Tanzania suspends Mwananchi Communications’ online platforms for 30 days

Tanzania's communications regulator has suspended the digital platforms of a local media company for allegedly publishing restricted content, adding to what human rights groups have described as a growing crackdown on press freedom.

Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said late on Wednesday it had suspended online content licences for Mwananchi Communications Ltd for 30 days, saying it had published content on October 1 that damaged the country's image.

"Mwananchi Communications Ltd published audio-visual content on its social media platforms... that has been prohibited by ... the Online Content Regulations 2020," the regulator said.

"The content has led to negative interpretations to the nation, which is affecting and disrupting unity, peace and national harmony."

It did not say what the restricted content was.

On October 1, one of Mwananchi's publications, The Citizen, published an animated video on its X and Instagram platforms depicting a woman watching a television broadcast that showed people complaining about missing or murdered relatives and friends.

In early September, the body of a senior opposition official who had been abducted from a bus by armed men was found on the outskirts of the commercial capital Dar es Salaam with signs he had been beaten and acid poured on his face, his party said.

The Citizen later deleted the video and issued a statement saying the clip, which "depicted events that raised concerns regarding the safety and security of individuals in Tanzania", had been misinterpreted.

The suspension of the company, a subsidiary of the Kenyan-based Nation Media Group (NMG), comes as Tanzania's government faces flak over its treatment of the press.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan had garnered praise in the last three years for lifting a ban on political parties' rallies and for easing media restrictions.

However, critics say recent events including a ban on some protests and the arrest of opposition leaders and journalists reflected a rollback of freedoms.

The government denies the accusations.

Mwananchi said it would comply with the suspension order.