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Legalbrief   |   your legal news hub Monday 29 April 2024

Threat over poll on President's falling popularity

Tanzanian authorities said on Thursday they had ordered a local advocacy group to explain itself or face legal action after it published a poll showing President John Magufuli's popularity had dived by 41%. The NGO Twaweza published the results of an opinion survey on the state of democracy in Tanzania, notes a News24 report. The survey of about 1 200 people revealed citizens felt their freedoms had diminished since Magufuli took office in 2015 as a corruption-fighting ‘man of the people’. A 2016 survey by Twaweza – for which they did not draw criticism – put Magufuli's popularity rating at 96%. Their latest research said this had dropped to 55%, the lowest recorded rating for a President in the country's history. The Commission for Science and Technology acting DG Amos Nungu confirmed the contents of a letter circulating on social media, castigating Twaweza for their research. ‘You are hereby required to show cause, within seven days from the date of this letter, why appropriate legal action should not be taken against your organisation by the relevant authority,’ read the letter dated 9 July. Nungu accused Twaweza of violating ‘research procedures’ and slammed the NGO for publicising the letter. Ado Shaibu, spokesperson for the opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency, accused the government of trying to muzzle Twaweza. Since coming to power, Magufuli has been criticised by rights groups and civil society organisations over his authoritarian leadership style. Detractors say he has clamped down on opposition and freedom of expression.