Unguja. The liquor shortage in Zanzibar is far from over, even after a court order granted relief to the three importers.
This is after the liquor board ordered the port management to prohibit the three companies from importing alcoholic beverages into Zanzibar, raising concerns about potential contempt of court.
This has left the importers frustrated after they had presumably met all the requirements, including paying the taxes and duties as ordered by the court.
In a letter that The Citizen has seen written to the chief executive officer of the Zanzibar Multi-Purpose Terminal, the chairman of the Zanzibar Liqour Control Board (ZLCB) instructs the management not to follow the supposed order.
“The Zanzibar Control and Regulatory Liquors Board would like to inform you that Scotch Store and One Stop Company and ZMMI are not allowed to import alcoholic beverages due to failure to obtain permits to import alcoholic beverages in Zanzibar,” reads the letter.
The ZLCB justifies its position by stating that the companies lack the necessary permits for 2024 and expresses its intention to appeal the court’s decision.
“Either in relation to the court order, the Zanzibar control and regulatory liquors board has expressed the intention to appeal the decisions made by the High Court of Zanzibar. With this letter, the board is asking your good office not to allow the three companies to import alcoholic beverages into Zanzibar, writes Juma Chum, the chairman of the ZLCB.
On February 19, the High Court of Zanzibar granted an injunction requested by Zanzibar Maritime and Mercantile International Co. Ltd, One Stop Company Limited, and Scotch Store Limited, restraining the ZLCB from interfering with their operations, suspending their permits, or delaying their goods.
“That the honourable Court be pleased to order the Second Respondent (ZLCB), its rincipal officer or chairman, and/or any other responsible officer, to issue appropriate import/distribution/sales licences to the applicants, pending hearing and final determination of this matter, including the pending appeal to the Minister and related judicial review proceedings,” ordered Judge Rabia Hussein Mohammed.
The judge further ordered that the applicants be allowed to continue dealing with the importation, purchase, supply, distribution, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages (subject to payment of relevant taxes) pending a hearing and a final determination of the related judicial review proceedings.
Legal experts have raised concerns that the ZLCB’s directive might be seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine the court’s order, potentially constituting contempt of court.
They emphasise the need for the board to follow legal procedures and exhaust all options within the established legal framework.
Advocate Michael Mushi, in his opinion, says the only way that the board could have handled the situation with respect to the law is by filing an appeal at a higher court.
“This is a complete disregard of the rule of law; the board was first supposed to execute the court order that was issued against them by the judge instead of writing a letter to the port authorities. This, in simple terms, is contempt of court.
In another development, The Citizen has learnt that the three importers were set to meet with government authorities today to determine the appeal that was lodged in January.
The situation in Zanzibar remains fluid. It is unclear how long the standoff between the importers and the ZLCB will last and what further actions may be taken by either party.
The potential for legal consequences adds another layer of complexity to this ongoing saga.
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
Zanzibar Airports Authority enforces Dnata monopoly
. Airlines that have not joined the Zanzibar Airports Authority’s (ZAA) preferred ground handler, Dnata, at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) face eviction from the Terminal Three building Dnata is the sole ground handler authorised to provide services for flights that operate at Terminal 3.Continue Reading
Dissecting the role of the insurance ombudsman in Tanzania
The basic purpose of an insurance plan is to provide financial security to you and your family in case of your misfortunes during the policy tenure.Continue Reading
Tanzania Declares End of Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak
Tanzania today declared the end of Marburg virus disease outbreak after recording no new cases over 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case on 28 January 2025.
The outbreak, in which two confirmed and eight probable cases were recorded (all deceased), was the second the country has experienced. Both this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred in the north-eastern Kagera region.
In response to the latest outbreak, Tanzania’s health authorities set up coordination and response systems, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, at the national and regional levels and reinforced control measures to swiftly detect cases, enhance clinical care, infection prevention as well as strengthen collaboration with communities to raise awareness and help curb further spread of the virus.
Growing expertise in public health emergency response in the African region has been crucial in mounting effective outbreak control measures. Drawing on experience from the response to the 2023 Marburg virus disease outbreak, WHO worked closely with Tanzanian health authorities to rapidly scale up key measures such as disease surveillance and trained more than 1000 frontline health workers in contact tracing, clinical care and public health risk communication. The Organization also delivered over five tonnes of essential medical supplies and equipment.
“The dedication of frontline health workers and the efforts of the national authorities and our partners have paid off,” said Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative in Tanzania. “While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak.”
Building on the momentum during the acute phase of the outbreak response, measures have been put in place to reinforce the capacity of local health facilities to respond to potential future outbreaks. WHO and partners are procuring additional laboratory supplies and other equipment for disease detection and surveillance and other critical services.
Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly. Patients present with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. They may develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
Source: allafrica.com
