Question

Explain the concept of federalism in the Tanzanian context.

Answer 1

First we understand Federalism, then we will see Federalism in Tanzania.

Federalism is a political philosophy in which a group of people are bound together, with a governing head. In a federation, the authority is divided between the head (for example the central government of a country) and the political units governed by it (for example the states or provinces of the country.
Modern federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments. The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world depending on context.

Federalism is important because it is how the states and the Federal government share power. The framers believed that the government should have equal, but limited power which is why the people elect spokesperson to have their best interest.

examples of Federalism include the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

The United Republic of Tanzania was created from the union of two former colonial
territories, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, in 1964. It consists of mainland Tanzania, which
is predominantly Christian, and the island of Zanzibar, which is predominantly Muslim.
Tanzania has a population of approximately 42 million people. The country has had
multiparty elections since 1992, and has been ruled by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi
(CCM) party since 1977. Lately, violence has marred election campaigning.
Tanzania has a federal system of government, and Zanzibar is given a great deal of
autonomy to determine its own laws and legal institutions. Consequently, the media
in Tanzania is governed by different laws depending on whether the media operates
in mainland Tanzania or on the island of Zanzibar.
It is important to note that for the purposes of this chapter we deal with the laws and
institutions applicable to mainland Tanzania only, and a reference to Tanzania is a
reference to mainland Tanzania.
Freedom House ranks the media environment in Tanzania as only ‘partly free’.1
In this chapter, working journalists and other media practitioners will be introduced
to the legal environment governing media operations in Tanzania. The chapter is
divided into four sections:-Media and the constitution
 Media-related legislation
 Media-related regulations
 Media self-regulation
The aim of this chapter is to equip the reader with an understanding of the main laws
governing the media in Tanzania. Key weaknesses and deficiencies in these laws will
also be identified. The hope is to encourage media law reform in Tanzania, to better
enable the media to fulfil its role of providing the public with relevant news and
information, and to serve as a vehicle for government–citizen debate and discussion.