CORPORATE FINANCE
ECONOMIC & PUBLIC POLICY
MEDIA REPORT: AUGUST 2009
Man is by nature a political animal, as half of the top ten stories
this month demonstrated: CCM’s National Executive Committee
met in Dodoma and the Speaker of Parliament Samuel Sitta
almost got booted out of his own party; Zitto Kabwe aborted
his attempt to run for Chadema’s top post while Kingunge
Ng’ombale-Mwiru may have been channelling CCM in his
Headline News Analysis
In August, none of the top ten stories managed to generate more
than 5% worth of headlines. As the attention span index shows,
the print media puts intense focus on stories when they break but
loses interest quickly- a story lasts a maximum of ten days in the
monthly news cycle. The print media, it appears, is still unable
to pay attention to stories consistently. Why this is the case is a
question that has yet to be answered.
Top-Ranking Headline Stories
Politics: CCM’s NEC Meeting
Members of CCM’s National Executive Committee (NEC)
gathered in Dodoma to discuss the party’s future, ‘CCM wakamiana
NEC Dom’ [CCM anxious as NEC meet in Dodoma] (Tanzania Daima,
14th August). On the agenda were the up-coming local elections
and preparations for the 2010 general election campaign. Some
within the party were also unhappy with how Speaker Samuel
Sitta had been conducting matters in parliament. After Mr. Sitta
survived a bid to oust him, CCM’s Publicity Secretary Mr. John
Chiligati revealed that the NEC had formed a three-member team
that includes former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi to monitor the
conduct of the party’s MPs, ‘CCM moves to rein in outspoken
MPs’ (The Citizen, 19th August).
Mr. Chiligati decried reporter attacks on former President
Benjamin Mkapa, claiming that he deserved respect for leading
the country to economic prosperity, ‘CCM yamsafisha Mkapa’
[CCM clears Mkapa’s name] (Majira, 19th August). Afterwards,
the party had to explain why its Vice Chairman, Zanzibar’s
President Amani Karume, had missed the meeting, ‘Karume
shuns dialogue on Union Govt matters’ (The African, 19th
August).
MEDIA
SEPTEMBER 2009
wrangles with the Catholic Church. Zanzibar’s voter registration
drives went awry. Meanwhile, the army got implicated in a bank
robbery and Zombe was acquitted. Falling car sales and the new
Kilimo Kwanza make up some of the month’s Business Notes,
while the Yellow Couch dips a toe into the dangerous waters of
language politics in the media.
Crime: The Zombe Trial
The most compelling murder trial in recent history finally came
to an end after the High Court delivered a ruling of Not Guilty,
‘Zombe Huru!’ [Zombe Free!] (Mwananchi, 18th August). The Acting
Director of Public Prosecutions urged patience and told reporters
that he is confident justice will ultimately prevail. If Zombe and
his cohorts were not responsible for the murders they were being
accused of then where are the real killers, the press asked, ‘Where
are the 3 men who pulled triggers?’ (The Citizen, 19th August).
While some in the legal community stressed the importance
of the public to accept the High Court’s ruling, others
expressed amazement at the judge’s failure to convict Mr.
Zombe and his associates of even minor offences that
they claimed had been proven by the prosecution, ‘Lawyers
denounce Zombe’s acquittal’ (Sunday Citizen, 23rd August).
The acquittal also appeared to have political implications
after residents of Epanko ward in Mahenge District revealed
that they planned to boycott the forthcoming local elections
to demonstrate their displeasure at the decision, ‘Residents
shun vote over Zombe acquittal’ (The Citizen, 25th August).
The police announced that the issue of whether Mr. Zombe will
return to the force will not be discussed until the conclusion of
the appeals process, ‘Polisi: Mjadala wa Zombe basi’ [Police: Debate
on Zombe on hold] (Mtanzania, 28th August). While press reports
suggested that Mr. Zombe has chosen to lay low since the end
of his trial, the police were adamant that they were not going to
rest until they arrested the real killers, ‘Polisi inaendelea kuwasaka
walioua’ [Police continue to look for the killers] (Uhuru, 28th August).
Crime: The NMB Robbery
In an audacious robbery, bandits stormed through National
Microfinance Bank (NMB)’s Temeke branch with explosives,
stealing millions of shillings and killing a watchman in the process,
‘Armed bandits rob Temeke NMB branch’ (The Guardian, 1st
August). A massive manhunt for the robbers began immediately
as police arrested and questioned suspects in Bagamoyo. As details
of the robbery made its way to the press, the police offered a
five million reward for any information that would lead to the
arrest of the bank robbers. After the arrest of suspects believed
to be connected to the robbery, the police told reporters that they
had reasons to believe that foreign elements were involved in the
heist, ‘Police arrest six over raid on NMB branch’ (The Citizen,

4th August). Things got murkier after news broke that some of
the suspects may be members of the Tanzania People’s Defence
Force (TPDF). At the arraignment, it became clear that a serving
sergeant of the Tanzania’s armed forces was one of those charged
with the NMB robbery, ‘NMB robbers on murder charges’ (Daily
News, 27th August).
Politics: Speaker Samuel Sitta and Corruption
A story broke out that influential figures were waging a campaign
against some members of parliament by raising millions of
shillings for their opponents in an effort to unseat them in the
next general election, ‘Mabilioni ya mafisadi yawaliza Sitta, Selelii’
[Billions from corrupt figures unnerves Sitta, Selelii] (Mwananchi Jumapili,
2nd August). This news came after Speaker Samuel Sitta asked
the government to provide him with extra protection from what
he claimed were dangerous political forces that wished to silence
him. In an interview, the Speaker said that he was referring to
those involved in the Richmond scandal, and went on to accuse
them of trying to discredit him, ‘Sitta aanika majeruhi kashfa ya
Richmond’ [Sitta reveals those wounded by Richmond scandal] (Raia
Mwema, 5th August). This stance angered some within his party
to the extent that they attempted to oust him from CCM at the
next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, ‘Mafisadi
wamwandama Spika Sitta hadi NEC’ [Corrupt figures hound Speaker
Sitta at NEC] (Nipashe, 18th August). While they did not prevail,
the party secretariat reprimanded the Speaker and other MPs for
their outspoken views.
Politics: Chadema Leadership Elections
In a surprising move, the Chadema Deputy Secretary General
and Kigoma North MP, Zitto Kabwe, announced that he would
challenge his leader Freeman Mbowe for the chairmanship
of the party, ‘Zitto Amvaa Mbowe’ [Zitto challenges Mbowe]
(Mtanzania, 25th August). Mr. Kabwe told reporters that his
decision to run was motivated by a desire to see the party
approach the up-coming general election with a unified vision.
Chairman Freeman Mbowe welcomed the challenge and said
that it can only be good for the party, ‘Mbowe: Sitishwi na
Zitto Kabwe’ [Mbowe: Zitto Kabwe does not frighten me] (Majira,
27th August].
While Chadema’s leadership worked hard to project an image
of unity in public, behind the scenes there were frantic efforts
to dissuade Mr. Kabwe from running. Mr Kabwe was forced to
rebut charges that he was being used by outsiders to influence the
party’s direction, ‘Zitto: Sijanunuliwa’ [Zitto: I have not been bought]
(Mtanzania, 29th August). Soon after, Mr. Kabwe withdrew his
name for consideration. He explained to reporters that his u-turn
was caused by the need to prevent a split within the party, ‘I
dropped out of race to preserve unity, says Zitto’ (The Citizen,
31st August).
Society: Mbagala Compensations
Four months after the explosions at Mbagala, local residents are
still struggling to rebuild their lives. After the victims threatened to
hold public demonstrations demanding their compensations, the
government tried to calm the situation with this announcement,
‘We’ll compensate Mbagala victims next week’ (The Guardian,
8th August). Speaking to reporters, Dar es Salaam Regional
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Commissioner William Lukuvi made clear that the money would
only be given to those whose properties had been damaged by the
blasts. When the day of provision arrived, Mr. Lukuvi announced
the postponement of the exercise for another week as the Treasury
had apparently failed to complete its tasks on time, ‘Payments for
Mbagala’s bomb victims August 24th’ (The Guardian, 13th August).
As soon as the details of the compensation packages became
public, problems arose. Residents complained that the subsidies
did not adequately reflect the damages inflicted to their properties.
One victim whose house was flattened by the bombs received a
mere Sh30,000- over 5 million short of what it would cost him to
rebuild his home, ‘Some Mbagala bomb victims bitter over low
compensation’ (The Guardian, 25th August). Meanwhile, Defence
Minister Dr. Hussein Mwinyi warned residents that the area was
not safe and told reporters that the government was considering
resettling current residents. His warnings proved prescient after
another bomb exploded ‘Bomb latibua futari Mbagala’ [Bomb
disturbs iftaar in Mbagala] (Habari Leo, 31st August).
Society: Student Deaths by Fire
Tragedy hit a school in Iringa after a candle left lit by a student
caused a fire that quickly enveloped a girls’ dormitory, killing
12 students and leaving 22 others injured, ‘Night school fire
kills 12 students’ (The Citizen, 24th August). The incident
brought back memories of another deadly school fire in
1994 that claimed 43 lives, ‘Another school fire tragedy’ (The
Guardian, 24th August). At the time Scotland Yard were tasked
with investigating the causes of the fire, but their report has
yet to see the light of day. As preparations for the funerals
of those who perished were getting underway, questions
were being asked about whether enough attention is being
paid to fire safety procedures at boarding schools, ‘Students’
safety at boarding schools must be assured’ (Daily News, 25th
August). Local authorities arrested the student responsible for
leaving a lit candle unattended and charged her with murder,
‘Student arraigned over inferno at school’ (The Guardian, 29th
August).
Transport: The TRL Strike
After contract negotiations for improved salaries stalled,
workers from Tanzania Railways Limited went on strike to push
management to heed their demands, ‘Wafanyakazi TRL wagoma’
[TRL workers strike] (Mwananchi, 4th August). The situation became
even more contentious after reports suggested that the workers
had refused to meet with the management and the government.
On the third day of the strike, angry passengers decided to
take matters into their own hands and stormed the offices of
the Ministry of Transport, ‘Abiria TRL wavamia wizara’ [TRL
passengers invade ministry] (Mtanzania, 6th August). The association
advocating for passengers’ rights (Chakua) told the press that
they were planning to take TRL to court over their cancellation
of services that left hundreds of customers stranded, ‘Passenger
rights group to sue TRL’ (The Guardian, 7th August). Attempts to
find a solution to the crisis broke down after management and
workers failed to agree on the issues of salaries and part-time
contracts. Days later a tentative agreement was negotiated, but
suspicions still lingered between the two parties, ‘TRL workers
demand expulsion of RITES’ (Daily News, 14th August). This
demand seemed to resonate with the government - the Minister
AUGUST 2009

of Transport stated that the government was to revise its contracts
with Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) to
prevent future strikes, ‘Mkataba wa ubia TRL kufumuliwa’ [TRL
joint-venture contract to be scrapped] (Habari Leo, 15th August). The
decision got support from unlikely quarters, ‘Rwanda, Burundi
demand TRL privatization deal be scrapped’ (This Day, 21st
August).
Politics: Kingunge and The Catholic Church
The controversy over the Catholic Church’s alleged interference in
political matters intensified after the veteran politician Kingunge
Ngombale Mwiru attacked its leadership, ‘Repent, Kingunge now
tells Catholics’ (The Citizen, 13th August). The Church’s Auxilliary
Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam refused to directly
address Mr. Kingunge’s criticisms, but other civic leaders were less
diplomatic, arguing that his comments were misguided, ‘Kingunge
defiance draws sharp criticism’ (The Citizen, 14th August). A few days
later a story broke that Mr. Ng’ombale-Mwiru may have been used
by the ruling party to articulate its reservations with the Church’s
decision to publish an election guide to its congregations, ‘CCM
yamtumia Kingunge kupambana na Wakatoliki’ [CCM uses Kingunge
to confront Catholics] (Mwananchi Jumapili, 16th August). Seeking to
contain the controversy, the government disassociated itself from
the politicians’ public statements saying that they were not the
views of the party or the government, ‘Government distances
itself from Kingunge’s comments’ (This Day, 17th August). The
criticism and the reaction from the government seemed to have
taken their toll on Mr. Ng’ombale-Mwiru: he refused to comment
on the most recent comment from the church, ‘Kauli ya Pengo
yampa Mzee Kingunge ganzi’ [Pengo’s statement paralyses Mr. Kingunge]
(Nipashe, 28th April).
ON AIR: Leo Tena
If you ever get tired of the American-wannabes who proliferate
our television screens and airwaves, then tune in to this mid-
morning show to experience the wonderful playfulness of
Tanzania’s coastal sensibility. Listeners are invited into the sassy,
gossipy and mischievous ‘mkeka’ conversations that take place in
cities, towns and villages along the coast. Through its presenter
Dino Mario and her lady co-hosts, Swahili culture finds its most
open and fun expression. It makes for an enjoyable companion
to mornings at the office.
Highlights: The presenters’ authentic ‘pwani’ humour with all
its double-entrendres and often risqué honesty.
Lowlights: production value can sometimes be less coherent,
especially when it comes to the music: Taarab throughout would
fit the overall theme of the show.
Channel: Clouds FM, Dar es Salaam frequency at 88.4 F.M.
http://www.cloudsfm.co.tz/index.php
Day: Weekdays, Monday to Friday
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Business Notes
The Guardian: Micro-finance – Bureaucracy, corruption and
misallocation of funds are just a few reasons why small and
medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) are failing to benefit from micro-
financing initiatives in the country. Nevertheless, organisations
like the Small Industrial Development Organisation (SIDO)
have demonstrated that with the right, targeted approach you
can be successful- it boasts a 90% repayment rate. It should be
noted that for micro-finance projects to be successful, there
is a need for more monitoring and evaluation of the SME
operator in addition to providing them with entrepreneurial
skills. (3rd August)
The African: The East African Community Common Market –
President Jakaya Kikwete has challenged local manufacturers
to step up and prepare for stiff competition from their
counterparts as the region readies itself for the start of a
common market free trade zone come January 2010. Speaking
at an annual gala to award the best performers in the sectors,
the President advised manufacturers to begin recalibrating their
business strategies to the new reality for once the gates open,
there is no going back. He went on to say that this presents a
great opportunity for Tanzanians to showcase their ingenuity
and creativity in the region. (8th August)
Daily News: Motor Sales Fall – local prices for motor vehicles
have gone down almost 40% as a consequence of the global
economic crisis. The number of customers visiting showrooms
has fallen drastically and the continuing depreciation of the
Tanzanian shilling against the US dollar has made matters even
worse. Some firms are taking aggressive approaches to beef
up sales, with one firm accepting 25% down payments from
customers who are allowed to settle the balance within a year.
Apart from being put off by high prices, potential car buyers
are also leery of the maintenance such an investment demands-
prices of spare parts and fuel are high. (17th August).
The African: ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ gets funding – Stanbic Bank in
conjunction with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in
Africa (AGRA) will help fund the government’s central
2009/10 budget initiative, the ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ [Agriculture
First] policy. AGRA, which has secured $10 million to assist
African farmers in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, will
work with Stanbic to disperse small loans to local farmers
across the country. The brainchild of the Rockefeller and Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundations, AGRA is headed by former
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Its main aim
is to promote agricultural development in Africa and increase
food security on the continent. (24th August).
AUGUST 2009

Watch Word
Zitto Kabwe demonstrates the importance of good
timing…
“I’ve taken time to decide to vie for the top party post. That is
why I had not told any of my friends, relatives or even supporters
about it. I know Mr. Mbowe [the incumbent] has done a lot for
the party. He has also played a crucial role in molding me as
a politician…Mr. Mbowe is one of the leaders I respect very
much because he loves our party very much. But we must forge
ahead with a new vision of strengthening our unity because
Chadema has already proved that it is capable of taking over the
country’s leadership” (The Citizen, 26th August).
“These allegations that I have been sponsored by the enemies
of Chadema to lead my party are baseless. Nobody can buy
me at any price. I find very strange that some people think I
have been bought. It is definitely my decision to vie for the top
leadership position.” (The African, 29th August).
“I don’t want anything bad to happen to the party I love…
Averting a split is the only reason behind my decision to withdraw
my candidacy…My family has not intervened in this. It’s the
elders who advised me against challenging Mr. Mbowe for the
chairmanship. I’ve done this to avoid splitting the party…My
vision and reading of the situation is that we might this time
be forced as a country to have a Prime Minister from outside
the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi. We (Chadema) cannot afford
“”
to approach that possible scenario divided.” (The Citizen, 31st
August).
Inbox
In June we sent out a brief reader survey. Here is some of what we
learned from you:
1. The banking, manufacturing, tourism and services industries
were represented. The majority of respondents are Tanzanians living
in Dar es Salaam. You ranged in age between 31 years and “born
sometime after the last ice age.”
2. Those of you from Zanzibar would like to see more Zanzibar
news, especially leading up the general elections.
3. You would like to see more market and economic news.
4. You most enjoy the Main News, Watchword and Yellow Couch
sections of the report. And while you are of the opinion that the
report is not afraid of controversy, several of you felt that we are
being too cautious.
Thank you to all who responded to our survey.
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At Leisure:
A glance at the Sunday Columns
The Feminist: Despite huge strides made by women, top leadership
positions still elude them as huge disparities persist in comparison
with their male counterparts, argued Margaret Sembeyu in her column
‘Talking Gender.’ For example, after the 2005 elections the number
of women members of parliament increased to 97. However, only
17 of them were directly elected by their constituents. The rest got
there through the special seats selections. Part of the reason that
the number of elected women MPs is low is due to the fact that
‘elections are often marred by corruption. [As a result], chances for
women to get to top positions are minimal as most of them are
not rich enough to buy votes,’ Ms. Sembeyu writes. Furthermore,
the male dominated culture is pulling down women’s efforts at
reaching high-level positions. Research by Tanzania Media Women’s
Association (TAMWA) conducted a few years ago suggests that the
dream of a woman holding the highest elective office in the country
is still a long way off. But Ms. Sembeyu offers this rallying cry, ‘as we
approach the 2010 General election, women have to unite and fight
for their position in the country.’ “Despite setbacks, women must
fight for leadership (The Sunday Citizen, 2nd August).
The Ethicist: Adam Lusekelo’s patience with politicians who
drone on and on about the need for ethics in the media is getting
close breaking point. How dare they lecture those in the media
on issues of ethics? Lest we forget, this is coming from the same
group of people who stand accused of ‘stealing billions from the
Richmond scandal…daylight robbery [from] EPA and Meremeta
and [numerous] wanton thefts.’ But then again this may be a way for
politicians, Lusekelo writes, to ‘tart [the media] up. All politicians…
like to be dolled by their particular media…[though]…some of the
mascara on their eyes can start to run. In reverse it ends looking real
ugly.’ Before politicians can start telling others how to behave, they
should start leading by example. This, however, is not their style.
Take for example the recent CCM meeting in Dodoma. Apparently,
the party cohorts were getting together to deliberate on ethics. The
real agenda, however, ‘sources say…[is]…how to contain people
leaking sensitive party information’ to the media. Deliberate on
the ethics of that. “Ethics for journalists only?” (Sunday News, 16th
August).
The Capitalist: Venansio Ahabwe, in his ‘The Comrade’ column, is
clearly irked by President Kikwete’s call that Tanzanians should stop
selling their land to foreigners. He writes that, ‘the president’s counsel
is quite amazing, considering that the world is fast becoming a global
village. Within the current international regime, a country becomes
too small to solve big development problems singlehandedly…
[and]…increasingly…[they]…encourag[e] foreign investment into
their economies.’ It is difficult to see how our need for foreign
investors coheres with such restrictive pronouncements from our
leaders. Furthermore, the notion that foreigners should not own
land in the country is as silly as ‘asking wabongo not to acquire land
and property in places where they…[are]…regarded as foreigners.’
And what of the free market principles that say one should sell one’s
property to the highest possible bidder? After all, the higher the
return, the greater the contribution will be to the national economy.
Mr. Ahabwe concluded: ‘it does not make sense to refuse to sell to a
capable buyer with the lame excuse that he is a foreigner…It’s time
to rethink our stand on land ownership”(The Guardian on Sunday,
30th August).
AUGUST 2009

Main Zanzibar Voter Registration
Story
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has been updating its
voter register since July. Due to the high number of opposition party
members, and the regular outbreaks of violence during elections,
voter registration is a very sensitive issue in the Isles. This came to the
fore when ZEC was forced to close down all three voter registration
stations in the Ole constituency in Pemba: ‘Vurugu zaibuka uandikishaji
Zanzibar’ [Trouble emerges in Zanzibar registration exercise] (Mwananchi, 4th
August 2008).
The problem started when people refused to register at two stations
set up in Minungwini because they were being required to produce
either a voter card from the 2005 election or a Zanzibar Resident ID
in order to qualify. Many Zanzibaris don’t have ID cards, and prior
to the 2005 general elections the main proof of nationality required
was a birth certificate. A protracted stand-off between CUF and CCM
officials, ZEC functionaries and recalcitrant citizens resulted in the
FFU and other state organs being called in for security purposes.
Speaking a week later at a rally in Mji Mkongwe, CUF Secretary General
Seif Sharif Hamad encouraged citizens to stand up for their rights,
pointing out that the incidents in Pemba were the result of a collective
decision not to be bullied by the state. The leader of the opposition
in Parliament, Hamad Rashid Mohamed, lent his support by pointing
out that there is nothing in the constitution which requires a Zanzibari
to present an ID card to be eligible to register to vote: ‘Maalim Seif:
Nitachochea vurugu’ [Maalim Seif: I will encourage dissent] (Mwananchi,
10th August).
Acting on orders from President Amani Abeid Karume, the Director
of the Zanzibar Identity Cards Registration Office, Mohamed Juma
Ame, investigated the matter with the help of senior CUF and CCM
officials and came to the conclusion that accusations that people
were being denied ID cards were baseless: “Hakuna anayenyimwa
kitambulisho Zanzibar” [No one is being denied an identity card in Zanzibar]
(Habari Leo,11th August). He went on to reveal that his office was sitting
on over 7000 identity cards that had not been collected, some of them
belonging political leaders. Mr. Ame’s conclusion was that ZEC’s new
registration criteria had closed off opportunities for registering ghost
voters such as children and the deceased, and that the protest over ID
cards was driven by political parties that were not happy about the loss
of these loopholes.
The donor community weighed in on the matter by way of their
diplomats: a joint statement signed by heads of mission from Japan,
the United States, Norway and eleven other Western states expressed
their concern with how the voter registration exercise was going: ‘Voter
registration flawed, say envoys’ (The Citizen, 14th August). They came
down strongly on the side of free and fair democracy, expressing fears
that the events in Pemba are an omen of election violence in 2010 ‘U.S.,
EU say process is seriously flawed’ (The African, 14th August), ‘EU
yakemea vurugu Zanzibar’ [EU against turmoil in Zanzibar] (Majira, 14th
August). Hamza Hassan Juma, minister of State in the Zanzibar chief
Ministers’ Office, responded by warning against foreign interference
in its internal affairs and assuring that the Constitution makes every
provision for Zanzibaris to register freely ‘Enough guarantees of rule
of law in Zanzibar’ (The Guardian, 16th August).
Members of the opposition parties later filed a case against ZEC and
the Zanzibar Attorney General at the High Court of Zanzibar, asking
for the voter registration exercise to be discontinued on the claim that
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the current legislation requiring a resident ID is in conflict with the
Constitution: ‘Three challenge voter registration exercise in Z’bar’ (The
Guardian, 20th August). Meanwhile the government distanced itself
from allegations that the Tanzania People’s Defense Force (TPDF) had
been used to control the situation: ‘Minister denies TPDF involvement’
(This Day, 20th August). The opposition failed to get its hands on the
voters’ register when they were told that the information is confidential
and sensitive ‘IDs boss refuses register scrutiny’ (The African, 21st
August). This was followed up by an effort on the part of the Identity
Cards Registration Office to clean up its books: ‘Zanzibar now files
cases over ‘forgery’ of IDs’ (The Guardian, 28th August).
What the commentators said…
Muhibu Said lamented the dangerous short-sightedness of the
Government of Zanzibar as he pointed out in Nipashe that ‘Special Seats
MP Riziki Omar’s claims that Tanzanian youth from the mainland are
being given Zanzibar Resident IDs (Zan ID) in order to allow them to
vote in the coming general elections in Zanzibar next year should not
be ignored’ (5th August). As one of the journalists who got to observe
the voter registration exercise in North Pemba from the 11-15th of
July, he ‘witnessed the way in which the Government of Zanzibar,
through its organs, which include the Zanzibar Electoral Commission,
the Identity Cards Registration Office and the local government- their
implementers at the ground level- colluded in broad daylight to create a
‘bomb.’…the same kind of bomb that exploded in 2000 and resulted in
the deaths of 30 Zanzibaris and the political self-exile of many more.
‘…the question of this country’s dependency and its sovereignty
insofar as the independence of thought and action on the part of
the leadership of the country is concerned is one thing […] But facts
on the ground in Zanzibar are something else since there is indeed a
problem which most often than not has been repetitive’ was Makwaia wa
Kuhenga’s opinion in The Citizen as he contemplated the ramifications
of the statement issued by the EU envoys (17th August). Calling on
President Kikwete to have the courage to address the issue directly and
conclusively, he concluded that ‘For one to claim the right to rule just
because one was the son or grandson of a founder member of the
Zanzibar Revolutionary Council could be a perpetuation of the old
Sultanate minority rule in a different set of people!’
Structural inequality in the political system was what concerned
Simeon Maiga most. He reminds us in This Day that ‘Pemba Island
has always been a thorn in the side of the ruling party’s flesh ever
since multipartyism was established in Tanzania in the early 1990s. In
spite of its country-wide coverage in terms of membership, CCM has
hardly won a seat on the island…’ (20th August) This is a particularly
vexing problem, considering that ‘The Pemba Island issue however,
is not an isolated case when it comes to conducting general elections
in Tanzania as a whole. As in Zanzibar, elections on the mainland are
supervised by an electoral commission whose personnel are appointed
by the President, who also doubles as CCM’s national chairman.’
AUGUST 2009
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JUNE NEWS

Week 1: 1-7 August

News Story English Kiswahili Total Appearances Rank

NMB Bank Robbers 13 18 31 5 1

TRL Workers Strike 5 9 14 4 2
Richmond Scam 3 10 13 2 3
Moshi OCD Death 3 10 13 2 4
Singida Road Crash 2 7 9 1 5
Other Stories 80 103 183

Total 106 157 263

Week 2: 8-14 August

News Story English Kiswahili Total Appearances Rank

Z’Bar Vote Registration 6 28 34 5 1

Mbagala Blasts 6 10 16 3 2
TRL Workers Strike 4 10 14 3 3
Kingunge VS Church Document 4 10 14 2 4
EAC Integration Meeting 5 6 11 2 5
Other Stories 80 104 184

Total 105 168 273

Week 3: 15 - 21 August
News Story English Kiswahili Total Appearances Rank

CCM-NEC Meeting 12 35 47 6 1
Zombe Trial 16 26 42 5 2
Z’Bar Vote Registration 6 10 16 3 3
Sitta vs Anti-Corruption 4 7 11 1 4
Bus Drivers Strike 3 6 9 1 5
Other Stories 71 64 135

Total 112 148 260

Week 4: 22 - 31 August
News Story English Kiswahili Total Appearances Rank

Zitto VS Mbowe 7 32 39 6 1
Student Death On Fire-Idodi 13 19 32 4 2
Sitta vs Anti-Corruption 9 17 26 4 3
Muslim Election Guide 6 14 20 3 4
Mbagala Blasts 5 12 17 4 5
Others Stories 114 126 240

Total 154 220 374

SERENGETI ADVISERS MEDIA AUGUST 2009

 7

August 2009 Top 10 Stories

Number of Headlines Headlines Share (Percentage) Attention Span

Index
Z’Bar Vote Registration 59 5.0 10
CCM-NEC Meeting 55 4.7 8
Zombe Trial 49 4.2 8
NMB Bank Robbers 46 3.9 9
Sitta vs Anti-Corruption 41 3.5 6
Zitto VS Mbowe 39 3.3 6
Mbagala Blasts 35 3.0 8
Students Death in Fire 32 2.7 4
TRL Workers Strike 28 2.4 7
Top Ten Headline Stories Headline Share
Kingunge vs. Church Document 26 2.2 4
Other Stories 760 65.0

TOTAL Stories 1170

Z'Bar Vote Registration
CCM‐NEC Meeting
Zanzibar Voter Registration
Zombe Trial
CCM-NEC Meeting
NMB Bank Robbers
Zombe Trial
NMB Robbers
Sitta vs Anti‐Corruption
Sitta vs. Anti-Corruption
Zitto VS Mbowe
Zitto vs. Mbowe
Mbagala BlastsMbagala Blasts
Students Deaths in Fire
Students Death in Fire
TRL Workers Strike
TRL Workers Strike
Kingunge vs. Church Document
Attention Span Index Other Stories
Kingunge vs. Church Document
Other Stories

Attention Span Index

Zanzibar Voter Registration
Z'Bar Vote Registration
CCM-NEC Meeting
CCM‐NEC Meeting
Zombe Trial
Zombe Trial
NMB Robbers
NMB Bank Robbers
Sitta vs. Anti-Corruption
Sitta vs Anti‐Corruption
Zitto vs. Mbowe
Zitto VS Mbowe
Mbagala Blasts
Mbagala Blasts
Students Deaths in Fire
Students Death in Fire
TRL Workers Strike
TRL Workers Strike
Kingunge vs. Church Document
Kingunge vs. Church Document

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Days in the News
Series2
Methodology
The top five weekly stories and top ten stories of the month are extracted from a survey of
headlines in 17 newspapers: 5 English dailies, 2 English weeklies (one regional), 7 Kiswahili
dailies, and 3 Kiswahili weeklies. Number of headlines surveyed in August: 1170.

SERENGETI ADVISERS MEDIA AUGUST 2009


YELLOW COUCH
Aspiring Dons Irked by over-
employed stuffy English terms
Abdi Sultani has a very entertaining column in The Citizen that
sifts through the grammatical and spelling wreckage from the
papers that wash up on the shores of his desk over the course of
a week. Entertaining, in the same way that one might get a thrill
from watching an expert fisherman catch dinner by throwing a
stick of dynamite into a barrel of drugged farm tilapia. Yellow
Couch has no intention of letting you have all the fun, Mr.
Sultani- anyone with half an ounce of pedantry who reads the
English papers does so in spite of the suspicion that English isn’t
actually the language being used. Before the nationalists start
throwing rotten eggs and verbal hand-grenades at Yellow Couch
in the name of ‘English is the language of Western Imperialism,’
rest assured that this column understands that there is a time and
place for political correctness and cultural sensitivity. This is not
one of them.
Kiswahili proper is mellifluous and adaptable- great journalists
and columnists are capable of expressing the most subtle and
esoteric of philosophies and experiences. The writing in Kiswahili
papers is usually perceptive and evocative, even if it means
meandering through lengthy articles that consider introductions
to be the area in which one discusses everything except the topic
at hand. Comparatively speaking, the English press is struggling
to graduate from nursery school. The spaces and nuances of any
social process can be delivered in Kiswahili with a finesse that the
too-mechanical English language often handles rudely. Kiswahili
is the language of political equivocation par excellence…but
Kiswahili cannot handle modern technical dialogue to save its life.
So it is that addressing the UN General Assembly in Kiswahili
may be a proud and masterful manipulation of North-South
relations of mutual need and resentment, but it hardly equips our
leaders for similar triumph in the handling of, say, innovations
in nanotechnology or the intricacies of bucking WTO anti-
protectionism policies.
That said, what could the English press do to catch up to the
Kiswahili press- aside from funding country-wide language
lessons? For starters, it could stop using the word ‘irk’. It is
irksome. The ‘irk’ gives away every time that an article has been
translated directly from Kiswahili without the aid of a dictionary
or a thesaurus. While it is true that our Dear Leaders are as
incapable of throwing public tantrums as they are of battling
corruption, they do evidence stronger emotions than being
‘irked’ when something untoward happens. The Prime Minister
isn’t ‘irked’ by albino killers- irked is what you feel when your
waiter conveniently forgets to bring back your change. ‘Irked’ is
hardly what the President means when he expresses his distaste
for bothersome press coverage of the never-ending Union
debate. May we offer for your selection the following alternatives:
Annoyed. Vexed. Angered. Displeased. Bemused. Disappointed.
Perhaps even peeved, on occasion. But not irked.
Likewise, be done with the Dons. It makes it sound as though
Tanzania is overrun by Mafia bosses and misplaced Spanish
lordlings. When an English paper brings up ‘Don’ in the headline,
we can be assured that we’re going to get a pedestrian quote
SERENGETI ADVISERS MEDIA
8
from one of the ubiquitous Mlimani pundits. The same Ancients
from the same University, belonging to the same parties who
have been quoted saying the same ‘revolutionary’ things since
Gutenberg’s printing pres ensured them a larger captive audience
than a handful of bored undergraduates. Never doubt- Yellow
Couch has a fond reverence for all eggheads, geeks, academes,
intellectuals and dreamers. We just don’t support the newspapers’
lazy adherence to the usual suspects. Yes, everything was better in
the Stone Age when the Father of the Nation would drop by for
tea and a chat. Sadly, however, time has since moved on and such
rhetoric is as useful to young Tanzanians as a fur coat in Zanzibar
in December.
There are many, many, many other English press faux-pas that
we could make fun of, but there has to be a point to it at the
end of the day. Is it an elitist impulse to demand quality from
the print industry, the same kind of meticulous care, innovation
and professionalism that is so often perceptible in broadcast
news? Perhaps, but – hold on to your panties Socialists- it is the
good kind of elitism. The quality of writing in a country’s papers
is a reflection, on the whole, of the quality of our journalism.
Print is an area in which we would do well to resist the impulse
to democratize everything. There is no room for non-Kiswahili
speakers in the editorial positions of Kiswahili papers, and the
reverse ought to be true. Crisp thinking and articulate writing are
not to be sniffed at.
The deeper issue, however, has to do with the press’ claim to
work in the interest of the public. It is no secret that our reading
culture is anorexic at best. The one resource that readers have
access to on a fairly regular basis are the newspapers, so what do
we gain by offering grammatically compromised rags? How far
are local students of English supposed to get on these broken-
down wagons of dangling participles and rampant ellipses? They
certainly won’t help us train a generation of people who can
confidently take on multinationals at the negotiating table. There is
nothing helpful or romantic about lowest-common-denominator
thinking where the popular masses are supposed to be catered for
with unsophisticated material. It could be argued that bad English
in the Tanzanian press is unpatriotic… and that is very irksome
indeed.
We would like to acknowledge the kind sponsorship
of Minesite Tanzania Limited
567 Kibo Road, Mikocheni A
P.O.Box 105620
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
email: publications@serengetiadvisers.com
info@serengetiadvisers.com
AUGUST 2009