Chairperson and Members of Mbeya Press ClubHon. Mateo Qares, Regional Commissioner of Mbeya RegionaMr. Mussa Chang’a, District Commissioner, Mbeya DistrictMr. Ulimbaka Mwatilili, President of the Union of Tanzanian Press Clubs (UTPC)Mr. Abubakar Karsan, Executive Director of the Union of Tanzanian Press Clubs Mr. Ngaiza, Executive Secretary of the Media Council repr. of Mbeya Press Club Distinguished guests,Ladies and gentlemenDear Friends,
I felt very honored to be invited as a special guest to this Annual General Meeting of the Mbeya Press Club so I accepted your invitation without hesitation as it would also give me an opportunity to see a beautiful and much praised corner of Tanzania. So it is indeed a great pleasure for me, my wife and representatives of the Swedish Embassy in Dar es Salaam to be here today and participate in this important event.
First of all I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to the members of the Mbeya Press Club on this day of its Annual Meeting. Happy Anniversary!
As you are aware, the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Sweden have an agreement on development cooperation which includes the Culture and Media Sector. The Swedish support to the Media Council of Tanzania is part of this. It started back in 1997 and the support is addressing three levels; i) Policy and Media Legislation level, ii) Independent Regulatory Level and iii) Training in Professional Journalism. Through our cooperation in the Media Sector, including a financial contribution from Sweden of some SEK 15 million (appr. TSH 2 bn), we are pleased to be associated with the following institutions and activities: now well established - The now well established Media Council,- The Union of Tanzanian Press Clubs and its more than 20 regional Press Clubs. - Media Training for many journalists, - Promotion of journalists’ net-works, - Production of the Media magazine “Media Watch” etc.. All in all, the aim is in close collaboration, to create a good and conducive environment of freedom of the press and a strong, diverse, professional and ethical media – and thereby facilitate the move towards a more democratic society, where people have access to information through vibrant media.
An important aspect of the Press Club Project is capacity building and training of journalists. Journalists have the important task of not only bringing information to the consumers of media but also analyzing developments and help in interpreting what is going on be it in the political, economical, commercial, cultural, scientific or technical areas. Journalists have to be active in their own environment. People will listen to the journalists if journalists listen to the people. It is well known that a vibrant and democratic press would thrive only when journalists maintain high standards of accuracy and credibility, and are factual by researching and knowing the subject thoroughly before writing an article or reporting. I am convinced that you members of the Mbeya Press Club have accepted the responsibility of achieving that. I wish you every success in this important endeavor!
In order to encourage the development of the media profession here in Mbeya as well as in the country as such, it is our hope that the Press Clubs shall be considered as resource canters in the regions, in raising awareness in general, be concerned with journalist matters relating to ethics, gender balance, HIV/AIDS issues etc – all based on professional standards and press freedom. The Press Clubs play a very important role as an entry point and a platform for improved professional skills.
We are pleased to note that the Government of Tanzania has adopted a new Media Policy in November last year. The Media Council played a crucial role in the development of that policy and in facilitating the inclusion of stakeholders in the process. If Sweden through the Media Support Program has contributed to this, we are even more pleased. However, I read in the Media Watch that “ there are still some media laws which need to be revisited with the aim of , among other things, protecting ethical journalists and press freedom, as well as doing away with unnecessary secrecy” (Media Watch, no.48,p.5). It is important to keep an active debate ongoing about the role of media, about democracy and development. As a close and friendly partner in development we will follow this debate and encourage the Media Council, Press Clubs, journalists and others to actively contribute.
We wish you all the best in every respect here in Mbeya Press Club – we know you are geared towards widening your social outlook and towards acquiring new and professional skills in journalism.
Again, thank you for inviting us and for the kind and friendly welcome to Mbeya and the Press Club
Asante sana