in a matter yet to be identified. The summons came four days after the Ministry of Information and Culture issued a strong warning to Mwanahalisi for allegedly publishing a false story. The warning issued on October 8 followed a story published by the newspaper‘s Kiswahili issue of October 7, which claimed that there was a plot within the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to oust President Jakaya Kikwete in the 2010 elections. • ALERT Date: October 14, 2008 Person/institutions: Mwanahalisi newspaper Violation/issue: Banned MISA Tanzania expressed concern at the suspension of the weekly privately owned Mwanahalisi newspaper for three months from October 13 on allegations of continually running stories with the ill intention of inciting public hatred against the country’s president and thus contribute to the misunderstanding within president’s family and the ruling party. MISA Tanzania strongly opposed the unconstitutional suspension because it violated the right of the paper to media and freedom of expression. MISA Tanzania also said the government criminalised the media story that should have been taken up by those who were not happy with the story as a civil matter. It urged those who felt aggrieved by the story to utilise the Media Council of Tanzania to remedy the situation So This Is Democracy? 2008 -109- Media Institute of Southern Africa