According to a statement issued by JOWUTA, party militants “beat and stole the phones of the [mentioned] journalists”, who were reporting on the preparations for a public rally of the main opposition political group, the Chadema Party, in the Temeke District in Dar es Salam. The driver that accompanied them, Omari Mhando, was also attacked and the windows of the car were smashed.
The union urged the police to take appropriate measures to ensure that the perpetrators of assaults against journalists are brought to justice. JOWUTA called on the political parties to restrain their supporters from attacking journalists, as it constitutes a violation of the 1977 Constitution which upholds freedom of information.
The Deputy General Secretary of the IFJ, Tim Dawson, noted that the government must create an enabling environment for the media to perform its functions effectively and guarantee the safety of journalists reporting on the ground. “Party supporters and other militants who attack journalists and prevent them from doing their work must be prosecuted and brought to justice”.
The IFJ joined its Tanzanian affiliate in calling for an independent investigation into the attacks and to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and brought to justice.