to engage in collecting and submitting information on crimes in the region to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Said Mwema, and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Robert Manumba, is endangered. The group faced the wrath of the Regional Commissioner for Mbeya, Mr. John Mwakipesile, who summoned representatives of the group to his office and warned them against continuing their activities of informing Mwema. The Commissioner alleged that the acts of disclosing information by the said elders without following the available bureaucracy damages the credibility of the region especially when the information is disclosed before undertaking sufficient investigation. The Commissioner issued the warning to the elders following information that was reported by them to DCI on crimes in the region, which information had included some policemen and public officials in criminal acts. On his part, the Commissioner alleged that regional authorities did not recognise the said group of elders. The elders were reporting crimes to the respective authorities following directives by President Jakaya Kikwete who had asked citizens to collaborate with their government in combating crimes by reporting such acts to him personally or to the respective leaders. The group is said to have 160,000 elders in Mbeya region. • ALERT Date: February 6, 2007 Persons: HakiElimu Violation: Victory The government of Tanzania has removed bans placed on HakiElimu, a civil society organisation working on the transformation of public education in Tanzania, following a meeting between the Prime Minister of Tanzania, various ministers of the Government and HakiElimu on February 6, 2007. The ban followed the HakiElimu’s publishing, in August 2005, of a report criticising government primary education reform efforts. The Ministry of Education and Culture accused HakiElimu of “disparaging the image of our education system and the teaching profession of our country through [the] media.” HakiElimu will be able to continue with its activities without undue restrictions. So This Is Democracy? 2007 -110- Media Institute of Southern Africa