Ridhiwani Kikwete Akanusha Madai Dhidi Yake

Ridhiwani Kikwete

Ndugu zangu habari za wikiendi. Yapo mambo machache ningependa kuwashirikisha ili kuweka kumbukumbu sawa na pia kuzuia upotoshaji ambao unaweza kujitokeza siku za usoni iwe kwangu, kwako au kwa mtu mwingine.

Mojawapo ya mambo makubwa ambayo yamejitokeza siku za karibuni hasa katika suala la Teknolojia na habari ni jambo la sheria za faragha (privacy and privacy lawas). Tumeshuhudia kufungwa kwa gazeti za News of The World, mali ya bilionea Rupert Murdoch wa Kimarekani baada ya kudhihirika alitumia wataalam wa teknolojia (hackers) kutafuta siri za watu mashuhuri kwa kuingia katika simu zao za mkononi kinyume cha utaratibu na sheria za faragha (Privacy Laws). Tumeshuhudia pia wahalifu hao hao wa mtandao wakifanya mengi kama kuvamia kwa mitandao ya makampuni makubwa kama Sony na mengineyo na hata katika mitandao hii ya kijamii upo wakati marafiki zako wanakwambia mbona umenitumia kitu kisichoeleweka, na baadaye kuja kugundua kwamba si wewe uliyefanya hivyo.

Tarehe 1, 8 na 9 mwezi huu wa Machi nilikuwa Dar es Salaam kwa shughuli zangu za kawaida kimaisha lakini ziko updates 5 zilifanyika hapa moja ikimhusu ndugu Absalom Kibanda. Ni ajabu kwamba baadhi ya waandishi tena waliojivika taji la usahihi katika uandishi waliiandika habari hiyo bila hata kuniuliza kwamba ni nini kinatokea. Tunajitahitahidi na kutamani kuwa na Taifa la waandishi makini na wenye kufuata maadili lakini wapo wanaoturudisha nyuma. Ni ajabu gazeti kuandika jambo lisilo la kweli huku wahusika wakiwa na kila uwezo wa kumfikia yule wanayedhani kwamba ameandika na kumhoji ili kuhakiki habari. Kazi ya uhariri ni kuhakiki. Ikiwa mtu atakimbilia kuandika jambo likuhusulo ambalo hana hakika nalo na alikuwa na kila uwezo wa kuwasiliana na wewe na kukuuliza lazima utajiuliza maswali mengi. Kwanza: Nini hasa lengo lake na pili ufahamu wake wa kile anachokifanya kwa maana ya taaluma yake katika kazi anayoifanya.

Napenda kuwaambia kwamba katika tarehe tarehe hizo mwezi huu wa Machi, wahalifu wa mtandao wakiwa eneo la Njiro na baadaye Kijenge mjini Arusha (Kila post ilionyesha eneo ilipotoka), (wakati huo mimi nikiwa Dar es Salaam) waliingia bila idhini kwa njia haramu (Hacking) katika anuani yangu ya Facebook na ku-post habari hizo tano. Sasa nimeliacha jambo hilo katika vyombo stahiki vya ulinzi na usalama ili kufuatiliwa kadiri ya taratibu zao.

Natoa wito kwa ndugu zangu waandishi kujitahidi kuhakiki habari kabla ya kuzipeleka katika vyombo vyao. Hii itasaidia 1. Wao kujenga heshima mbele ya jamii 2. Kufikisha kile hasa ambacho ni habari 3. Kuzuia mikanganganyiko isiyo ya lazima. Haya yakizingatiwa nadhani hata sintofahamu hizi za uandishi wa habari unaotokana na hisia na  vyanzo vumbi na  ufahamu mdogo wa jambo utaondoka na tutakuwa na jamii ambayo haki na uwajibikikaji wa wanahabari kwa jamii utaonekana kutendeka

Niombe radhi kwa ndugu yangu, rafiki yangu na pia mwalimu wangu, Ndugu Absalom Kibanda kwa usumbufu wowote uliojitokeza ambao naamini watu wasio na nia njema walitaka kuutumia kuleta hisia tofauti katika jamii na pia kumpa pole kwa mara nyingine tena kwa maumivu yaliyosababishwa na ujangili huo. Namuombea kwa Mungu ampe unafuu mapema zaidi ili arudi katika meza yake kuendeleze harakati za kupambana na mchango wake katika kuleta maendeleo ya kweli kwa nchi yetu. Pili, pole pia kwa wote ambao kwa namna moja au nyengine walikwazwa na uzushi huo, kwa kuwa sina tatizo lolote na Bwana Kibanda na wala nisingependa lililomtokea limtokee yeye wala mtu mwengine yeyote.

Ni imani yangu ya dhati kwamba vyombo husika katika nchi yetu havitasita kulitalifanyia kazi jambo hili na ukweli juu ya nini kimemtokea Bwana Absalom Kibanda utajulikana na kuwekwa bayana.


Mwisho, shukrani kwa wote mlionipigia simu kuhusu hili, tuko pamoja na nawatakia kila la kheri katika shughuli za ujenzi wa Taifa letu hili la Tanzania ambalo msingi wake umejengwa katika haki, umoja, amani na kujali hali za watu wake.

Asanteni sana.

Ndugu yenu,
Ridhiwani Kikwete,
Jumapili Machi 17, 2013.

Tanzanian Journalist Absalom Kibanda Sent to S.A. for Treatment

From THE CITIZEN NEWSPAPER, TANZANIA

By Abela Msikula


The Citizen CorrespondentDar es Salaam.

Tanzanian Vice President Mohamed Gharib Bilal Visits the Injured Mr. Kibanda

As the manhunt for the two individuals who violently assaulted seasoned journalist Absalom Kibanda Tuesday night moves into higher gear, the firebrand chairman of Tanzania Editor’s Forum (TEF) has had to be flown to South Africa for specialised medical care. The journalist, who is also the group managing editor for New Habari Corporation, was grievously wounded following a vicious attack as he came home from work right outside his house at Mbezi Juu in Dar es Salaam. He suffered serious injuries to his left eye. His assailants also knocked several teeth off him and hacked off a finger on his left hand. Just before he was flown out, the TEF chair told local reporters he believes the incident has something to do with his work as a journalist.

After the incident, Mr Kibanda was rushed to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH)’s Orthopaedic Institute (Moi), where doctors referred him to a South Africa hospital for further treatment.

The Citizen witnessed him being airlifted at Julius Nyerere International Airport. He left aboard Flight Link around 4pm.

Following these brutal events, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Said Mwema, has assigned four detectives from the Police Force headquarters to beef up investigations into what happened that fateful night, but no arrests had been made when we went to press yesterday.

However, Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander, Mr Suleiman Kova, and Kinondoni Regional Police Commander, Mr Charles Kenyela, said they had formed a joint investigation team to look into the matter.

A statement by minister of Home Affairs Emmanuel Nchimbi said IGP Mwema’s decision is meant “to increase efficiency.” At JNIA, Mr Kibanda shared the harrowing details of Tuesday’s events with the local press.

“I was approaching the gate of my home at midnight. While I was waiting for my gate keeper to open it, two people approached my car and smashed the window screen.”He went on: “As I was trying to escape through the passenger’s door, they grabbed me and began hitting me.” The assailants, he said, attacked him with heavy tools and sharp metals.

“I heard the third person who was off my sight encouraging his colleagues to shoot and finish me…but the two were resisting. An interesting thing is that, they were addressing each other by a title ‘afande’[literally translates ‘Sir’] normally used by police officers,” he noted.

He said when the gatekeeper opened the gate and saw what was happening, he called for help, and the attackers fled.Dr Nchimbi’s statement said Mr Kibanda was found about 30 metres from his car. Nothing was taken from him despite the fact that he had two cellphones and a laptop in his vehicle.

He becomes the fifth journalist to be attacked within the past six months. Two journalists were killed and three others were seriously harmed during this short period.

In September last year TV reporter David Mwangosi was killed by the police in Iringa as he covered a political rally. In January this year Issa Ngumba – a Kakonko-based correspondent with Radio Kwizera –was found dead in the forest with bullet wounds in his body.

Last November, an editor working with Business Times Limited, Mr Mnaku Mbani, was shot and seriously injured by suspected robbers who were attempting to hijack the vehicle he had hired for the day. The following month Shabaan Matutu, a journalist with Free Media Group, was shot in his home by the police in what law enforcement called ‘a case of mistaken identity.’

Mr Kibanda was scheduled to appear in court yesterday as part of an ongoing treason case against him and two others: former group managing editor for Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) Theophil Makunga and Tanzania Daima columnist Samson Mwigamba.

They are alleged to have published a “seditious” article in 2011. Following this violent assault on Mr Kibanda, the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court adjourned the case to March 26.

(Additional reporting by Rosina John and Bernard Lugongo)

Local journalists help carry TEF chairperson Absalom Kibanda onto his SA-bound medical flight after he was violently assaulted outside his home in Dar Tuesday night. PHOTO
BY FIDELIS FELIX

Mhariri Absalom Kibanda Ajeruhiwa Vibaya

Nimepokea kwa E-mail:

Mhariri Absalom Kibanda

Mwenyekiti wa Jukwaa la Wahariri Tanzania (TEF), Atekwa na Kujeruhiwa


Kwa ufupi

“Nilifika nyumbani kwangu kama saa sita usiku nikitokea kazini na nilipofika kwenye lango la kuingia ndani nilipiga honi ili mlinzi anifungulie. Lakini ghafla nilivamiwa na kundi la watu

Mwenyekiti wa Jukwaa la Wahariri Tanzania (TEF), Absalom Kibanda ametekwa na watu wasiofahamika na kisha kumjeruhi vibaya kwa nondo, mapanga na kisha kumng’oa meno, kucha na kumharibu jicho la kushoto.

Tukio hilo la kinyama linafanana kwa kiasi fulani na lile la alilofanyiwa Mwenyekiti wa Chama cha Madaktari Tanzania, Stephen Ulimboka.

Tukio hilo la kusikitisha lilitokea juzi usiku wakati Kibanda akirejea nyumbani kwake Goba Punguni, Kata ya Mbezi Juu, kutoka kazini.

Tayari mwandishi huyo mkongwe wa habari, amesafirishwa jana kwenda Afrika Kusini kwa matibabu zaidi. Aliondoka jana akisindikizwa na daktari kutoka Taasisi ya Mifupa Muhimu (Moi).

Mkasa Wenyewe

Akizungumza kwa tabu alipokuwa katika chumba cha wagonjwa wanaohitaji uangalizi maalumu (ICU), hospitalini Moi, Kibanda ambaye pia ni Mhariri Mtendaji wa New Habari (2006), alisema:

“Nilifika nyumbani kwangu kama saa sita usiku nikitokea kazini na nilipofika kwenye lango la kuingia ndani nilipiga honi ili mlinzi anifungulie. Lakini ghafla nilivamiwa na kundi la watu ambao walivunja kioo cha gari langu upande niliokuwa nimekaa. Nilitokea kupitia mlango wa abiria lakini sikuweza kuwakimbia watu wale kwani walinikamata na kuanza kunishambulia kwa vitu vizito.”

“Baada ya kutoka kwenye gari, nahisi nilikanyaga sehemu mbaya, nikateleza na kuanguka wakanifuata...niliona kama watu watatu hivi wakaanza kunishambulia. Sikuwa nafahamu kilichojiri, lakini nilisikia mwingine akimwambia mwenzake afande ‘mshuti... mshuti’ huyo alipoelekeza mtutu na kujaribu ‘kushuti’ (kupiga risasi) ilikuwa kama vile imegoma.

“Nikiwa bado niko chini, wakanipiga kwa kitu cha ncha kali kwenye jicho la kushoto, wakaning’oa meno na kucha katika vidole vya mkono wa kulia, walinipiga sana na nilipata maumivu makali. Baada ya kunipiga na kunijeruhi waliniburuza hadi bembeni ya nyumba yangu na kunitupa na wakaondoka, baadaye majirani na wasamaria wema walikuja kuniokoa.

Mashuhuda Baada ya Tukio

Akizungumza jana, mzazi mwenzake, Angella Semaya alisema wakati Kibanda alipovamiwa hakusikia lolote: “Niliamshwa na kelele za majirani ndipo nami nikaenda eneo la tukio. Sikuamini kama alikuwa Kibanda kwani alikuwa ametapakaa damu huku akigugumia maumivu makali... kwanza sikumjua kama ni yeye kwa jinsi alivyokuwa.”

“Nina wasiwasi na hawa watu kuwa wametumwa kwa kuwa hawakuchukua chochote zaidi ya kumdhuru mwili,” alisema. Angella aliondoka jana na Kibanda pamoja na Mwandishi wa Habari, Eric Kabendera ili kumsindikiza Afrika Kusini atakapokuwa anapata matibabu.

Ofisa Mtendaji Mkuu wa Kampuni ya New Habari (2006), Hussein Bashe alisema: “Tulikuwa na Kibanda hadi usiku kama 5:30 hivi, tukifuatilia matokeo ya Uchaguzi Mkuu wa Kenya na tulipoona hakuna kinachoendelea zaidi, tukaagana kurudi makwetu.”

“Kwa kweli taarifa za kuvamiwa na kushambuliwa kwake zimetushtua, kwani ameumizwa sana hasa jicho. Daktari alishauri jicho liondolewe lakini nilikataa, jopo la madaktari bingwa wa macho wamemtazama na kuthibitisha kweli limeumia sana, tumewasiliana na mwajiri wetu ameamua kumpeleka Afrika Kusini kwa matibabu zaidi.

“Nawashukuru madaktari kwa jinsi walivyompokea na kumshughulikia katika kiwango kinachotia moyo. Pia waandishi kwa umoja waliouonyesha kwa kujitokeza haraka na kumjulia hali.”

Tasnia ya Habari

Jukwaa la Wahariri Tanzania (TEF), limeelezea kushtushwa na tukio la kutekwa, kupigwa na kujeruhiwa kwa mwenyekiti wake.

Taarifa ya TEF iliyotolewa jana na Katibu wake, Neville Meena, imesema shambulio hilo ni uthibitisho kwamba mazingira ya kikazi ya waandishi wa habari Tanzania siyo salama tena... “Tunapaswa kuchukua hatua za kutathmini upya mazingira ya kazi zetu, ili kuhakikisha kwamba walau tunakuwa salama.”

Alisema mwendelezo wa vitendo vya kuwashambulia waandishi wa habari ambavyo katika siku za karibuni vimeibuka, vinalifanya jukwaa liamini kwamba wanahabari sasa wanatishwa ili wasiweze kutekeleza majukumu yao ipasavyo.

“Utesaji huu aliofanyiwa Kibanda unafanana na ule aliofanyiwa Dk Ulimboka. (Rejea vitendo vya kupigwa kichwani, kung’olewa kucha na meno).

Aidha, Meena alisema: “Tunaamini kwamba yaliyomkuta Kibanda hayawezi kutenganishwa na msimamo wake kikazi au kama mtu binafsi. Tunasema hivyo tukizingatia kwamba wahusika hawakuchukua chochote liwe, gari au vitu vilivyokuwamo ndani ya gari hilo vikiwamo laptop, ipad, simu za mkononi na vinginevyo.”

"Tunaamini vyombo vya dola, vitachunguza na kuwatia mbaroni kisha kuwachukulia hatua za kisheria wahusika wa tukio hili na mengine kadhaa ambayo sasa yamegeuka kuwa sehemu ya utamaduni katika nchi yetu.”

Awali, Mjumbe wa Bodi ya TEF, Theophil Makunga alisema wakati huu wanahabari na wanafamilia wakisubiri uchunguzi juu ya tukio hilo, kitendo hicho hakina budi kulaaniwa.

“Hatuwezi kusema nini chanzo cha tukio hilo kwa sasa, lakini tunaamini limetokana na kazi yake. Tunalaani vikali kwani tunaweza kusema kazi yetu sasa si salama tena,” alisema Makunga.

Mhariri Mtendaji wa Nipashe, Jesse Kwayu alisema tukio hilo halina uhusiano na ujambazi kutokana na mazingira ya jinsi lilivyotokea na kutaka hatua za haraka za kisheria zichukuliwe dhidi ya wahusika.

Mhariri wa Habari wa Tanzania Daima, Edson Kamukara alisema: “Matukio ya kutekwa na kushambuliwa kwa waandishi wa habari yamekuwa yakishika kasi... ni jambo la kusikitisha na hatuwezi kukaa kimya kwa hili.”

Baada ya Tukio

Katika taarifa yake jana, Dk Nchimbi alisema Inspekta Jenerali wa Polisi (IGP), Said Mwema ameteua timu ya maofisa wa polisi wanne kutoka Makao Makuu ya Upelelezi kuungana na wapelelezi kutoka Kanda Maalumu ya Polisi Mkoa wa Kinondoni ili kuhakikisha waliohusika wanakamatwa.

Baadaye jana Kamanda wa Polisi Kanda Maalumu ya Dar es Salaam, Suleiman Kova alisema ofisi yake imeunda jopo la maofisa wa polisi tisa ambao wameshaanza kazi ya upelelezi wa tukio hilo.

Kova alisema kitendo alichofanyiwa Kibanda si cha kihalifu, bali kukomoana na visasi kwa kuwa upelelezi wa awali umeonyesha kuwa waliomvamia hawakuchukua chochote.

Akizungumzia tukio hilo, Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Habari (Maelezo), Assah Mwambene alisema Wizara ya Habari, Vijana, Utamaduni na Michezo kupitia idara yake imepokea kwa mshtuko tukio la kupigwa na kutendewa ukatili.

Alisema kitendo kilichofanywa kwa mhariri huyo ni ukatili uliopitiliza na kwamba wanaliachia Jeshi la Polisi lifanye kazi yake.

Wamjulia Hali

Kabla ya Kibanda kupelekwa Afrika Kusini, viongozi mbalimbali wakiongozwa na Makamu wa Rais, Dk Gharib Bilal walifika kumjulia hali. Wengine ni Waziri wa Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, Dk Hussein Mwinyi, Mwenyekiti wa Chadema, Freeman Mbowe, Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Habari (Maelezo), Assah Mwambene na Yussuf Omar Chunda na Mwenyekiti wa Wamiliki wa Vyombo vya Habari Tanzania (MOAT), Dk Reginald Mengi.

Mengi na Mbowe
Akizungumza tukio hilo, Dk Mengi mbali ya kulaani, aliwataka waandishi wa habari kuandika ukweli na kuhakikisha haki inapatikana kwa kuwa jambo hilo ni zito.

Alisema kuna haja ya polisi kufanya uchunguzi wa kina ili ukweli halisi upatikane na wahusika wafikishwe katika vyombo vya sheria.

Mbowe alisema: “Tuungane katika kutetea uhuru wa vyombo vya habari. Uvamizi wa Kibanda ni doa kubwa katika tasnia ya habari bila kujali yuko chombo gani na yeye ndiye mkuu wa Jukwaa la Wahariri, ni wazi atakuwa amezungukwa na maadui wengi.”

Imeandikwa na Joyce Mmasi, Aidan Mhando, Bakari Kiango, Salhim Shao, Beatrice Moses na Aziza .