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Tanzanian comedian in court after laughing at president
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Tanzanian comedian Idris Sultan has appeared at a magistrate’s court this morning in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, eight days after he was arrested.
Sultan was expected to be charged with cybercrimes offences, tampering with evidence and using a Sim card registered in someone else’s name, a police spokesperson told the BBC on Monday.
But once in court, the charge sheet only mentioned the Sim card issue.
He was arrested on Tuesday last week, after a video of him laughing at an old photograph of President John Magufuli wearing an oversized suit went viral on social media.
Police accused him of violating the Cybercrimes Act and bullying the president, according to his lawyer Bennedict Ishabakaki.
Many social media users have re-shared the video with the hashtag #FreeIdrisSultan and set his photo as their profile picture in a show of solidarity.
“We must promote and support artistic freedom and creation (innovation) as a part of participatory democracy,” tweeted digital rights advocate Maxence Melo.
Last year, Sultan was heldafter sharing a face-swapped image of himself and the president.
His detention has served as the latest reminder of digital regulation laws that rights activists have described as harsh and infringing on freedom of expression.
-BBC
Deputy National Women Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mimi Duah, has openly declared her support for Mavis Hawa Koomson as the next National Women’s Organiser of the party.
In a statement endorsing Hawa Koomson’s candidature, Ms Duah outlined four key reasons why she believes the former MP and Minister of State is best placed to lead the party’s women’s wing.
According to her, Hawa Koomson is a motherly figure who rose from the grassroots and is widely noted for her forgiving nature and ability to foster unity.
“She is a true grassroots mother who easily forgives, fosters unity, provides guidance and arbitrates to ensure all aggrieved party women are brought on board to ensure a unified women’s wing,” she stated.
Ms Duah also pointed to Hawa Koomson’s vast experience, having served as a Constituency Women’s Organiser, Member of Parliament and Minister of State, noting that the experience positions her to provide effective leadership as National Women’s Organiser.
She further described Hawa Koomson as capable of making the women’s wing resourceful, through her extensive network and business contacts, to lobby for logistics, training and financial support for women organisers at all levels.
Lastly, she said the NPP as an opposition party needs fearless, bold and assertive leadership at the women’s front to inspire regional, constituency and polling station women organisers as the party reorganises towards the 2028 elections.
“We need a Women’s Organiser who has been tested, who is bold, who understands grassroots women, and who can lead us to victory in 2028. Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson is that leader,” she stressed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister inaugurates Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has inaugurated the Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee to provide strategic oversight for a five-year programme focused on preserving Ghana’s heritage sites and strengthening their resilience to climate change.
The project will support climate-risk mapping, digital surveying and 3D modelling, joint research, capacity building, community engagement and modern monitoring technologies.
Korea is also providing specialised equipment, including drones, 3D scanners, digital microscopes, thermal imaging cameras and GPS survey instruments, to enhance Ghana’s capacity to scientifically assess, document and conserve heritage structures.
The partnership, which will run through 2030 and beyond, is expected to deepen Ghana-Korea cultural ties while promoting sustainable, technology-driven and climate-adaptive heritage management for future generations.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
