This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
As I reflect on the forthcoming Tanzania elections, I am reminded of the ruling party's self-destructive tendencies. However, my enthusiasm was short-lived, thanks to the government's latest restrictions on the media.
Just as readers were about to read my previous column, my government threw more legislation and regulations at the media, assuring us of a 'free and fair election' while stifling public discourse.
The saying 'nilichoka ghafla' aptly describes my current apathy towards our political environment. The Tanzanian media has been slowly suffocated by the state for years, and the recent surge in pace is a rude awakening.
I am left wondering how the government can use double-speak on us, as though we are children who cannot parse a political lie from a truth. The methods being used are nothing new, as seen in Cameroon's English-speaking people having their social media switched off by the state and Belarus switching off social media during elections.
The irony is that the press being shut down is the same machinery needed to legitimise a state and spread its propaganda. It is a relationship that is being attacked by the government, which seeks to mwambafy itself by undermining its own allies.
For those who underestimate the power of media, understand that communication is a fundamental part of building society. Without it, we're not living to our human potential, and modern life would be impossible. As an intrinsic part of us, communication via all media cannot be effectively silenced, but it can become corrupted into a form hostile to the powers that be.
People will find ways to communicate, whether through singing, sending smoke signals, or other means. Not all artists can be bought, and freedom will find allies as the international community cannot be cowed into silence. The drums will always beat, as long as hearts are there to beat alongside them.
