Dar es Salaam. Tanzania imepanda katika viwango vya uhuru wa habari kutoka nafasi ya 143 mwaka 2023 hadi nafasi ya 97 mwaka huu.
Takwimu hizo ni kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya Taasisi ya Waandishi wa Habari wasio na Mipaka (RSF).
Hata hivyo, Serikali ya Tanzania ina kila sababu ya kuongeza nguvu ya kuwalinda waandishi wa habari dhidi ya madhila kutokana na kuongezeka dhidi yao kwa mwaka huu 2024 ukilinganisha na miaka miwili iliyopita.
Hayo ni kwa mujibu wa Katibu Mtendaji wa Baraza la Habari Tanzania (MCT), Ernest Sungura katika taarifa kwa umma aliyoitoa leo Novemba 2, 2024 katika kuadhimisha siku ya kimataifa ya kupinga ukatili dhidi ya waandishi wa habari (IDEI).
Sungura pia ni Mwenyekiti wa umoja wa haki ya kupata taarifa nchini Tanzania (CoRI) na Mtandao wa Mabaraza Huru ya Habari Afrika.
Kaulimbiu ya maadhimisho hayo mwaka huu ni ‘Usalama wa waandishi wa habari wakati wa migogoro na dharura.
Amesema kati ya mwaka 2012 hadi Oktoba 2024 waandishi wa habari 316 walipatwa na madhila nchini, 44 kwa mwaka huu pekee ikiwa ni sawa na madhila 33.
Madhila hayo amesema yanahusisha kukamatwa kwa waandishi 31, vitisho (8), kutekwa na watu wasiojulikana (1), onyo kwa vyombo vya habari (4), chombo cha habari kufungiwa (4), kipindi kukatishwa kikiwa hewani (1), kusumbuliwa (1), kunyimwa taarifa (1), uhuru wa mahakama kuingiliwa (1) na kunyang’anywa vifaa (1). Kati ya hayo amesema wanaume ni 36 na wanawake ni wanane.
Sungura amesema mwaka 2022 madhila 19 yalirekodiwa, mwaka jana (23) na mwaka huu hadi leo Novemba 2, mwaka huu (33) yamerekodiwa.
“Madhila husika ni ya waandishi wa habari kukamatwa, kupewa vitisho, vyombo vya habari kupewa onyo, kufungiwa kufanya kazi, kuingilia uhuru wa mahakama na kuahirisha kipindi kwenda hewani,” amesema.
Sungura amesema CoRI inaunga mkono mazungumzo kati ya Serikali na wadau wa habari katika kujenga mwafaka wa kukabiliana na ukatili dhidi ya waandishi wa habari hasa katika kipindi hiki cha kuelekea uchaguzi wa serikali za mitaa na Uchaguzi Mkuu mwaka 2025.
Kwa mujibu wa taarifa za ufuatiliaji za Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la Elimu, Sayansi na Utamaduni (Unesco) kuhusu ukatili dhidi ya waandishi wa habari, kiwango cha ukatili ni kikubwa.
Kati ya mwaka 2006 hadi 2024 zaidi ya waandishi 1,700 wameuawa duniani na kesi za mauaji hayo asilimia 90 hazijatatuliwa mahakamani.
“Sote tunajua umuhimu wa waandishi wa habari, hivyo ukatili dhidi yao una madhara makubwa katika kukuza na kulinda demokrasia ya kila taifa duniani,” amesema Sungura.
Amesema Mtandao wa Mabaraza Huru ya Habari Afrika (NIMCA) na CoRI, kwa pamoja yanapinga ukatili dhidi ya waandishi wa habari kote duniani.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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