Tanzania
The panellists also noted that programmes such as the public expenditure tracking is capacitating the citizens to hold their leaders
accountable. Journalists have also benefitted in capacity building
of public expenditure tracking and so far about 200 journalists have
received training. This programme is under the US sponsored Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) which seeks to empower the citizens
to make their leaders in the local government accountable on how
the financial resources have been utilized according to the citizens
interest.
It was also felt that hostile laws; ownership patterns which are divided between those who want to be independent and those who
want to support the government; and professional incompetence
resulting in many libel cases in courts, are all contributing factors
to limiting freedom of expression.
SCORES:
Individual scores: 			

3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 2

Average score:			

2.8 (2006= 2.1)

1.3

There are no laws restricting freedom of expression such as
excessive official secret or libel acts, or laws that
unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media.

ANALYSIS:
There are about 27 laws that restrict access to information, freedom
of expression and of the media that need to be reviewed, amended
or repealed (See Appendix 1).
It was also noted that the culture of secrecy in the Civil Service
makes it difficult to access even the most mundane information
which should in actual fact be in the public domain and would not
in any way pose a threat to national security or defense.

6				

African Media Barometer - Tanzania 2008

Select target paragraph3