5.3.3 The banning of Dira newspaper, Tanzania On November 24, 2003, the Zanzibar government suspended publication of Dira newspaper allegedly for violating professional ethics. The Minister of State in the Chief Minister’s Office, Salum Juma Othman, said he was suspending the paper in exercise of the powers conferred upon him under subsection (1) of Section 30 of the Zanzibar Registration of Newsagents, Newspapers and Books Acts no 5 of 1988. On December 11 2003, a two-person MISA secretariat delegation, consisting of Kaitira Kandjii and Zoé Titus, arrived in Dares-Salaam, Tanzania, to meet with government, media stakeholders and other relevant institutions to gauge their views and perspectives on the banning of the Dira newspaper by the Zanzibar government. Dira was the only independent newspaper in Zanzibar and was published weekly. The objective of the mission was to investigate and provide recommendations for the resolution of the impasse. The MISA delegation met with the Media Council of Tanzania, Dira management, the Zanzibar Director of Information Service, Enzi Talib, and the Deputy Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister Office, Salim Salim. MISA made clear its position on the banning of a newspaper. At the same time, the delegation acknowledged that unethical reporting had no place within the media profession. The Government of Zanzibar would not review its action to ban Dira and MISA subsequently considered possible strategies of support to the newspaper, despite the organisation’s own appraisal that Dira was wanting in terms of ethical reporting. Through the SADC Journalists Under Fire campaign MISA undertook to support Dira and in particular its journalists. In addition it was noted that MISA would continue to play the role of a mediator to reconcile the different parties. The MISA secretariat delegation recommended, among others, that MISA explores ways to support litigation of the banning order and a court challenge of the Newspaper and Book Act of 1988. 5.3.4 National Activities (SADC Journalists Under Fire campaign) In terms of national activities only two chapters, MISA Tanzania and MISA Zimbabwe, have actively implemented aspects of the SADC Journalists Under Fire campaign. MISA Tanzania reported a most successful launch of the campaign on May 3 2003. The launch enjoyed wide media coverage. As part of the campaign launch and lobbying activities of the chapter, the Director of Criminal Intelligence dropped all charges against freelance journalist John Maziku. Maziku was facing a contempt of court charge for allegedly ‘insulting’ parliament in 2001. Although MISA Zimbabwe only formerly launched the campaign on May 3 2004, the chapter had already started implementing the campaign early in 2003. Under this campaign the chapter is MISA Annual Report (April 2003 – March 2004) 40