This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
On June 10, Tanzania's Parliament endorsed amendments to the Basic Rights and Duties Enforcement Act, giving leaders of the three arms of government protection from being sued in their individual capacities.
The Bill, which awaits formal assent by President John Magufuli, offers immunity to the president, vice-president, prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and the chief justice.
According to the new clauses, any person aggrieved by their actions will only have the option of suing the State through the Attorney General.
Law professor Issa Shivji described the new clauses as an attempt to 'amend the Constitution through the back door' by abolishing public interest litigation and conferring sovereign immunity on top public officials.
Shivji warned that the Bill has severe implications for the rights to life, livelihood, and dignity of working people in villages and urban areas.
A coalition of Tanzanian civil society organisations has launched an online petition against the Bill, calling for strong public support against the Bill before it becomes law.
The petition, which had registered over 3,000 signatures by the time it was passed in Parliament, describes the Bill as 'poisonous to civil rights' and aimed at denying citizens the opportunity to resort to the rule of law.
