serengeti advisers - brief media report november and december 2009

8/14/2019 Serengeti Advisers - Brief Media Report November and December 2009

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CORPORATE FINANCE

ECONOMIC & PUBLIC POLICY

MEDIA

DECEMBER 2009

The last two months of 2009 are here presented as a briefcombined report. In November, it was the unexpected meeting

between President Amani Abeid Karume and CUF SecretaryGeneral Seif Sharif Hamad that captured everyones attention.The two leaders forged a hasty if unexplained friendship which

led to CUF calling for the extension of President Karumes time in

office. In December, it was President Kikwetes performance that

came into discussion when two former ministers from previousadministrations had the temerity to criticise his government. With

the general elections not far off, a number of politicians andpundits took the opportunity to make their allegiances known.In Yellow Couch two topics come under scrutiny- the medias

contribution in the War Against Corruption, and the end-of-yearreporting slump.

MEDIA REPORT: NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2009

Headline News Analysis

In spite of attracting significant attention as sensitive politicaldevelopments the main stories in November and Decemberperfomed similarly: only 7% of the headline share and 14 days in

the news in November, and 7.1% headline share and 15 days in

the news in December. In terms of concentration, in Novemberthe press devoted 68% of its attention on stories that didnt makethe top ten- a tighter focus than in December when non-topten stories made up 75% of the headlines. In terms of length

of reporting, the press had a difficult time sticking with a storyfor more than 14 reporting days, although both the November

and December main stories developed over the course of themonth.

MainStory

After years of stalled negotiations, the two longtime rivals inZanzibari politics appear to have reconciled their differences for

what they called the stability and future of the country, Karume,

Seif hold rare talks (The Citizen, 6th November). While the move

drew plaudits, Karume, Hamad ground-breaking talks lauded(The Guardian, 7th November), some grew curious about whatwas discussed at the meeting, CUF to explain Karume Hamad

talks (The Citizen, 7th November). Others were unhappy- CUFsupporters chanted Hatutaki! Hatutaki! [We refuse! We refuse!] ata rally in Zanzibar during Mr. Hamads speech when the CUF

Secretary General announced his partys decision to recognize Mr.Karume as the legitimate President of Zanzibar, Karume-Seif

meeting sparks chaos (The Citizen, 8th November). Nevertheless,Mr. Hamad was commended by the political establishment for

his courage, Viongozi wasifu ukomavu wa Seif [Leaders praiseSeifs bravery](Uhuru, 9th November).

November: President Karumemeets with Seif Sharif Hamad

Meanwhile, President Karume issued a rallying call to his people

saying that it was time to end all the bickering in the Isles, Karume:Lets focus on building our nation (The Guardian, 11th November).

A day later President Kikwete joined the congratulatory chorus, JK

hails Karume, Hamad meeting (The African, 12th November). Asa token of their new friendship, the CUF leadership accompaniedPresident Karume to Hubert Kairuki Memorial University wherehe was to receive an honorary degree, Karume CUF dtente

taken to higher stage (Sunday News, 15th November). Afterwards,Karume call[ed] on CUF to submit names for House (TheGuardian, 16th November), seats that had been left vacant since2005 due to the opposition partys refusal to recognize him. Then

the Secretary General of the East African Community, Mr. JumaMwapachu, entered the debate by advising the two leaders to

form a coalition government, Zanzibar undeni Serikali ya Mseto[Zanzibar form a coalition government] (Habari Leo, 18th November).

With everyone in the political sphere scrambling to understand whatwas happening in Zanzibar, Rai declared: Siri ya mazungumzo hii

hapa [The secret to the talks is here] (Rai, 19th November). Accordingto Rai, the genesis of the meeting was the funeral of one ofCUFs founders, Shaaban Mloo. Elsewhere, President Karume

rallied his supporters telling them that the future of the isles was

in their hands, Karume: Waamuzi was serikali ya mseto Zanzibarni nyinyi [Karume: You will decide on coalition government](Mwananchi,23rd November). The issue of a coalition government gained

momentum after CUF laud[ed] Karume[s] remarks (The Citizen,

24th November), though some officials were less enthusiasticabout the idea, Ministers: No room for coalition govt. in Zbar

(The Citizen, 25th November).

The comments by the ministers pouring cold water on the idea

of a unity government were interpreted in some quarters as

being anti-peace, Vigogo CUF wamshukia Shamhuna, SeifKhatib [CUF leaders come down hard on Shamhuna, Seif Khatib](Majira, 26th November). As November ended Mr. Hamadsought to allay the fears of those who believe that the recent

meeting between him and President Karume was designed to

divorce the Isles from the Mainland, Seif: No Plot to kill theUnion (The Citizen, 30th November).

In another speech in Pemba, Mr. Hamad said that he had made

what he believed was the best decision for the people of the

Isles, Maalim Seif: Sijutii kumtambua Karume [Maalim Seif: Idont regret recognizing Karume] (Nipashe, 9th November). In theabsence of details of the meeting between Mr. Hamad and

President Karume, speculation about what they discussed beganto populate the headlines, with some suggesting that the twomen were preparing for a more independent future for the Isles

away from the Mainland, What are Karume and Seif up to in

Zanzibar? (The Citizen, 9th November).


2/6SERENGETI ADVISERS MEDIA NOVEMBER - DECMEBER 2009

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Methodology

The top five weekly stories and top ten stories of the month are extracted from a survey of

headlines in 17 newspapers: 5 English dailies, 2 English weeklies (one regional), 7 Kiswahili

dailies, and 3 Kiswahili weeklies. Number of headlines surveyed in November: 1114.

Number of Headlines Headlines Share (Percentage) Attention SpanIndex

Karume/Seif Talks 79 7.1 14CCM / UWT Issue 68 6.1 12

IPTL / Dowans/ Power Crisis 42 3.8 11Same Landslide 40 3.6 5PCCB Probe/Bunge Session 34 3.1 5

Richmond Scam 29 2.6 6Chadema Issues 21 1.9 5

Teachers Strike Report 19 1.7 Liyumba Trial 14 1.3 4

EAC Treaty 14 1.3 2Other Stories 754 67.7

TOTAL Stories 1114

November 2009 Top 10 Stories

Karume/Seif Talks

CCM / UWT Issue

IPTL / Dowans / Power Crisis

Same Landslide

PCCB Probe / Bunge Session

Richmond Scam

Chadema Issues

Teachers Strike Report

Liyumba Trial

EAC Treaty

Other Stories

Attention Span Index

Days in the News

Karume/Seif TalksCCM / UWT Issue

IPTL/Dowans/Power CrisisSame Landslide

PCCB Probe / Bunge SessionRichmond ScamChadema Issues

Teachers Strike ReportLiyumba Trial

EAC Treaty


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YELLOW COUCH

Is the Fourth Estate Helping

or Hindering the Fight AgainstCorruption?

The last twelve months bore witness to some of the most high

profile cases ever to come before Tanzanias courts. Things began with the External Payment Arrears (EPA) scandal coming to a

head after the police charged the affluential businessman Mr.Jeetu Patel, along with his associates, with fraudulently garneringpayments of up to Tshs133bn/ from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT)in a foreign currency compensation scheme. Then came the

arrest of Mr. Amatus Liyumba and Mr. Dawson Kweka, formersenior BoT officials, who are accused of causing a loss to theGovernment of TSh221bn/ by inflating the costs of constructingthe banks Twin Towers building at its headquarters in downtownDar es Salaam.

Looking at these trials and the process that defined them, two relatedbut paradoxical issues emerge. First, it has become increasingly clear

that the media has become an influential mobilizing force againstcorruption. Their persistent and relentless coverage of EPA, Alex

Stewart Assayers, BoT Twin Towers et al kept these issues in thepublic sphere to the extent that they compelled state authorities to

act. The dogged investigative journalism of Mwananchi providedfresh evidence in the murder case that led to the arrest of Mr.

Zombe and his associates. This work by the press has forced lawenforcement agencies to move on cases against powerful figuresthat in the past were thought to be untouchable.

It would appear that one consequence of the media attention onthese matters has been to expose the inability of state authorities

to win these cases and therefore to assure the public that the

judicial system will hold those guilty of corruption to account.The question then becomes: has the media helped anti-corruptionefforts in the country or have their forensic focus hindered theprocess?

The message state authorities were able to send through these

actions was that public officials can be held accountable for theiractions. Second, because of the high profile nature of thesecases, enormous pressure was put on prosecutors and other

state agencies to project an image of action. However, whenit came to the actual job of securing convictions against thesuspects, the reality was a lot more complicated: Mr. Liyumba

won his first case only to be re-arrested and re-charged forsimilar offenses, Mr. Zombe and his friends were acquitted ofall charges, Mr. Patels case is on hold pending a High Court

hearing, Mr. Mrambas case is ongoing though indications are

that the State lacks convincing evidence against them.

It did not stop there. Former Minister of Finance Basil

Mramba and former Minister for Energy and Minerals DanielYona along with former Permanent Secretary for the Ministry

of Finance Gray Mgonja, were taken to court for allegedlyabusing their offices and occasioning loss of money to thegovernment by according preferential treatment to M/S

Alex Stewart Assayers Government Business Corporationin procuring gold assaying services. On top of that, they arealso being charged with approving erroneous tax exemptions

and contract extensions to the same company. But the mostclosely followed trial of all and certainly the most compelling

was the murder case that involved former Assistant PoliceCommissioner Abdallah Zombe and twelve of his subordinate

officers who were tried and later acquitted of robbing andkilling four civilians.


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MainStory

Matheo Qares, a former Cabinet Minister in the Mkapaadministration and Mussa Nkangaa who served under theMwinyi administration, were both critical of President Kikwetes

performance during a discussion held as part of the Julius NyerereFoundations commemoration of Mwalimus 10th Memorial. Mr.

Nkangaa said that the ruling party has lost touch with its electoralbase of farmers and workers and is now supporting the richand big business Waziri wa Mkapa amshukia Kikwete [Mkapas Minister criticizes Kikwete] (Mwananchi, 3rd December) while Mr.Qares went so far as to suggest that President Kikwete shouldnot stand for re-election in 2010 if he cannot bring himself to

make tough decisions regarding grand corruption. The ExecutiveDirector of the Julius Nyerere Foundation, Joseph Butiku, alsogave his opinion of the dangers that arise when the President mixes

personal friendship with politics: Urais utengwe na urafiki- Butiku

[Presidency should be separated from personal relationships](Majira, 3rd December).

The Deputy Head of CCMs Department of Propaganda, Tambwe

Hiza, was quick to issue a statement rejecting the statements madeby the former ministers: CCM yawakaanga Nkangaa, Qaresi[CCM comes down on Nkangaa, Qaresi] (Mtanzania, 4th December),

CCM: Wanaotaka JK atoswe 2010 wehu [Those who want JK to standdown in 2010 are crazy] (Mwananchi, 4th December), Ni Kikwete tu[Kikwete only] (Uhuru, 5th December).

President Kikwete, who was in the Americas when the storybroke, appeared unfazed. Returning to Tanzania in high spirits hemade a relatively friendly statement, claiming that he has always

December: President Kikwetes

Leadership Under Scrutiny

The periodic celebration of Mwalimus life and achievements

in October usually results in the current President being

compared to the Father of the Nation- a figure against whomit is impossible to perform well. On the eve of next yearsgeneral elections, it is also an opportune time to start printing

opinions about President Kikwetes accomplishments or lackthereof Miaka minne ya Rais Kikwete madarakani [Four years of Kikwete in power] (Majira, 6th December), Mangula

auchambua urais wa Kikwete [ Mangula analyzes KikwetesPresidency] (Mwananchi, 7th December).

The debate is generally split between critics who say that thisadministration hasnt lived up to its campaign promises CUF

wajadili mgombea urais CCM [CUF discusses CCM presidentialcandidate] (Mwananchi, 11th December), Heri Pinda kulikoKikwete [Well take Pinda over Kikwete any day- TALGWU](Majira, 16th December) and defenders who generally try todistance the President from the discussion of government

performance Makamba ambabua Lipumba [Makamba lashesout at Lipumba] (Mtanzania, 12th December), JK anapotoshwana washauri wake [ JK is being let down by his advisers] (MajiraJumapili, 27th December).

respected freedom of expression and that unwavering supportersand unwavering opposers are part and parcel of life as a politician-

I am not surprised by criticism, says Kikwete (The African, 8thDecember), JK awajibu kina Butiku [JK responds to Butiku and co.](Habari Leo, 8th December).


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SERENGETI ADVISERS MEDIA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2009

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Methodology

The top five weekly stories and top ten stories of the month are extracted from a survey of

headlines in 17 newspapers: 5 English dailies, 2 English weeklies (one regional), 7 Kiswahili

dailies, and 3 Kiswahili weeklies. Number of headlines surveyed in December: 1087.

Number of Headlines Headlines Share (Percentage) Attention SpanIndex

Kikwete Challenges vs Leadership 76 7.0 15 TRL Strike 33 3.0 Daladala Strike vs Majembe Auction 28 2.6 9 Tanesco / Power Issues 24 2.2 6Same Bus Accidents 23 2.1 3

PCCB / DPP vs Ufisadi 20 1.8 4Kilosa Floods Hazard 19 1.7 4

Christmas Wishes 17 1.6 2Slaa vs CCM Tax Evasion 16 1.5 4Uhuru Day Celebration 15 1.4 2

Other Stories 816 75.1

TOTAL Stories 1087

December 2009 Top 10 Stories

Kikwete Challenges vs Leadership

TRL Strike

Daladala Strike vs Majembe Auction

Tanesco / Power Issues

Same Bus Accidents

PCCB / DPP vs Ufisadi

Kilosa Floods Hazard

Christmas Wishes

Slaa vs CCM Tax Evasion

Uhuru Day CelebrationOther Stories

Kikwete Challenges vs Leadership

TRL StrikeDaladala Strike vs Majembe Auction

Tanesco / Power Issues

Same Bus Accidents

PCCB / DPP vs UfisadiKilosa Floods Hazard

Christmas WishesSlaa vs CCM Tax Evasion

Uhuru Day Celebration

Days in the News

Attention Span Index


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serengeti advisers - brief media report november and december 2009

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