This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
On November 16, 2019, Tanzania District Commissioner Andrea Tsele announced a new directive that could put unmarried couples in the country at risk of arrest.
Speaking at a men's workshop in Ludewa Njombe region, Tsele stated that the increasing number of street children is a result of couples living together without being married.
According to Tsele, men have perfected the art of convincing women to accommodate them and then dumping them after they get pregnant.
He suggested that an arrest warrant should be issued for couples living in sin, saying, 'And some of the human beings who should be thrown behind bars are people who do not want to solemnize their relationships, yet they want to live together as husband and wife.'
It's worth noting that this directive has sparked a comparison to a recent controversy involving Tanzanian musician Diamond and his partner Tanasha, who are currently living together without being married.
