Media coverage on the run-up to the 2010 General Election marked a complete departure from past coverage both in terms of form and content.
In terms of form, during the run-up to the 2005, candidates vying for the Union presidency, parliamentary and councillorship heavily depended on the media for their election campaigns.
One can therefore rightly say that there was only one major form of the media (print and electronic) through which all candidates depended on for plying their political wares, namely, their election campaigns and their parties’ Election Manifestos.
However, in the run-up to the 2010 General Election, the way candidates conducted their election campaigns changed quite considerably.
Apart from continued use of the mass media, this time candidates transformed themselves into players by opening their own blogs and making full use of social media-Facebook and Twitters.
For instance, two presidential candidates, the CCM Chairman, Mr Jakaya Kikwete and the Chadema Secretary General, Dr Wilibrod Slaa opened their own websites which they used in their election campaigns.
The main motive behind the two presidential candidates’ decision to make use of website was to capture the youth, among the electorate, which according to the Integrated Labour Force Survey (ILFS), 2001, is 65 percent of Tanzania’s labour force.
Therefore websites, blogs, facebook and twitters were new forms of communications resorted to by Tanzania’s election candidates and reflected changes in the conduct of election campaigns.
In fact, if what transpired in the 2010 general election is anything to go by, political parties would in future be expected to work extremely hard if they want to be taken seriously by the electorate.
And in terms of new communication technology, for the first time in the country’s history, some political parties were able to reach a villager in the remotest part of the country through his mobile phone.
Mobile phones helped, during election campaign to break communication barriers that had hitherto existed between political parties and the electorate.
However, the only drawback, as far as the use of mobile phones is concerned, was in terms of content in which in some messages, the spreading of hate text messages was done.
And if the foregoing is not taken care of by the government in future General Elections, Tanzania is likely to slip into another Kenya or Rwanda.
For instance, on October 24th 2010, at 14:51:39 hours, the author’s mobile phone was invaded by the following hate text message (sent through mobile phone number +25570781639) which read:
‘CHADEMA have implemented their promise of spilling blood. The day before yesterday, they killed a relative of a Maswa parliamentary candidate. A member of Dr Slaa’s campaign has been arrested in connection with the killing. Let us reject CHADEMA. They are blood thirsty.’
The foregoing message was apparently related to the killing of the driver of the Maswa CCM parliamentary candidate.
A number of arrests were made by the police who widen their net by arresting the Chadema parliamentary candidate, Mr John Shibuda.
However, the former CCM member of parliament in the immediate past parliament was later released after the police found out that he was not, in any way, involved in the incident.
On the eve of the General Election on October 30, 2010, at 22:49:09 hours, the author’s mobile phone was once again invaded by another text message (through handset number +255685621831), which read as follows:
‘Before you cast your vote for Kikwete tomorrow, ask yourself the following questions; is your life better? Have EPA thieves been apprehended? Has he (Kikwete) told you the names of those who have returned EPA loot? What steps has he taken against those who returned the money? If you are an employee, has he told you that he needs your vote? Do you know what the future holds for Kigamboni? Out of the two million promised jobs, have you secured one? Have employees of the defunct East African Community been paid their terminal benefits? Do you know the where-about of the grave of our fellow Tanzanian Daud Balali? And why is JK fearful of debate?’
Unlike the first text message which carried dangerous, unsubstantiated allegations, the second one had a completely different tone, directing its questions to well known issues which were somewhat relevant to the election campaign.
Writing on the hateful text messages, a privately owned English daily, The Guardian on Sunday of October 17, 2010 (ISSN 1821-6196 No. 0177) of October 17, 2010 with a front page lead story that read; Revealed: Kingpin behind ‘hateful’ text messages, had this to say:
The hateful text messages were circulated throughout the country from mobile phone numbers registered in Finland.
The paper further wrote that the hateful text messages were part of a smear election campaign carried out by a local information technology (IT) specialist operating on the fifth floor of the Barclays House located in Dar es Salaam city’s business district.
According to the English weekly paper, renowned for investigative pieces, it had taken communication experts from Finland and Tanzania to get the suspect.
However, what is interesting is that to date both the police and the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA), have said nothing about the suspect!
This is strange because in the same issue in which The Guardian on Sunday had carried a line to the effect that police and TCRA were still investigating those behind the SMS hate messages, it also carried the name and email address of the person it alleged it had zeroed in as a suspect.
It does not therefore make sense for institutions like the police and the TCRA which have both financial and elaborate investigating machinery to lag behind a newspaper in an investigation related criminal act.
In the traditional media, the local media played a stronger role in the run-up to the 2010 General Election compared to the previous elections.
Generally, the local media was divided into three parts, in terms of orientation, in their coverage of election campaigns- namely pro the ruling party, CCM, pro opposition parties and impartial to the proceedings.
In the electronic media, the state owned, Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) television stood above the rest, in terms of impartiality, when it afforded all political parties across the board equal access to its small silver screen.
In fact, nothing gave the TBC television kudos more than its exciting and imaginative programme, Mchakato Mjaimboni (election debates).
Unfortunately, in the end the programme led to erroneous public conclusion which will, for a long time to come, continue to trouble the government.
It all happened when the end of the elections culminated in what in the eyes of the general public was ‘forced exit’ of the TBC’s Director General, Mr Tido Mhando.
Although Mr Mhando’s departure was reported to have actually coincided by the expiry of his contract, but the fact that Mr Mhando had maintained mchakato majimboni programme even after the ruling party had directed its candidates against taking part in the debate was linked to it.
During the popular programme, opposition parliamentary candidates had the opportunity to explain to the electorate their parties’ manifestos and what they would do if they were elected.
Other private television stations such as ITV, Star Television, Channel Ten (Dar es Salaam Television-DTV) equally played a major role during the period under review.
Unlike in the 2005 General Elections, opposition parties had no complaint this time around over provision of space in public and private local television channels for their views during election campaigns.
For instance, the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), which had in the past bitterly complained over coverage by the country’s electronic media said apart from the TBC (television and radio), its election campaigns were also well covered by the DTV’s Channel Ten.
However, when all is said and done, probably nothing provided more excitement and an insight into the sorry state of some of the country’s media on the coverage of the 2010 election campaigns than the print media.
Although both the government and the CCM have their own newspapers as represented by The Daily News/Habari Leo and Uhuru/Mzalendo respectively, however, some privately owned newspapers were more inclined, in their reporting, to the government and the ruling party than the latter’s own mouthpieces!
What was more unfortunate was the content of some of the print media which fell short not only of journalistic principles and ethics, but was not different, both in content, from what was published by Rwandan papers, hence leading the country’s genocide in 1994.
For instance, a Kiswahili weekly, Sauti Huru, established over two years ago, issue number 103 of October 06-12, 2010, in its page one lead story headed: Chadema wapanga vurugu, (Chadema are planning chaos) wrote that the opposition party had the following plans:
· To invade radio stations and announce Dr Slaa as the winner of the Presidential election
· That Dr Slaa had issued statements which mock the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces, TPDF.
Reading the foregoing headline and summary of the story, it is indisputable that the Kiswahili weekly wrote very serious allegations against the opposition party and its leadership.
However, what is unfortunate about the story is that going through it one does not find a single credible source and this is certainly very serious given the gravity of the allegations.
Unfortunately, what is raised by the paper against the opposition party and its leadership could easily lead to a conflict between the opposition party on one hand and the government and the TPDF on the other with dire consequences for the nation.
In another paper’s issue number 105 of October 20-26, 2010, which had the following headline: JK asukiwa hujuma nzito (Plans to sabotage JK underway), the Kiswahili weekly wrote the following:
· That the objective was to derail Mr Kikwete’s election campaign so that he is not re-elected in 2010
· Religious institutions and civil society organizations are involved in the sinister plot
· That names of those involved in the plot are known to the Kiswahili weekly
The lead story was accompanied by a picture of the Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Media Women Association, Tamwa, Ms Ananilea Nkya, the Executive Director of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, (MNF), Mr Joseph Butiku and the Lutheran Church Bishop, Alex Malususa.
The Kiswahili weekly went on to carry the names of two people whom it identified as leaders of the plot.
What was however, very serious about this story was that it had no sources for the story apart from the author of the story claiming, here and there in the text to have been informed by impeccable sources.
And like the story in the first paper, the publication of this story accompanied with the said pictures could easily lead to conflict between President Kikwete and those mentioned by the paper as being behind the sinister plot.
One would have expected that such serious allegations that had a bearing on the country’s security would have seen security organs taking over the issue.
Interestingly, nothing happened and this raises more question than answers especially when one comes across question marks being raised against publications that published stories that could not in any way be compared to the foregoing example!
The Daily News’ otherwise impartial and commendable job was laid to waste through its issue number 10,165 of September 23rd 2010 that had carried an editorial with the heading: Leave Daily News out of that hopeless adventurism, please
In the said editorial, the paper’s Group Managing Editor had sought to distance his paper from claims made by a Kiswahili paper to the effect that The Daily News’ Online pollster had showed Dr Slaa to have overtaken President Kikwete in popularity.
Had the editorial maintained its dispute on the paper’s claim on the pollster, it would not have raised the dust it raised.
However, the problem arose on its conclusion which read:
“And the truth is that Dr Wilibrod Slaa will not be the fifth President of Tanzania.
The Chadema candidate has a lot of issues to settle beginning at family level, from which he will need to practice leadership upwards.
He will indeed, garner some votes in October, just like Augustine Mrema in 1995, but that will be it, and the media behind the former priest can quote us on that.”
It was unnecessary for the Editor to drag in the name of Chadema’s presidential candidate in the argument because the poor man had nothing to do with what the Kiswahili paper is alleged to have written.
By dragging in Dr Slaa’s name in the editorial in the manner that the Editor did, he unfortunately cast the government paper, which was supposed to be impartial, in a different light, that it was inclined to the ruling party.
It was thus not surprising that immediately The Daily News editorial was published, many people called on the government to force the Editor into resignation or sack him.
Unfortunately for the Daily News, its controversial editorial would not be laid to rest.
For the editorial was once again raised by The Guardian on Sunday issue number 0175 under the headline: NEC on ‘Daily News’ editorial controversy, with a sub-heading that ran: We respond only to formal complaints.
The English weekly quoted the National Election Commission (NEC), Director of Elections, Mr Rajab Kiravu as saying: “Since NEC, government and political parties are signatories to the Election code of conduct my main duty is to enforce the document”.
Mr Kiravu was further quoted by the English weekly as saying that NEC could only take appropriate actions only if a complaint is lodged by the aggrieved parties.
Most of the print media were criticized by critical readers and political analysts for concentrating on the candidates’ personal lives rather than issues.
For instance, one of the often mentioned about personal issues was related to Dr Slaa’s alleged adultery case which a number of private and public print media harped on as election campaigns gathered momentum.
The Daily News, just like its sister paper, Habari Leo, carried the story four times, three times in September and once in October, 2010.
The first time the Daily News carried the story which was headed: Slaa faces 1bn/- suit over concubine, was in its issue number 10,153 of September 7th 2010.
The concubine story occupied the second lead in the paper’s first page with the first lead also going to the opposition party under the headline: Chadema petition thrown out.
The petition was related to a suit that had been filed by Chadema in the High Court seeking disqualification of President Kikwete on account of violating election timeframe.
And as can be noted from two stories, both of them were negative to the opposition party, coming as they did during the election campaign.
In the story, The Daily News wrote: ‘Mr Aminiel Chediel Mahimbo who claims to be the husband of Ms Josephine Mushumbusi, the woman at the centre of a “marriage” dispute involving Chadema Union Presidential candidate, Dr Wilibrod Slaa is today expected to file a suit at the High Court demanding 1bn/- compensation from the presidential hopeful’.
The English daily quoted Dr Slaa, in the same story, as saying that the objective of the suit was to derail him (Dr Slaa) from concentrating on the campaign trail and blamed the ruling party (CCM) for what he claimed to be a foul play.
After publication of the first story, the Daily News went on to publish three such stories, two in September and the last one in October.
The second story under the heading: ‘Dr Slaa sued over woman companion’ was published on issue number 10,154 of September 8th 2010; the third story under the heading: ‘Slaa summoned in adultery case’ was published on issue number 1587 of September 18th 2010; and the last story under the headline: ‘Slaa’s adultery case Oct. 15’ was published on issue number 10,174 of October 6th 2010.
What is perhaps interesting about the four Slaa stories was their placement in the paper, in the first page of the Daily News.
The first story to be published, was given the second lead, the second story also took the same spot-second lead. However, the third story was given the first lead and the last story took the second lead.
The other Kiswahili weekly which carried very controversial stories during the period under review was MwanaHalisi.
For instance, in its issue number 212 of October 27th to November 3rd 2010, with a first page lead story headed: Wizi wa kura huu hapa, (here are vote thefts), the Kiswahili weekly alleged that the ruling party, CCM, had provided the NEC with information technology experts who would help the commission in rigging the election.
The paper said it had contacted one of Chadema’s lawyers, Mr Mabere Marando on the issue and the latter had said he had also heard about the allegation.
However, the paper said efforts to get the NEC Director of Elections, Mr Rajab Kiravu to comment on the issue had failed after he told them he was on his way to Zanzibar and that he would be able to comment on his return on Wednesday.
The million dollar question is why did the paper proceed to publish the story without the comment of the main player in the story, Mr Kiravu, who had not refused to comment but had asked the interview to be postponed to another day?
Given the seriousness of the allegation, it would have been fair for MwanaHalisi editor to shelve the story until he had the response from Mr Kiravu.
In the course of the election campaign, the government through its Registrar of Newspapers issued stern warning over writing and publishing of what it described as inciting articles to four newspapers, one Kiswahili daily, Mwananchi, and three Kiswahili weeklies, MwanaHalisi, Sauti Huru and An-Nuur respectively.
One of the most interesting developments which turned out into another major stain on the country’s journalism was when a number of newspapers agreed to carry CCM’s advertisement in the form of jackets, covering their front and back pages.
The jackets which were in CCM’s green colours along with its logo were emblazoned with words: Elect CCM, Elect Kikwete.
Some of the newspapers which turned down the advertisement because, in its management’s words, conflicted with its editorial policy were newspapers published by Mwananchi Communications Limited, MCL, Mwananchi and The Citizens.
However, the rest bowed in and carried the lucrative advertisement, worth 8m/-), which interestingly, were carried on the day when newspapers in the country were supposed to be carrying the day’s big story, the official launching of Chadema’s election campaigns.
The opposition party’s launch at Jangwani playing field was done on a Saturday, August 28th 2010, and the big story was supposed to have been published on the following day, Sunday 29th 2010.
In an editorialized brief story on the macabre incident, a Kiswahili weekly, Raia Mwema, issue number 149 of September 1-7, 2010 questioned the decision by some newspapers to accept the ruling party’s advertisement in the form of jackets which covered, in the process, their lead stories in their first pages.
Unfortunately, the ‘jackets advertisement’ was not the last incident to be witnessed by Tanzanians.
For in the last week of August, 2010, reporters from a number of media houses wore CCM jackets and baseball caps emblazoned with words: Kikwete Press.
Commenting on the issue, a veteran journalist, Mr Morice Maunya writing for an English investigative weekly, THISDAY of September 6-12, 2010 wondered if such journalists who had identified themselves with the ruling party, through their dressing, would have been able to cover election campaigns of other political parties.
In conclusion, much as the run-up to the 2010 general election was well covered by the media, however, there were also numerous instances that put journalism in disrepute.
There is therefore a dire need on the part of both the Registrar of Newspapers and the Media Council of Tanzania to take deliberate steps in ensuring that both publishers and editors stick to their editorial policies and professional ethics lest the country is thrown into another Rwanda.
For instance, most of the newspapers which have deviated from professional ethics show that their editors are not the same people designated as editors when the newspapers were registered by the Registrar of Newspapers.
More often than not, after registration of the newspapers, people who have hardly trained and practiced as journalist take over as editors.
The Registrar of Newspapers also ought to be blamed for taking selective measures against wayward newspapers.
Experience show that some of the newspapers which should have been closed by the Registrar a long time ago on account of the nature of stories they have been publishing have been treated with a kid’s glove.
ACROYNM:
1. Chama cha Mapinduzi-CCM
2. Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo-Chadema
3. Civic United Front-CUF
4. External Payment Arrears Account-EPA
5. Dar es Salaam Television-DTV
6. Information Technology-IT
7. Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority-TCRA
8. Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation-TBC
9. Media Council of Tanzania-MCT
10. Independent Television-ITV
11. Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces-TPDF
12. Tanzania Media Women Association-TAMWA
13. Mwananchi Communications Limited-MCL
14. Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation-MNF
15. National Election Commission-NEC
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
(a) Raia Mwema, (ISSN 1821-6250) issue number 149, of September 1-7, 2010
(b) The Guardian on Sunday, (ISSN1821-6196), issue number 0175
(c) The Guardian on Sunday, (ISSN1821-6196), issue number 0176, of October 10th 2010
(d) The Daily News, (ISSN 0856-3812), issue number 10,165, of September 23. 2010
(e) The Daily News, (ISSN 0856-3812), issue number 10,153, of September 7th 2010
(f) The Daily News, (ISSN 0856-3812, issue number 10,154, of September 8th 2010
(g) The Daily News, (ISSN 0856-3807), issue number 1587, of September 18th 2010
(h) The Daily News, (ISSN 0856-3812), issue number 10,174, of October 6th 2010
(i) Sauti Huru, (ISSN 1821-6897), issue number105, of October 20th to 26th 2010
(j) MwanaHalisi, (ISSN 1821-5432), issue number 212, of October 27th to November 3rd 2010
By Attilio Tagalile
