Author: BEN BAGO
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE police and journalists have agreed to work together, an arrangement that will enable the two parties to remove misunderstandings and frictions during ongoing campaigns and after the general election.
Speaking after entering into an agreement, including launching a coordination and reconciliation committee between the Police Force and the media in Dodoma at the weekend, spokesperson of the Police Force, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) David Misime said resolutions passed by the committee would enable journalists and the police to discharge their duties without friction that usually created confusion among them.
Mr Misime said various incidents of confrontation between journalists and police officers occurred where everyone wanted to fulfil their duties regardless of their boundaries and responsibilities in the circumstances.
“This agreement will enable each of us to recognise the role of the other party and to respect it so that we can all work together to inform and protect the interests of this nation,” he explained.
He urged the media to adhere to rules, regulations and laws established so that the agreement could be respected by both parties while each one fulfilled their responsibilities.
“Many times we have been crying for justice, but we have forgotten to fulfil our duties. To get justice you must also fulfil your duties – it is a two-way traffic,” he added.
He added that the agreement was not intended to please a group of people with a specific goal, but the main objective was to ensure citizens got the right information as it happened without harming anybody.
For his part, Mr Prosper Kwigize, chairman of the committee, who also serves as the chairperson of community media network of Tanzania (TADIO), said the partnership would improve the performance of journalists as they would have a safer environment to carry out their daily activities in collaboration with the Police Force.
Mr Kwigize said in the last 10 years there had been ethical challenges for journalists as well as some law enforcers, a situation that had led to tensions between the two parties.
“After seeing this for a long time to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Tanzania decided to initiate this process of change to have a strong and sustainable relationship between the Police Force and the media,” said Mr Kwigize.
He added that in various countries there were still reports of journalists being assaulted, their equipment being damaged by law enforcers and that using the partnership he believed such things won’t happen in the country.
MISA Tanzania Vice Chairman James Marenga, who is also a High Court advocate, said the institution’s intervention had started a reconciliation process to minimise complaints on both parties, especially when it came to campaign and hold an election.
“We are grateful to the Police Force (IGP) for receiving this idea positively. So, together we have prepared resolutions that will enable us to work in partnership and in harmony,” explained Mr Marenga.
Some of the resolutions proposed and approved by both parties include journalists at campaign rallies to ensure they are aware of the Police Force’s activities at campaign rallies and know how to disassociate themselves from violent groups.
The Police Force vowed to continue protecting people’s lives and their properties, including cameras and laptops owned by journalists.
In the committee the journalists are represented by the Community Media Network of Tanzania (TADIO), the Union of Media Clubs (UTPC), the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (Tamwa) and the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) under the coordination of MISA Tanzania, while Habari Maelezo also participated.
