Serengeti Advisers - Media Report August 2009

CORPORATE FINANCE ECONOMIC & PUBLIC POLICY MEDIA

SEPTEMBER 2009

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

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.

Headline News Analysis

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).

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).

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,

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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.

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).

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

SERENGETI ADVISERS

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

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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 midmorning 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.

SERENGETI ADVISERS

MEDIA

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 microfinancing 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 demandsprices 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).

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At Leisure: A glance at the Sunday Columns

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

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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.

SERENGETI ADVISERS

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).

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Main Story

Zanzibar Voter Registration

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).

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.’

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 SERENGETI ADVISERS

MEDIA

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JUNE NEWS Week 1: 1-7 August News Story NMB Bank Robbers TRL Workers Strike Richmond Scam Moshi OCD Death Singida Road Crash Other Stories Total

English

Kiswahili

Total

Appearances

Rank

5 4 2 2 1

1 2 3 4 5

Total

Appearances

Rank

5 3 3 2 2

1 2 3 4 5

Total

Appearances

Rank

6 5 3 1 1

1 2 3 4 5

Total

Appearances

Rank

6 4 4 3 4

1 2 3 4 5

13 5 3 3 2 80

18 9 10 10 7 103

31 14 13 13 9 183

106

157

263

Week 2: 8-14 August News Story Z’Bar Vote Registration Mbagala Blasts TRL Workers Strike Kingunge VS Church Document EAC Integration Meeting Other Stories Total

English

Kiswahili

6 6 4 4 5 80

28 10 10 10 6 104

34 16 14 14 11 184

105

168

273

Week 3: 15 - 21 August News Story CCM-NEC Meeting Zombe Trial Z’Bar Vote Registration Sitta vs Anti-Corruption Bus Drivers Strike Other Stories Total

English

Kiswahili

12 16 6 4 3 71

35 26 10 7 6 64

47 42 16 11 9 135

112

148

260

Week 4: 22 - 31 August News Story

English

Zitto VS Mbowe Student Death On Fire-Idodi Sitta vs Anti-Corruption Muslim Election Guide Mbagala Blasts Others Stories

7 13 9 6 5 114

32 19 17 14 12 126

39 32 26 20 17 240

Total

154

220

374

SERENGETI ADVISERS

Kiswahili

MEDIA

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August 2009 Top 10 Stories Number of Headlines

Headlines Share (Percentage)

59 55 49 46 41 39 35 32 28 26 760

5.0 4.7 4.2 3.9 3.5 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.4 2.2 65.0

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

Top Ten Headline Stories Headline Share

TOTAL Stories

Attention Span Index 10 8 8 9 6 6 8 4 7 4

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 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 Other Stories

Attention Span Index 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

Series2

Days in the News

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

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YELLOW COUCH Aspiring Dons Irked by overemployed 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 antiprotectionism 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.

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 brokendown 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.

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

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AUGUST 2009