The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) has donated safety jackets to members of the Journalists Workers Union of Tanzania (JOWUTA), urging President Samia Suluhu Hassan to champion political reconciliation as the country heads toward the next General Election.
The handover took place yesterday at Mbezi Garden Hotel in Dar es Salaam during a nationwide training session for journalists, organized by THRDC to enhance election reporting and safety awareness.
THRDC National Coordinator, Advocate Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa, emphasized the importance of safety for journalists, urging them to wear the jackets while on duty particularly during the election period to enhance their visibility and reduce the risk of targeted attacks.
“Journalists are among the frontline defenders of human rights. They must be protected while carrying out their duties,” he stated.
Ole Ngurumwa noted that THRDC, in collaboration with JOWUTA, MISA-Tanzania, the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC), and the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), is committed to ensuring safe working conditions for journalists across the country.
He encouraged media professionals to use their platforms responsibly and contribute to informed public participation during the election.
“This is the time for media houses to increase electoral debates, in-depth stories, and analyses to educate citizens, rather than spending valuable airtime on gambling, sports gossip, and celebrity antics,” he said.
In a strong appeal, Ole Ngurumwa called on President Samia to take concrete steps toward restoring political dialogue and national unity.
“We earnestly urge our President to revive political reconciliation. The current political climate is not healthy for our country as we approach the general election,” he added.
He also condemned recent incidents of human rights violations, including the attack on Father Charles Kitime, Secretary General of the Council of Bishops, and the abduction of CHADEMA activist Saidi Nyangali, popularly known as Mdude.
During the training, Constitution Forum Chairperson Deusi Kibamba, journalist Jesse Kwayu, UTPC Executive Director Kenneth Simbaya, and Advocate Paul Kisabo all called on journalists to uphold professional ethics and remain committed to the national interest.
Kibamba pointed out that many media outlets have yet to fully take up the responsibility of educating the public on critical national issues, including the right to free and fair elections.
Advocate Kisabo reminded journalists of key legal provisions and electoral regulations that may pose challenges to media freedom such as restrictions on covering disqualified candidates or election observers speaking to the media without permission from the electoral commission.
JOWUTA Chairperson Mussa Juma emphasized the need for constructive dialogue between media institutions and the Independent National Electoral Commission to address challenges within the existing regulatory framework.
“Several electoral regulations restrict journalistic freedom, and many journalists are not fully aware of their implications,” he noted.
Juma also thanked THRDC for its continued partnership with JOWUTA in organizing trainings on election reporting and safety measures, including the distribution of safety jackets.
“In collaboration with THRDC and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), we’ve trained journalists in regions including Morogoro, Dar es Salaam, Coast, Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Manyara. We are now preparing for the second phase,” he said.
He called on other organizations to join forces with JOWUTA in building the capacity of journalists nationwide including training on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in election reporting.