Z’bar govt lifts suspension order against journalist

An order by the Zanzibar government suspending a journalist in the Isles to practice for six months has been lifted.

Talib Ussi Hamad, who reports for  Tanzania Daima daily newspaper is now free  to work again and when asked for his  reaction following the rescinding of the suspension order, he  said he was elated that now he can work and earn income.

The letter lifting the order for suspension was signed by the Director of the Zanzibar Information Department Dr.Juma Mohamed Salum.

The letter dated August 3, 2020 stated “you have been permitted to continue working as a journalist in accordance to the Newspaper, Publications and Agents  Act No. 5 of 1988 and its amendments No. 8 of 1997.”

“By this letter, the department revokes its earlier decision given through  a letter with reference no IHM/WH32/1/VOL.IV/40 of 20/4/2020”, the letter said.

Hamad was suspended for what the authorities claimed that he had flouted professional ethics.

He is alleged to have released information on a COVID-19 patient without the consent of the patient contrary to medical ethics.

Hamad said he was pressed to apologize after he had reported the information about the patient but he declined on the grounds that the information was in public interest.

He also said that he had filed a case at the Zanzibar High Court on July 3, protesting for not being afforded opportunity to respond before he was suspended.

The government was expected to respond in court on August 4, 2020 but instead he received the letter allowing him to resume working.

When he was suspended, the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) appealed for the lifting of the order to let him practice his profession.

Hamad’s suspension is lifted while the newspaper he was contributing to – Tanzania Daima, is not in the market after its licence was revoked by the Registrar of Newspaper at the Information Department in Tanzania (Mainland) on allegations of breaching professional ethics.

Hamad has, however, expressed hope that the newspaper may start operating again before the General Election slated for October 2020.