ENHANCING MEDIA OVERSIGHT OF THE FOREST SECTOR

THROUGH INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

AN INITIATIVE BY THE TANZANIA NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM IMPLEMENTED THROUGH ITS MAMA MISITU CAMPAIGN.

COORDINATED BY DEODTAUS MFUGALE

MEDIA CONSULTANT

SEPT – OCT 2016

1.0. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.In 2012 The Tanzania Natural Resources Forum (TNRF) embarked on a project that aimed at bringing about positive change in the forestry sector. The project was grounded on the fact that forestry does not only provide direct sources of livelihood particularly to the rural population but also makes significant contribution to the country’s economy. If rural Tanzanians were to continue benefiting from the natural resources and the country to make substantial economic gains from the sector, it was imperative that stakeholders should scale up efforts to conserve forests on one hand, and sustain livelihoods and economic gains on the other, through rational use of the resource.

It was against this backdrop that TNRF came up with the Mama Misitu Campaign, a strategy that uses communication as a strategy to institute good forest governance across the board, from the village, through district and region to the national level. Such governance would be reflected in, among other things, reduced illegal harvesting of forests and subsequent reduction of illegal trade in forest products. It was envisaged that legitimate harvesting of forests and promotion of legal trade in forest goods would ultimately increase benefits to rural communities living adjacent to forests as well as enable the government to raise revenue collection from the forestry sector.

In reaching the ultimate goal of instituting good governance in the forest sector, MMC had to raise issues that would be of interest to the public, particularly those which highlighted the importance of forest governance. It had also to solicit the support of government and its agencies at all levels- village, district, regional and national- to play their rightful role in supporting forest governance and combating forest crime through enforcement of laws, rules and regulations.

Ultimately, MMC should ensure that communities living around forests become central stakeholders and therefore participate in all activities related to forest conservation and rational utilization.

Thus it is time for these communities to effectively govern forest resources and equitably benefit from them through demand for their rights and involvement in combating illegal harvesting and trading of forest goods. They become key elements in inclusive planning, implementation and evaluation of all forest projects because since time immemorial, these communities have been the custodians of the resources, conserving and protecting them for the benefit of one generation to another.

To realise these objectives MMC partnered with the media so as to disseminate information that is packaged specifically for particular stakeholders. The idea behind was that relevant stakeholders should get information that would compel them to take action aimed at improving forest governance through taking responsibility and accountability.

Working with the media involved training individual journalists, mentoring them, evaluating their work and equipping them with investigative skills so that they are able to soldier on even when MMC pulls down the curtain.

This report serves to highlight the training conducted to journalists, how their work has helped to change some aspects of forest governance and what still remains to be done.

.INTRODUCTION

Media has been a major component of MMC since its inception in 2012. It has been the bridge to reach the public in order to send the message of forestry governance which the campaign has strived to spread. Whereas in the early stages of the project individual journalists were involved mostly in capturing stories, their participation was later refined to include the knowledge component which was found lacking in most of them. For indeed journalism is not just about reporting skills; it combines research, analysis and knowledge of the issue at hand and the skill to package that knowledge and delivered it to the intended audience.

Another change in the approach to working with the media was the shift of emphasis from the national media to local and community media. This was justified by the fact that it was presumed that local and community journalists know better the area and the people they work with so it is easy for them to visit places and meet people they want to talk to. Since most of them live close to communities that take forests for sources of their livelihoods, they would easily understand the context in which the issues are discussed.

In 2015 MMC nominated15 journalists based in Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma regions to undergo training in reporting forestry issues. The training involved both knowledge on various issues of forestry and skills in reporting the issues. The trainees comprised journalists who worked for national media outlets and those who worked for local and community media outlets. The mix was important in reaching all stakeholders: those who had access to the national media outlets and those who could only access local or community media outlets.

The focus on the southern regions was also intentional. Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma regions are among the few places in the country where most of the indigenous forests are still standing. Most of the communities in the regions are also aware of the importance of forests and in fact, some had started realising benefits long before MMC started. It was important to protect the remaining forests by creating more opportunities for communities to participate in their governance and enhance their chances of getting more benefits.

Nainokwe Village Forest. Villagers protect and conserve the forest.

While the first training stint began with 15 journalists, these were reduced to nine, following monitoring and evaluation of their work for over one year. As the project draws to a close, the six journalists including one from a national outlet, met for some soul-searching to determine the impact of their work and chart out strategies of how to soldier on without support from MMC. It was also an opportunity to sharpen their skills and establish lines of communication between each of them and their mentor as well as TNRF. Those who met during the exit session were:

Mwanja Ibadi (Lindi)….Habari Leo

Mary Sanyiwa (Mwananchi)….Mtwara

Ahmed Mmow (Raia Tanzania).. Lindi

Christopher Lilai (Mwananchi)……Lindi

Mary Mpandula (Pride FM)………Mtwara

Fatuma Maumba (ITV)……………Lindi

Bernard Lugongo (Daily News)….. Dar es Salaam.

Abdulaziz Abdulaziz ………… Lindi

Josephine Shibiriti………………Lindi

During the session, it came to light that both the journalists and TNRF have work to do in order to sustain forest governance in the three regions and beyond.

JOURNALISTS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE.

Journalists participating in basic forestry reporting

Participation of journalists in Mama Misitu Campaign was not meant exclusively to disseminate information on various issues of the forest sector. Spreading the

gospel of forest governance was not an end in itself but a means to end. The ultimate aim of ensuring that the diverse stakeholders get the word was to enable them make decisions that would lead to positive action and such decisions should have been made based on knowledge and understanding of the issues.

Thus the media through its print, TV and online outlets were groomed to be agents of change. Looking at their work and the impact it has had in the community the seven journalists observed the following changes:

a) Those who participated in the training offered by MMC and those who were serious in their field work acknowledge that the campaign has greatly raised the knowledge of journalists on various issues of the forest sector. Today journalists can comfortably talk about, among other things, the types of forests in Tanzania and their ownership and how the same are administered.

They can also now talk with confidence about the procedures which business people must follow in order to acquire permits to harvest forests and get the required licenses for trading in forest goods. They too know how illegal trade and forest crime operates as well as the roles of the central government, local governments and village governments not only protecting forests but also ensuring that communities benefit from the natural resource.

Frequent training increases journalists’ knowledge and skills

b) A good number of journalists who participated in the programme have gained new confidence and moved from doing event based stories which need no investigation and which are often superficial, to analytical and issue-based stories. The latter require seriousness on the part of the journalists and usually add value to an individual’s work.

c) There has also been a significant increase in media coverage of forestry during the project period. Whereas formerly such stories were rare, it is now common to read stories in newspapers almost after every other day. The quality of reportage has also improved.

d) Awareness of the importance of forests among communities has also risen. The rise has gone hand-in-hand with the quest to benefit from the resources, given the fact that these communities have been custodians of the natural resources for ages, conserving and protecting them for the benefit of people beyond their communities. But with implementation of MMC journalists acknowledge that communities have enjoyed and are set to enjoy more benefits as most of them have now learned how to conserve forests,

sustainable harvesting, basic business bookkeeping and how best to protect the forests.

Members of Nainokwe Village Natural Resources Committee, Kilwa District

e) Beyond forests, communities have also learned the importance of good governance. Now they can hold their leaders to account for their actions or failure to take action in order to improve the welfare of their people. Community members also compel their leaders to abide by regulations for governing and conduct their affairs in a transparent manner. The MMC campaign has also helped communities to build confidence and demand information from village government leaders as well as district council

leaders. Generally the quest for knowledge about how government is running its affairs has risen among communities, thanks, to a great extent, to the MMC.

A village Council meeting in Kikore Village, Kilwa District

f) There is a marked increase of political will to address forest and environment issues among government officials at all levels. In Kilwa District, for example, the government collaborates with civil society organisations and NGO to speed up the process for villages to own and manage forest. This is also happening in Ruangwa district where district officials are all out to help villages own and manage forests. This attitude and the subsequent action taken by government officials have relieved district councils of the burden to provide social services to forest communities. Villages can now access clean and safe water, build

classrooms and equip them with desks, build teachers’ houses and offices and provide uniforms and lunch for school-going children. The list of what villagers do from sustainable management of forests is long.

g) Increased political will has also led to the reduction of the number of checkpoints between Mtwara and Dar es Salaam, a move that MMC had long advocated. The media had also taken up the issue seriously. Recently, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa ordered the removal of at least four checkpoints in Kilwa, Rufiji, Mkuranga and Temeke districts because they were not manned properly and occasioned loss to the government. The checkpoints were also nuisance to traders in forest goods and other businesses. Along the same lines, the government agreed that signs boards be installed at the checkpoints to enlighten transporters and traders on what documents they were required to obtain before they transport forest goods. The move was well-received by traders it would curb corrupt tendencies by those who man the check points and reduce harassment of transporters and traders.

Helping drivers and traders to understand business requirements

h) On another note, many members of the business community particularly those who trade in forest goods have been able to learn rules and regulations governing the forest sector. They now understand what is required of them if they want to engage in the business and avoid conflict with law enforcers.

Through the MMC traders in forest goods at district level have been able to form associations which have given them one strong voice to address their problems and interests. While in some districts the associations draw members from only one section of the business, say timber traders, in others the association comprises members from charcoal dealers, timber dealers, traders in building poles, traders in unprocessed logs as well as owners and operators of processing plants like lathe machines. Such associations have worked well because they address the interest of traders of all forest goods. Associations in Kilwa, Rufiji, Lindi and Nachingwea, for example, acknowledge that forming these “professional bodies” would not be possible without interventions made by MMC.

Traders in timber must be transparent in their dealings.

THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Illegal harvesting of Kikore forest in Kilwa District

During their discussion journalists acknowledge that they still have quite a bit of work to do in order to meet the major goal of MMC, that of instituting a high level of forest governance among communities, government, traders and other stakeholders. These are some of the things that media need to highlight in order to bring about change and good governance.

a) One thing that needs the urgent action by the media and other stakeholders is the fight against wild fires. Although the issue has been addressed during the MMC programme there has been little success. Each year wild fires have destroyed thousands of hectares of forests in the country thus denying villagers substantial income from sale of forest products. The practice has also degraded forests, water sources and the environment in general. This has to a great extent defeated efforts to reduce poverty among rural communities as persistent wildfires also lead to soil infertility. While major cause of bushfires is clearing of farms through the slash and burn method during which farmers lose control and the fires spread far and wide, another cause is grounded in the tradition of some tribes who cause wildfires in order to determine how far “their arms can reach.” Whatever the cause of wildfires, journalists agreed to enlighten the public about its effects to communities and the country in general.

Wildfires are a national problem

b) Another area that journalists need to work in order to protect forests in that of shifting cultivation spurred by sesame farming. Farmers engaged in this type of agriculture open new farms almost after every other year, an activity that involves cutting trees and burning part of a virgin forest. Forests have fertile land which guarantees the farmers a good crop but on the other hand the practices degrades forests and at the end of the day such forests produce low quality goods, if any. Sesame farmers must be educated on the importance of using better methods that can assure them a good crop without having to engage in shifting cultivation. That is where the media and other stakeholders should come in.

Sesame farming destroys forests

c) Environment education and awareness of the importance of forest conservation is still wanting in many rural communities. The fact that new people from other parts of the country settle in these communities and new generations come up calls for stepping up awareness campaigns so that achievements recorded by the MMC are sustained.

Representatives from villages in Kilwa District participating in training on basic issues of land and forestry

d) Government has also to review operations of checkpoints to specify clearly who should be manning them. Currently VEO, WEO, village government representatives, representatives of district natural resources office, among others, man the checkpoints. This has led to confusion, corruption and misappropriation of government revenue. It is important to spell out who collects money at these points and where the money should go. Journalists would continue to highlight the issue in a bid to ensure that there is coordination and revenue collected at these points goes into government coffers.

e) While efforts to harmonise relationship between government and traders in forest products have paid dividends, more needs to be done to iron out the remaining differences between the two parties in a bid to combat illegal harvesting and trade as well as raise the forest sector’s contribution to the

country’s economy. Currently there are cases where government considers traders as criminals even when they have not committed any crime. There are cases when traders have been harassed for no reason other than being traders in forest products. This does not only stifle efforts to promote cordial relationship between the two parties but also fuels illegal trade in timber and other forest products. Journalists agreed to advocate increased participation of the business community in setting up procedures for issuance of business licenses and permits to harvest forests. They will also call for their full participation in setting up and introducing taxes, levies and other statutory payments related to trade in forest goods.

Sustainable harvesting of rare wood species

f) Among other things, MMC advocated conservation of forests and sustainable harvesting as a means of protecting species of hard wood and price wood which fetch good price in the local as well as world market. However during their discussion journalists agreed that the time is ripe for promoting other species that may not be popular among traders and consumers much as they have qualities equivalent to popular species such as mpingo, mninga and mvule. Some of them pointed out that an NGO, Mipingo Conservation and Development Initiative, based in Kilwa District has made some strides in researching tree species that could rival mninga and mvule in the local and world market. They would work with the NGO to promote these species for the benefit of rural communities and the country in general.

Villagers learning modern harvesting techniques

g) During their discussions journalists raised concern about the conflicting authorities between the district forest office and the Tanzania Forest Services Agency. Although in some districts the tow offices are cooperating, in other districts they do not work in harmony. At the end of the day traders in forest products bear the brunt as each of the two authorities strives to make its weight felt among traders. The conflict between the two has also affected village governments in their endeavor to raise business in forest products as they get different instructions form the authorities. Journalists felt the need for the central government to spell out duties and responsibilities of each authority in order to promote conservation, protection and sustainable harvesting of forests.

Illegal harvesting of forests is still a big problem

ON-GOING AGENDA FOR THE MEDIA

Following highlighting of the issues that need action from stakeholders, the journalists also identified issue which they will take up as their agenda in the continued coverage of the forestry sector. Each of them decided to focus on one issue that would produce two features as follows.

1. FATUMA MAUMBA………….Sesame shifting cultivation2. MARY MPANDULA............…...Public concern about levies and taxes

in the business of forestry products.3. MWANJA IBADI……………….Challenges in conservation of forests4. MOHAMMED MMOW……….. Impacts of unsustainable harvesting of

forests.5. CHRISTOPHER LILAI…………Promoting good governance in the

forestry sector.6. MARY SANYIWA………………Dealing with illegal harvesting and

trade of forest products.

ENSURING QUALITY OF COVERAGE

A TV journalist preparing a documentary on Nainokwe village forest

In order to set a standard of quality on the features that journalists will produce, two sessions of mentoring were carried out. The first one was conducted in Lindi after each participant had chosen a topic which he/she will cover. It was important to hold this session together so that the weak journalists could benefit from the panel discussion. The process involved identifying information that will be contained in the feature to ensure that the issue at hand is adequately covered. The panel also suggested credible sources from which the participant would get information. These included both human and documentary sources. The process was done for every topic chosen by each journalist.

The second stage of mentoring was editing features written by every journalist and explaining to them the gaps that existed and how to plug them. This is a stage that was meant to polish the products and make them acceptable to the editors and ready for publishing.

By November 15, only two of the journalists had accomplished their work while one had done half the job. The other three had not produced a single feature.

Mary Mpandula had aired two programmes on Pride FM Radio, Mtwara and Fatuma Maumba had aired two features on ITV and Clouds TV. Mwanja Ibadi had published one feature in Habari Leo newspaper. Efforts are going on to persuade the other journalists to honour their commitment. The published features have been submitted to the MMC Campaign Manager.

SUSTAINING COVERAGE OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR.

A resident of Ruhatwe in Kilwa District speaking at a village meeting

Following the systematic training on coverage of the forest sector that the group of journalists has received, it is envisaged that they will continue to write features and news stories regularly. Most of them have taken forest issues in their stride and the consultant has assured them of his support whenever they need. It is also advisable for TNRF to involve them in coverage of local and international meetings held in the country. This will keep them abreast with changes taking place in the forest sector and improve their coverage accordingly.

Deodatus Marcus Mfugale

Consultant

Dar es Salaam, November 20, 2016.