SNAPSHOT TANZANIA T he state of media freedom in Tanzania was not looking good in early 2013 when a journalist was found dead in a forest in January and a senior editor, Absalom Kibanda, was attacked just outside his Dar-es-Salaam home in March. Kibanda subsequently lost his left eye and sustained several other injuries. 2013, however, also saw the drafting of a new Constitution for Tanzania, including two laws media stakeholders believe are necessary to improve freedom of expression in the country. The media and right to information laws have been treated separately in the new draft Constitution and this is seen as a significant step towards more media freedom and an open society. However, despite the President signing the Open Government Partnership initiative in 2011, efforts to establish an access to information law have moved at a snail’s pace, thus denying the people their constitutional right to information. MISA Tanzania, as part of a national coalition of like-minded organisations, visited Parliament in 2013 to express their concerns on a number of restrictive sections in the government’s proposed Media Services Bill. Some other activities MISA Tanzania led in 2013 to mobilise the media to advocate for media freedom and build media capacity and skills include: • A needs assessment report on Internet training for journalists and conducted training sessions in July and August. • Collaborating with the Canadian High Commission in Tanzania to run training course on The Role of Journalists in Promoting Good Governance and Accountability in July 2013. Senior Tanzanian editor loses eye in brutal assault On the evening of Tuesday 5 March 2013, Absalom Kibanda, Chairperson of the Tanzania Editors Forum and Editor-in-Chief at New Habari Corporation was attacked by unknown assailants at the gate in front of his Dar-es-Salaam home as he returned from work. Tanzanian media reported that three people wielding guns approached Kibanda saying, “kill him” and dragged him from his car before physically assaulting him and leaving him unconscious, with his left eye seriously wounded. Sources told MISA the attackers plucked out some of Kibanda’s teeth and nails and pierced his left eye with a sharp object. He suffered multiple head injuries, apparently from heavy blows. After receiving treatment in Tanzania and South Africa, Kibanda ultimately lost his left eye. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr.. Hussein Mwinyi, described the attack on the editor as “appalling” and police in Dar-es-Salaam formed a nine-person team to investigate the assault. It is believed the attack was a result of Kibanda’s work, as the attackers did not steal anything or attempt to enter his house. Kibanda had been scheduled to appear before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 6 March 2013, facing charges of sedition in relation to a feature article that appeared in former newspaper, Tanzania Daima, during the time he was Managing Editor of the paper. After the attack, proceedings were adjourned to 26 March 2013. President Kikwete visits journalist, Absalom Kibanda at hospital after he was attacked by unknown assailants. MISA Tanzania images, 2013 41