Tanzania bans three media houses over cartoon publication

Three of Tanzania’s leading newspapers have been banned from publishing their online editions for 30days after releasing an animation that criticized President Samia Suluhu.

This came after the news sites namely, the Citizen, Mwananchi, and Mwanaspoti newspapers published an animated clip which featured a female cartoon character bearing a striking resemblance to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, in her complete hijab signature.

The clip, just over a minute long, published by the Citizen on social media highlighted the increasing cases of abductions and disappearances in the country.

In the video the character was seen switching between different TV stations with someone on each complaining about the killing, abduction or disappearance of a family member. At the end, the character appears upset by all the complaints.

According to the media regulator on Wednesday, the content “threatens and is likely to affect and harm national unity and social peace of the United Republic of Tanzania”.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) also condemned it while stating that the audio-visual content violated the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations of 2020].

However, the Citizen’s managing editor, Mpoki Thomson, said the animation depicted “events that raised concerns regarding the safety and security of individuals in Tanzania”.

The content which was published on Tuesday was taken down a few hours later due to what the newspaper termed “misinterpretation” by the public.

“Our decision to take down the animation stems from the misinterpretation it has generated, which diverges from our original intent,” Thomson said in a statement.

The media company further assured its audience that it would continue to serve them through its daily print editions and noted that it would engage with the authorities to resolve the matter.