TANZANIA Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has fined Wasafi Media Group 2m/- for airing misleading and offensive content against Christian Religion contrary to the Electronic and Postal Communi- cations (Online Contents) Regulations, 2020.
The Regulator also issued a stern warning against Wasafi Media outlets apologise apologise for three consecutive days to anyone who was affected by content; “Hata Yesu Aliwafuata Wenye Pesa, Msituite Matapeli,” which can be literally translated in English as “Even Jesus followed the rich, don’t call us conmen.
“Reading the verdict in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Authority’s Content Committee chairperson Hans Gunze said Wasafi’s host Jordan Mwasha alias ‘Mchaga OG’ conducted an exclusive interview with ‘Prophet’ Daniel Shillah, who claimed that Jesus was the ‘first conman’ who “de- structed people’s business and was after money.”
By airing the content, the chairman said, the channel infringed Sections 19 (a), 12(a) and 16(1) hence the Regulator fined the media and required it to apologize every four hours for three consecutive days.
Section 9(a) of the Regulations require licensees to comply with all the terms and conditions of the licence by ensuring that “that online content is safe, secure and does not contravene the provi- sions of any written law.”
Mr Gunze also said the channel infringed Section 12(a) which requires online news and current affairs licensees to adhere to journalism ethics, professionalism and local content requirements.
Reading the verdict in the presence of Wasafi Media Group representatives including the company’s director of the content Spencer Lameck and committee members, the chairman said the channel published prohibited content contrary to Section 16(1) which states: “A person shall not publish any prohibited content.”
However the Chairman ad- mitted that Wasafi apologized in both oral and written forms on the grounds that the content wasn’t published intentionally and it was removed immediately after realizing that it was contrary to the regulations, though the regulator wasn’t pleased by the apology.
On his part, Wasafi’s con-tent director Mr Spencer Lameck promised “to work on the TCRA’s directives.”