In this interview, Maxence Melo, the founder of Tanzania’s prominent online forum JamiiForums, has reflected on the impact of the ban on the platform and what it means to the digital space ecosystem. You can watch the full interview below or continue to read the full transcript.

How are you, The Chanzo readers and followers? We welcome you once again to this series of programs and conversations that we have been holding here at The Chanzo with various stakeholders.

Today, we will have a special conversation with the Chief Executive Officer of Jamii Forums, one of the most well-known platforms in Tanzania, which many Tanzanians are familiar with as a place to get information and other updates about what is happening in their country.

But Jamii Forums is involved in much more than just hosting a platform for people to chat and share news about current events, and we are talking about this in the context of the ninety-day ban. If you have been following this, you will know that it was issued on September 6, [2025], by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), which stated that it is suspending Jamii Forums for ninety days.

So, to understand this suspension, where it came from, what impact it has, and what it means more broadly, we will have this conversation here with Maxence Melo, as I have introduced him, who is the Executive Director of Jamii Forums.

And the one who will be guiding you through this conversation is your usual host, Khalifa Said. On behalf of my colleague behind the camera, Shafii Hamis, we warmly welcome you. Max, thank you very much, sir, for accepting our invitation.

Max: Thank you very much, brother Khalifa.

Khalifa: So, perhaps the first thing that people, your stakeholders,would like to know since this TCRA suspension is: how are you doing since the suspension was announced? “How are you holding up,” as they say in English?

Max: We are safe and continuing with our other activities because we were not relying on just one activity for our operations. But the suspension of Jamii Forums’ license did cause a lot of confusion somehow, though it did not stop the rest of our lives from continuing. So, basically, we are doing well, and we thank God.

Khalifa: How did you receive the news of TCRA suspending Jamii Forums?

Max: Maybe I should say that it was something we saw coming, you know, when rain is about to fall, they say there are clouds. There were clouds, there was drizzle, and then eventually the rain came. There were early signs. At first, I was told that I was personally required, then later I was told, because I was abroad for medical treatment, that since I was not available, they still wanted me personally.

It was that Wednesday, the day before Thursday when they said they needed me. I told them I could even try to get an urgent flight if it was really a personal issue. They told me it wasn’t that personal and suggested we could just send other people instead. So, my team went on Thursday to talk to them. They had a meeting with TCRA that lasted no more than five minutes, and they were told… basically there was nothing extra.

But then on Friday, which was a public holiday, there was something like an invasion at our office, which I reported. But there was already a source that had informed me that the real target was me, and they were displeased that I had not shown up.

But at the end of the day, you understand how these things go. I know we are in an election season, and we knew from the start—from January, February, and March of 2025—that we were entering an election year. And we even informed all our colleagues that this period was not going to be easy.

So I know it’s not just us, but for everyone operating in this space, they will understand that this election period is not like other times. But to be honest, there were already several letters requesting that some content be removed from the Jamii Forums platform.

We participated in discussions to explain why some of this content could not be removed and why the procedure required by the Content Committee was not appropriate. But there were also many phone calls from authorities asking that certain things not be done the way we were doing them, reminding us that this is an election period and therefore there is no need to do them.

Some of these things we know are our obligation to the public. So at the end of the day, we tell them, we cannot do that. And you know, once you refuse, there are people who will feel offended. So there were early signs, and we saw them. But in the end, what happened happened.

Khalifa: It’s good you mentioned there that they came to you asking you to take down some specific content. My question was whether there were any efforts or discussions between you and TCRA before this decision was made? Because you know that is often how they operate , they will come and tell you to take something down. And it’s good you have said that there was such a thing. But I wanted to understand…

Max: Maybe, Khalifa, let me say one thing: those earlier things I mentioned are not related to what actually happened. Because the earlier content I spoke about concerned other people, and in fact, in the charges or complaints from the authorities, those were not the issues being raised. But for what happened on that Friday, on that very same day we were given two hours to report to TCRA, on that very same day we were given thirty minutes to take everything down, and on that same day we were punished.

Khalifa: Sorry, but maybe I should ask, what exactly was this content that put you in this situation? Because the statement from Dr. Jabir does not specify the content. It only says that, through your platform and accounts, you published content that misled the public, insulted, and humiliated the government and the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, in violation of the online content regulations of the year two thousand and… Would you mind telling us what this content was about, if you don’t mind?

Max: I don’t think withholding that information is right because the platform whose license was suspended is not social media pages, it is Jamii Forums itself, whose users are citizens. So, they have a right to know, especially what content was involved. We made it public. One of the pieces of content concerned Rostam Aziz, a businessman and former politician who was once a Member of Parliament. This was content that was said by Mr. Humphrey Polepole. We received a letter telling us to remove that content, which claimed that Rostam had been sold a mine for five billion shillings. We were told we were required to balance the story, meaning to also include the opinion of the other side.

Under normal circumstances, as the law requires, if you read section 20 of the online content regulations carefully, the “affected party” here would be Rostam Aziz. Now, what we failed to understand is why the Authority was the first to come to us and even give us only two hours when the law requires twelve hours.

Once you remove the content, for example, when authorities compel you to remove content, you are supposed to do so within twelve hours. Once you have removed it, for forums, because this is not media but a forum, you are considered compliant; meaning you obeyed the law as instructed. But unfortunately, even though they wanted some of that content taken down, firstly there was no reason to remove it because what was said by Humphrey Polepole represented one side. We expected the other side to respond.

If you were following, brother Khalifa, there was a television station that interviewed Rostam, and those colleagues of ours were not told that they failed to provide balance. Yet we were told we had failed to provide balance. So we were left saying, “Ah! So here the law has been applied one-sidedly, what they call impunity in English.” But sometimes you just let these things go. The second piece of content…

Khalifa: Wait, did you take that one down?

Max: We did not take it down, we did not remove it, because we had a clear explanation, and we wrote to TCRA saying that this was said by Humphrey Polepole. I must clarify one thing here, and this is where we often differ with the authorities. We had a case at Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court. There was a Land Officer from the Moshi Municipal Council in Kilimanjaro who sued us, claiming that Jamii Forums had defamed him by alleging that he had raped a child. I mention this because that case is over, and it is good for some people to use it as a reference.

He accused us of defaming him, claiming that Jamii Forums was used to tarnish him, together with some people he alleged had uploaded the content on YouTube. Forums are a place where people aggregate content, it’s important that people understand that. It’s not us writing; it’s citizens who write. As platform owners, we have one responsibility: if content is complained about by anyone,  even you, Khalifa, if you said, “Ah, this content isn’t right”, before removing it we notify the person who published it. And that is why the law gives us twelve hours, to let them know that the content they posted is not right.

But if that person who posted the content has provided a source, and the source is clear, for example, they saw it on YouTube ,then removing it would be unfair to them. Because even the person who posted that content on Jamii Forums got it from Humphrey Polepole’s YouTube account. If the authorities wanted that content not to be made public, the right place to remove it was YouTube. And it known how they can reach to Youtube, it was not supposed to be us. 

Basically, Jamii Forums would never allow a discussion that had no source, or accusations without evidence. The source here was very clear. We won our Kisutu case, and if you go back and refer to it, you’ll see we won. The magistrate said that punishing Jamii Forums is like shutting down citizens that, yes, the content exists over there, but you are not allowed to talk about it.

Which is not right for citizens, and doing so violates the country’s Constitution. That’s why I recently said that sometimes, for media outlets or journalists, it becomes very dangerous to be correct when those in authority or those holding the power, are the ones in the wrong.

But essentially, we won that Kisutu case, and it remains a very good reference point for journalists, so they can know that when a source exists, whether it is Meta or anywhere else where that content was originally published, preventing citizens from discussing it is not right. It is the responsibility of the authorities to go to the platform where the content originated and have it removed.

Which brings me to the second issue. The second piece of content the authorities wanted removed concerned, I’m not sure whether to call him a businessman, a man from Zimbabwe. First of all, I had been in Zimbabwe for about ten days in July, together with several colleagues. We visited public investigative media outlets, but we also met with the private sector and several civil society organizations. But in those discussions, among the people we met, someone reminded us, “This man has started getting involved in your country, be careful with him. His name is Wicknell Chivayo.”

So, in an unusual turn of events, later Ambassador Polepole mentioned him, and when he did, citizens saw this and posted it on the Jamii Forums platform to discuss. We were told to remove that content. I repeat, if you refer back to the Kisutu case that we won, this content was brought by a person who got it from Instagram and Facebook accounts of the person concerned.

When the authorities came to us, we told them: “Tell Wicknell to delete it from his accounts, and basically there will be nothing left for us to discuss.” Instead, we were told that we lack ethics, that we are defaming people. But at the end of the day, this is silencing citizens, that even if they see something, they should not dare to talk about it. And even as we speak, that content is still on Instagram and on Facebook, on the verified account of Mr. Chivayo. So, that is what led to the suspension of our license.

Khalifa: Thank you very much, Max. I wanted you to clarify a bit more and explain in detail about what you said on September 5, when you reported about the invasion on your Mikocheni offices. You will remember that the Government Spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, did not agree with, let’s say, your characterization. He said that there was no raid, but I quote: “It was the normal procedure between government authorities and their stakeholders.” Msigwa also said that those who came to your office were government officials.

Max: Pay attention to the word “officials.” Please pay attention to the word “officials.”

Khalifa: They came to deliver a summons letter to your office. On September 5, you said that the public would soon know the truth. Can we know the truth now?

Max: The truth came out in less than twenty-four hours, by the next day, we knew exactly who had come. Basically, let me explain, brother Khalifa: the procedure is clear. That’s why when they later brought the official letter about the suspension on another day, it was delivered properly,a single person came in a government vehicle, and I commend that lady because she handled it well; she behaved like a proper government officer.But those others who came earlier in a non-government vehicle, who forced their way into the building without following procedure, by force, by pushing the guard, it’s unfortunate that they didn’t know everything there is recorded there. So I was listening, I was watching, and I told them, “I can see you, and I can see you’re in the wrong.”

Khalifa: But what exactly happened?

Max: Basically, it was a forced entry. Entering someone’s building without following procedure, and on a public holiday, was not right. And also, the words they used were not appropriate for any officer or public servant who might be visiting a stakeholder, things like, “We can do anything to you.” That is not the right language.

Things like that lead to mistrust. But at the end of the day, my team told them, “If you want to enter, then enter.” I think they were expecting maybe to find computers or servers or something like that inside. But they went in, and they found nothing, because at the end of the day that is just a building, there is nothing inside it.

But I must say I was offended, because proper procedure was not followed, and that is not how authorities are supposed to work. And I would advise that even other stakeholders should not allow such behavior when approached in that manner. That is why I put the word “invasion” in brackets, because this was not the normal procedure.

Khalifa: Max, let’s talk about the impact of this ninety-day suspension. Earlier, you said that Jamii Forums does many other things and that other operations are still running. But you’ll agree with me that there must be very big consequences.

For example, one effect I personally see is on me, because I was a very frequent user of Jamii Forums. As a journalist, I want to know what’s happening in my country so I can publish news, verify information, and confirm facts. I used Jamii Forums a lot to get news, so I think that’s one major impact.But you, as theExecutive Director of Jamii Forums, now facing this ninety-day suspension, can you tell us from your perspective what the real consequences will be for you as a platform?

Max: First, let me say that the biggest impact we’ve seen, remember, the license for Jamii Forums as a platform is held by a company called Vaper, which had an agreement with us for running our operations.

The suspension of its license in Tanzania has caused traffic on the platform to drop significantly, by more than fifty percent. You see, all users in Tanzania cannot access the platform. Users outside of Tanzania can still access and use it as much as they can, but our Tanzanian users have been denied their right, which is the main purpose for such a platform.So, the biggest impact we see is that our Tanzanian users have been denied their constitutional right, which they are granted, the right to receive and disseminate information regardless of national borders, as stated in Article 18 of the Constitution.

Even worse, some members have already threatened to sue us, claiming that we have unlawfully denied them access, but we have told them that they have every right, we are not denying them access, because at the end of the day we are also simply fulfilling our obligations.

Khalifa: These are your members?

Max: They are members of the platform, and several of them have called me saying, “Open it up! We will do anything, we will go to court.” At the end of the day, we tell them they have the right to go to court, and we remind them that it is their full constitutional right. But they also need to understand that there was a clear directive from the Authority requiring us to do this.

But let me say, that is the biggest problem we have seen. The second impact is on employees who were based in Tanzania and relied on the platform for their income. It is clear that for these ninety days, we had to suspend their work. We told them, “For now, those of you who are based in Dar es Salaam or Tanzania in general, your main activities related to the platform are suspended until further notice.”

So the remaining staff are the ones managing matters related to the global platform. But the effect is that people’s income has been disrupted.

Khalifa: And when you talk about that, how many people are we talking about? Because that was another question I had.

Max: That is about thirty-four people.

Khalifa: And perhaps, just for context, what does that amount to in shillings?

Max: Well, just take an average — assume each one is paid about 2.1 million shillings.

Khalifa: And now that will stop for all these days…

Max: Yes.

Max:  Sasa sisi haya yatakuwa ni maongezi  baina yetu na Mamlaka husika hasaTRA lakini nadhani wa kutakuwa kuna kuna gap kubwa kwa sababu pia kusitishwa kwa kazi za baadhi ya watu Pay as You Earn kuna workers compensation fund kuna kuna NSSF kuna mapato  yataondoka.

Maudhui yale yale yanaendelea kwingine, kwa msingi tunaua local content, tunaruhusu global platforms kuja kutawala kwetu tunaua innovation za asilia za kwetu. Kitu hiki si kizuri sana kina-paint picha mbaya kwa nchi yetu lakini kinafanya  vijana wengine kukosa uthubutu huko tunakoelekea.

Khalifa: Does Jamii Forums pay taxes?

Max: We are major taxpayers — quite significant, because at the end of the day, when you have more than the thirty-plus employees I mentioned, it means there are several types of taxes, several government revenues that are being paid.

Khalifa: So that means the government will also lose some revenue?

Max: Now, that will be a conversation between us and the relevant authority, especially the TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority). But I believe there will be a big gap, because with the suspension of work for some employees, there is no more Pay As You Earn, no workers compensation fund contributions, no NSSF contributions, meaning some government revenues will be lost.

And this is not a friendly situation. Let me say that one of the biggest impacts, apart from the employment issue, is that we are creating fear among young Tanzanians to be bold enough to build initiatives like ours. We would love to see people capable of creating something like Jamii Forums doing it beyond Tanzania’s borders so it can grow and expand further.

Instead, what we are seeing is that authorities are controlling things built locally, but they fail to control TikTok, they fail to control Meta.

The same content continues to exist on those platforms. We are killing local content  and allowing global platforms to dominate here. We are killing homegrown innovation. This is not good, it paints a bad picture of our country, but it also discourages other young people from daring to innovate as we move forward.

Khalifa: Max, for someone who does not work in your field, how would you describe the ease or difficulty of working in the sector where you operate?

Max: The information ecosystem or let’s say all the people who deal with processing information or providing access to information, there are big challenges: it’s good to start with this picture.

A citizen, in their daily life of twenty-four hours, depends on information in order to make the right decisions. The quality of the information they receive determines the quality of the decisions they make. When a citizen is fed misinformation, propaganda, or one-sided information, whether it is praising, glorifying, or worshipping those in power as other say, being sycophants, or even biased toward the opposition, or biased toward the government, then you have not helped that citizen to make the right decisions, knowing when the opposition is wrong or when those in power are wrong, and it is the responsibility of those who run media outlets or platforms like ours to ensure that the spaces we provide, or the content that citizens are being fed, are credible and sound.

Unfortunately, some people would like content to be biased toward a certain side. For those of us who say “No,” that is where the challenge begins, were weeping and gnashing of teeth start and people know this.It is not easy. Sadly, there are some people who, when they see something is not done, even slightly, as the youth say, “they set you ablaze”,  they insult you, they say all sorts of things. You may receive fifty or sixty phone calls threatening you, and others even come to you physically, saying, “I will deal with you.”

Since May, I have been receiving death threats, being intimidated, all sorts of things, but we live through it. But let me say, when you provide detailed information that helps a citizen know, “Here, ypu are being misled,” or “Here, maybe it is the opposition,” sometimes I even commend the opposition.

For example, there was information that was fact-checked by our colleagues at Jamii Check, concerning Mr. Godbless Lema. There was a photo he had posted online, but unfortunately, we are not supposed to be biased or help him; we said, “This is misleading.”

Some young CHADEMA supporters attacked us verbally, saying, “You have been bought!”,  all sorts of insults. But luckily, when we met Lema himself, he said, “You have helped us. Now we even tell our young people, before you do something like that, remember there is Jamii Check. I don’t want to be fact-checked.”

Essentially, you see that there are people who understand. And even CCM leaders, when some grievances are posted, they say, “You have helped us, we are going to fix them.” Many government authorities have also made efforts to respond to those grievances posted on Jamii Forums.

But you might not believe this, my brother, someone once called us from one of the authorities, I can give you the details later, if they want so, saying that since this is campaign season, we should stop talking about citizens’ grievances for now, because Mama is doing big things.

We told them, “Yes, it may be true that Mama is doing big things, as you see it, but these grievances still exist. When she is out campaigning, either she should address them, or at least be aware of them before she goes to certain areas, so she knows the challenges facing the citizens.”I was told, “Sir, take them down. If you don’t, we know how to come.” And that is why they came.

Khalifa: Earlier, you mentioned receiving death threats, where do those usually come from?

Max: The death threats come from unknown assailants, though we know them, and even you, brother, know them, but we choose to let them be for now. But they should know that everything is documented, and this will have an end.

Those who do this never speak directly. Although, at one point, someone called me and I still have the recording  telling me, “We can do anything to you at any time. People will make noise for a month, three months, six months, and then you’ll be forgotten.”

That statement keeps coming back to me. But I don’t think we should have people in authority who are capable of making such statements. It’s not right, it’s not acceptable. And fortunately, when he called and started making those threats, I put him on loudspeaker, and my colleagues recorded it to make sure that in the near future, one day, we will put that evidence on the table.

Khalifa: Aren’t you afraid?

Max: Afraid of who? I fear God alone.

Khalifa: I want to ask you this, do you report these matters to the police?

Max: You are saying?

[Both laugh]

Khalifa: Do you report such incidents to the police?

Max: [laughs a bit] Do you have another question?

Khalifa: I wanted to ask you is it worth it?

Max: Let me ask my brother, what The Chanzo is doing is that there are people who reach a point and say, “Why should you continue if things are this difficult?” But then there are others who come and say, “The work you are doing is good and may God continue to bless you, it’s worth it.” We have many people who have come back to us saying, “I got a job after Jamii Forums put one or two things together.” We have many people saying, “I would never have entered politics if I hadn’t gained these skills from my fellow Jamii Forums members.”

There are people who had lost all hope, even writing that they wish to commit suicide, but they got advice and did not go through with it. There are people who had health challenges, but didn’t know which hospital to go to, and they got doctors right there and were able to get treatment.

Because Jamii Forums is not just a political platform, there are people who had challenges, or what we call citizens’ grievances, and over four thousand of them have been resolved by the relevant authorities. It’s not that everyone in authority is bad, we have very good people in government, very good indeed. Some I even wish I could mention by name, we have very, very good people.

And these are officials who use great professionalism within the government, but we have a few hooligans, not even more than ten. However, when those hooligans get the chance, they hurt the citizens. But we cannot lose hope because of two, three, or four people who come and misuse their authority.

So, in one way or another, I would say it’s worth it, because we have good public servants who help solve citizens’ grievances, and they also bring solutions they have learned from the citizens. We also have professionals like doctors and economic experts who use platforms like these to help build citizens’ capacity.

I understand that such challenges are unavoidable, the real issue is how we move forward from these challenges, and that is what is most important. But let me say the truth, it’s worth it. It has helped many people, it has helped many university students, some of whom were missing out on loans, but later they come back and tell us they got the loans. It is a way for citizens to raise their voices and we won’t stop.

Khalifa: So you mean to say that when you compare the contribution Jamii Forums makes to society with the hardships you personally have to endure, you feel that it’s worth it?

Max: One hundred percent, meaning if there are challenges, I take them as only about five percent; they are individual issues, even though they might affect the platform. But to a very large extent, it has been helpful to many stakeholders; citizens, various institutions, and civil society organizations that use Jamii Forums for advocacy. So, shutting it down does not punish Max, it punishes the citizens, and that is not right.

Khalifa: Talk about the impact of Jamii Forums ban, especially since we are in the election season, because, I think elections are something we can discuss in a special way, given the attention that citizens invest in that matter. Jamii Forums is a platform with a lot of information, there are so many things happening in the country. When someone wants to know if something is true or not, I remember someone once said, “If I want to know whether something is true or false, I go to Jamii Forums.” Now that this platform is no longer available, can you talk about the impact of it being shut down in the context of the upcoming elections on October 29?

Max: My brother, to a very large extent, citizens have been denied their right, a right given to them by the constitution, to access information, to process information, and to share information. And because we had already seen that Jamii Forums’ traffic was reaching up to four million visits per day, when you see it drop to two million, or to one million eight hundred thousand per day, it is a clear sign that many citizens have lost a place where they can process and engage with content. So, for those in authority, perhaps I should just offer some advice…

What has happened, the harm that is going to follow after ninety days, or even if they extend it, its just okay too. What is going to happen is that when there is an information gap, someone is going to fill it.I don’t know what word to use, but when there is a vacuum of information, someone will come in to fill that vacuum. Sometimes it could be someone you know, or someone you don’t know.

As I said earlier, when people go on the radio, in newspapers, or online, what they are looking for is information. If they find there is no information on the internet, whether it is The Chanzo, or Jamii Forums, if you shut down The Chanzo, shut down Jamii Forums, shut down anyone who might be a critical voice, and the citizens are left without information, they will create their own information. And once citizens create their own information, you have no control over it.

Because those people have no licenses, since you were the one issuing licenses, you could revoke them, but these people will have no licenses. You might arrest one, arrest two, arrest three, but if you block local voices from writing or even commenting, they will stop. However, your neighbors will start feeding information to your citizens. And because the thirst or hunger for content will not go away, citizens will start consuming content from Kenya, from Uganda, from any country.

And now, in today’s world, the product that is most used for espionage, I don’t even know what word to use in Swahili…

Sasa walichokifanya unafungia chombo kizima kuna majukwaa thelathini na nane ndani ya mtandao wa Jamii Forums jukwaa moja la siasa linapelekea unafunga majukwaa yote. Kwa sababu tu ulikuwa hutaki hilo jukwaa lionekane kwa wananchi si sahihi na ni uonevu ambao hautavumilika.

Khalifa: [Ujasusi]

Max: Yes, espionage has shifted into the business of feeding citizens with information, convincing them of something. If it is done once, twice, three, four times, it becomes believable. Essentially, don’t be surprised when citizens start to see certain things happening in another country and begin to adopt them here. Because we have already been silenced, and others know how to push a narrative.

Let me simplify it for you: this is why, when you go on TikTok, you see content from other countries being pushed to you,  and after a while, you get used to it and start thinking it’s normal. The same way when you go on Instagram, you are shown content you never asked for, but because of the algorithm, it keeps pushing certain things to you.

But because our authorities don’t want us to do this work, they leave it to these big tech companies, but they should know that, in the long run, the negative effects of doing things like this will be felt. I am not wishing harm on our friends at The Chanzo or anyone else in this space, but I advise those in authority to think deeply: if there is online content that should be removed, there are proper approaches to follow, not shutting down an entire platform. Even the former Minister of Information, Nape Nnauye, once emphasized that even if a journalist makes a mistake, we should not shut down the entire media outlet.

But what has been done now is shutting down an entire platform, there are thirty-eight forums within the Jamii Forums network, and because of one political forum, you shut them all down. Simply because you didn’t want that one forum to be visible to citizens. That is not right, it is an injustice that cannot be tolerated.

na the same applies tuliwaandika watu wa Ofis ya Rais wanajua kwa nini tunadhani kuna haja ya kutenganisha Wizara ya Habari, tukawa na Wizara ya ICT inayojitegemea kwa maandishi.

Khalifa: Max, what you’ve just said is like a caution and as I know you, you usually get the chance to engage with our colleagues who are in positions of authority, something you’ve been doing for quite some time. Do you think they think about these issues the same way you do?

Max: It’s not that they don’t know, they know very well, my brother.

Khalifa: For example, you’ve talked about the potential impact that could befall us as a country if these things continue. Does this concern them? Because we see you meeting these people, taking pictures with them, engaging them, we see that. I just wanted to know from your perspective, do they care?

Max: When you talk to them, my brother, they seem to care. And many times, what I do, many times they tell you, “Put it in writing.” They say, “The government works through written submissions.” I have written many papers. When I started pushing for data protection, I was told, “Write to us and explain the reason for it.” My brother Aidan Eyakuze will remember, we did that in 2019 and 2020, we engaged and wrote a paper explaining why we thought we needed a law for the protection of personal data.

We also wrote to the people at the President’s Office explaining why we think there is a need to separate the Ministry of Information and have a fully independent Ministry of ICT, and we did it all in writing.

And we even expressed our willingness to contribute to ensuring that the Ministry of ICT is transformed. So even discussions on how to manage online content, the importance of pushing for local innovation, we have pushed hard, we have spoken a lot. And when you finish speaking to them, my brother, they tell you, “These are very good ideas, you are a patriot.” But then, when there is election pressure, that’s when the need to put some of these things aside emerges, to focus on the work at hand.

Khalifa: Your decision to resign from your position on the Data Protection Commission, is it connected to this shutdown of Jamii Forums?

Max: No, no. If you look back, you’ll find that I had already said I was not even in the country. I had issued a statement saying that, health-wise, I was not doing well, I was dealing with my treatment. But when I started attending board meetings, though I was attending them online, I felt that I was not contributing as I should. It was unfortunate that my resignation happened to coincide with TCRA’s decision, but there was no connection at all, because that is a different authority and this is a different authority.

But fundamentally, I felt it was the honorable thing to step aside and let another patriot take that position and contribute. I also wanted to be transparent, because some people were misleading others by suggesting maybe I had hit a jackpot, that I was there to collect allowances.

I never received any allowance, my participation costs were covered by my own organization because we were doing something we believed in. But I saw that, given where things were headed, participating online, sometimes with unstable internet and because I believe contributions made physically are different from those made online, I thought it was only fair to step aside.

Khalifa: Because some of us were saying, “Ah, you must be angry with the government.”

Max: You don’t get angry at the government, my friend, there is the government, and then there are the people. The truth is that the government recognizes that if you have something to contribute, they know it. The intention behind pushing for that law is known, and I only hope that whoever is appointed next understands exactly the purpose of the law and the importance of protecting people’s personal data.

Khalifa: What steps is Jamii Forums planning to take regarding TCRA’s action? Will you make an appeal? Go to court? Call for protests? What action will you take?

Max: Should I say we’re ticking the box in October  or how should I put it?

[They both laughs]

Max: The steps we can take, first, we were given twenty-one days in which we can file an appeal.

Khalifa: Appeal to TCRA?

Max: Yes, according to TCRA’s instructions. But before you file an appeal, you must ask yourself, who exactly are you appealing to? For that reason, my colleagues are currently holding meetings, because I’m not there, I am still outside the country for my health. But I have tried to make sure I explain to them what really happened, and I give advice where I can.

But they are holding meetings to ensure they make the right decision. Because we have twenty-one days, and there is still time, I believe that before the twenty-one days are up, you will see what happens. If we decide to file an appeal, we will go public and explain to the public why we are appealing, and we will be completely transparent. I think it needs to be an open process so that citizens know why we took those steps.

Khalifa: Max, do you think it is right for a government authority, for example, TCRA to make a decision to shut down a media platform without there being any court order?

Max: They have created such an environment where even TCRA will tell you, “It’s not us.” Because, even if you look at the letter they sent us about the ban, the online content regulations were made by the Ministry, and TCRA falls under a different ministry, while the Content Committee is under the Ministry of Information. TCRA is under the Ministry of ICT. There is a kind of way and even though the shutdown letter came from TCRA, the people who signed it were from the Content Committee.

There is a sort of system that makes it challenging to deal with it directly. But I would say, I don’t think it’s right, and that’s why they tell you that you have the right to appeal. Before you appeal, you should ask yourself if there is a need to do so, or whether to leave it to God. Sometimes you can leave it to God, or to the people themselves. Because Tanzanians are not fools. Sometimes it is a matter of making a wise decision.

So, what we are trying to do is let wisdom take its course. But let me say this, the Constitution is the number one law of the land. Any law or regulation that is enacted and contradicts Article 18 of the Constitution is a dead law, a repressive, unfit law. It may be that today, while you hold authority, you will enjoy using that law because it favors you, but the day you leave power, we will remind you that at one point you used it against us.

Khalifa: What changes do you think should be made in the space you work in, to ensure that citizens benefit even more?

Max: First, I think the authorities should sit down with stakeholders. If you don’t visit stakeholders, you are likely to make decisions because you are only thinking from one side. I want to commend the past three government spokespersons, they visited us at that time, even before the Ministry of ICT was established. They visited to understand what we were doing. Sometimes they came with a lot of preconceptions, but after sitting down and talking to us, they would say, “Those people who briefed me misled me.”

So the first thing is: visit stakeholders, involve them, listen not just to talk. If you listen, because when someone goes to The Chanzo and sits with Khalifa and his colleagues, listens to them, they will understand why Khalifa and his team work the way they do, and how they do it,  and if they have advice, they will give it.

Second, since there are laws, regulations, and procedures, I think the authorities themselves should also be fair, they should follow what the law instructs, instead of the authorities taking action first, saying, “We saw it ourselves,” even before anyone has complained.

We asked them, if you saw it yourselves, why not inform that person first so they can come to complain to us,  then, if we disagree, we come to you together. And if we still disagree with you, then we meet in court. Nobody is refusing to go to court. So, I think if there are laws and procedures in place, they should be followed by all sides, impunity is not acceptable.

Third, allow innovation, local creativity, within the country. In other countries, and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel widely, I’ve been to Germany, I go to the U.S., I’ve been to China, to Russia, to many nations, to learn how they support local solutions. How they find ways to help homegrown innovations grow and expand.

But here at home, we fight against our own local innovators, we crush them, push them away, sometimes they wish to abduct and shoot them, it is not right.

Our colleagues outside, even if they disagree with someone, they try to help them cross borders and stand with them. Here at home, we strangle people with a rope and even watch to see if they are dead or still breathing. That is not right. Let us strengthen local innovations.This should not be because they lean toward the government or the ruling party of the day, tomorrow it could be ACT or anyone else in power, but encourage local innovations, work with them. If they make mistakes, guide them. Don’t fight them, guide them and show them how. Create systems through which jobs can be generated whenever possible.

Let me emphasize, there is no Tanzanian who has bad intentions for their country. It is not true. And it does not mean that simply because you have been given authority or hold a government position, you are automatically the number one patriot. It is not true. Khalifa, Max, and others who work in this space, in one way or another, are creating jobs for their fellow youth and for Tanzanians in general. They are also teaching others how to be innovative.

And for us, we even wish that someone else would come and be better than us. But unfortunately,  some people think that if you have different ideas from those in authority, you are an enemy. No.

Alternative thinking is not a crime. I don’t believe that anyone who thinks differently from those in power or those with authority automatically has bad intentions. It is very important to sit down with stakeholders, I say this to my brother Gerson Msigwa: visit stakeholders, you will discover many things that are different from assumptions.

And to the public servants who have been giving us support all along, thank you, and I want to encourage you: what you are doing, supporting these initiatives which might sometimes appear negative to others, don’t stop doing it.

Because it is through such actions that we are building the next generation, a generation that is bold but also able to come up with alternative solutions that match our world. We had just launched Swahili AI, even before we had made much progress, we faced this challenge. That should not be happening in our Tanzania. In our Nairobi offices, I was in Nairobi recently, as well as our offices in Zimbabwe and Kampala, the work continues.

But I don’t feel good about the possibility that one day we might be forced to say our headquarters are in a neighboring country. I would rather we encourage dialogue between both sides, we must accept that we won’t always agree. It’s impossible for everyone to speak the same language; that is difficult.

But when those in authority see that we are opposing something or speaking out about it a lot, it is not because we are fools or ignorant, it’s because we believe something is not right. If you don’t agree with us, call us to the table and explain why you think we are wrong.

Khalifa: What’s your final word for the stakeholders of Jamii Forums, like me, who open Jamii Forums today and find a message saying “Dear …”?

Max: To our beloved Jamii Forums community, first, we thank you so much for the more than twenty years you have been with us. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning, and we have not abandoned you.

You know that challenges have come up, and we are doing our best to continue providing services. But we promise that after the days set by the authorities for this suspension are over ,if we appeal and the platform is opened sooner, that will be a great thing. But for now, we have no option other than to comply with the laws of the regions we operate in. We ask you to continue supporting us as you always have, and continue using our services once they return.

But for those who follow our social media pages, we suspended posting not because our license was revoked, but because we needed to reorganize and come back with a different approach. We do not believe we can achieve positive change by continuing to use the same old strategies.So, we have not stopped our services on other social media platforms because of the forum shutdown, but because we felt it was time to pause, reflect, and come up with alternative solutions.

To the media sector stakeholders, those of you who might be happy that perhaps it is Max and his team facing these challenges, today it is me, tomorrow it could be you.

And to those who have stood with us, who continue to wish us well, we are together with you. We will continue to collaborate in other ways, making sure we support you so that you can perform even better, even surpass us, because we do not think that we are the best. We believe we can help create others who are even better than us, because our intentions are good for our country and for the entire space we operate in.

To the Civil Society Organizations that issued a statement on our behalf, we thank you. There are many stakeholders who began to speak out on our behalf. Religious leaders, thank you so much, bishops who spoke on our behalf. Others even reached out to me , thank you so much, pastors, and thank you so much, sheikhs.

There were sheikhs who reached out to me, and I am very grateful to them, my elders. You remember our meeting back in Zanzibar, we discussed these issues, and they have come to pass, as expected. But on the part of the bishops, both Catholic and from other denominations, you remember our meetings where I told you that we are expecting one, two, three things, and they have indeed happened. I thank you, but most importantly, I appreciate that you have continued to encourage us.

To the civil society organizations I have mentioned, thank you very much for speaking on our behalf. And to the stakeholders of the entire sector, you have written on X, I have seen it; you have posted on Instagram, I have seen it; you have written everywhere defending us, we are very grateful, because sometimes you just need to know that there are people who see what you are going through and that they are with you. I thank you very much, and may God bless you.

Khalifa: Thank you very much, that’s enough, you’ll make me cry.

[Max laughs]

Khalifa: Thank you so much, sir, and all the best in the struggle.