TBC Should Not Be Misled by the Government Name

 

 

Adeladius Makwega – Mbagala

 

My dear reader, allow me to tell you this story.

 

One day, we were in a planning meeting with several participants preparing for an event that would be covered by the media. Suggestions were made about which media outlets should be invited, and one outlet after another was mentioned.

 

When it came to TBC (Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation), one question arose:

 

"Who among you has watched TBC television, listened to its radio stations, or visited its social media platforms recently?"

 

Out of everyone in the meeting, only one person raised his hand. He said that every day he listened to Usia wa Baba, a program that broadcasts five-minute excerpts from speeches by the late Julius Kambarage Nyerere.

 

After further discussion, most members agreed that TBC should not be invited. However, one woman, who was both one of the organizers and the sponsor of the event, objected.

 

She said:

 

"No, let's invite TBC. The leaders will see themselves. I know we don't watch it, but government leaders certainly do."

The participant who listened to Usia wa Baba supported her position, and in the end, TBC was invited.

 

That participant was Mwanakwetu, someone with many reasons to care about TBC. Among them was the fact that he had once worked there, and his fellow employees had elected him Chairman of the Workers' Council.

The event was successfully held, and all the invited media houses, including TBC, participated fully.

 

Afterward, however, Mwanakwetu found himself reflecting deeply.

 

One question troubled him most:

 

"In 2016, TBC employed more than 600 permanent and contract staff. If this perception—that TBC is no longer sufficiently engaged with public affairs—continues to grow, what will be the eventual outcome? I once served as Chairman of the Workers' Council. One day TBC could be dissolved, employees could receive their legal benefits, but who would suffer most if not those more than 600 workers? Do my former colleagues at TBC ever think about this?"

History shows that institutions are rarely created without extensive debate. Likewise, they are rarely dismantled without equally serious discussions.

 

One complaint is frequently heard:

 

"Whenever TBC comes to cover our meetings, the moment we begin presenting our arguments, the cameras switch back to the studio. They don't allow us to express our views. They only give airtime to government leaders."

 

These are not complaints that should be ignored.

 

It is important to remember that TBC was created through legislation, and it can also be amended—or even dissolved—through legislation. Today, its legal foundation is the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation Act, No. 3 of 2025. Before that, from 2007 until 2025, it operated under the Public Corporations Act, 1992, through Government Notice No. 186 of 2007.

 

Therefore, anyone leading an institution such as TBC should understand that under Tanzania's Employment and Labour Relations Act (CAP. 366), an employer cannot simply dismiss employees because their services are no longer needed without following the legal procedures.

 

It is true that employment may be terminated when a position becomes unnecessary due to operational reasons—such as declining business, technological changes, or institutional restructuring. The law recognizes such circumstances under the principle of operational requirements (redundancy or retrenchment), but strict legal conditions must be observed.

 

Among those requirements are:

• The employer must have a valid and fair reason for the termination.
• A fair procedure must be followed, including consultation where required.
• Appropriate notice, or payment in lieu of notice, must be provided according to the law or employment contract.
• The employee must receive all lawful entitlements, including outstanding salary, accrued leave where applicable, and severance pay when required by law.

The law also provides that a dismissal is considered unfair if the employer cannot prove that:

• there was a valid reason for termination;
• the reason was fair in relation to the employee's conduct, capacity, or the employer's operational requirements; and
• a fair procedure was followed.

 

My reader, pay close attention to this phrase:

 

"Declining business, technological changes, or organizational restructuring may justify termination based on operational requirements (redundancy/retrenchment)."

 

Now remember this recurring complaint:

 

"Whenever they come to our meetings, once we begin presenting our views, they move the cameras back to the studio. They don't give us a chance to speak. They only give airtime to government leaders."

If complaints like these continue year after year without meaningful change, employment law may eventually come into play when operational circumstances change.

 

That is why a Tanzanian journalist living in the United States once told me:

 

"The time has come for the Government of Tanzania to stop owning media organizations in order to remove accusations of bias. In the United States, the Voice of America (VOA) serves America's external public diplomacy, but it does not dominate domestic broadcasting. TBC's assets could be placed under the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and leased to stakeholders interested in operating them commercially. If that proves impossible, they could even be sold through a public auction, allowing the government to focus on its core responsibilities."

 

My reader, also reflect on this statement:

 

"No, let's invite TBC. Government leaders will see themselves. We don't watch it, but they certainly do."

 

In a meeting of fifteen people, only one participant initially supported inviting TBC, and he was joined only by the sponsoring organizer. This is something TBC's leadership should reflect upon very seriously.

 

That is why I believe Dr. Ayub Ryoba, as one of the country's respected scholars in the field of journalism and media, should accept that history will eventually judge the leadership of this institution. This is an open discussion that deserves to be conducted on the basis of performance and the public interest.

 

What Does Mwanakwetu Say Today?

 

In the end, TBC's leadership, my former colleagues at TBC, and the responsible ministry should not assume that TBC will continue to exist simply because it is a government institution.

History teaches us that institutions are created by law, they grow through public trust, and they can be reformed—or even abolished—through law when they no longer meet the expectations of the people.

 

For that reason, TBC's leaders, its employees, and the responsible ministry should carefully consider the voices coming from citizens, stakeholders, and media professionals. When complaints persist for years without meaningful action, they eventually become compelling arguments for major institutional reform.

 

 

Mwanakwetu does not wish to see TBC collapse.

 

He wishes to see it restored as a trusted public broadcaster—one that gives all Tanzanians an opportunity to be heard, upholds professional journalism, and serves the public interest without favoritism.

 

That is the legacy envisioned by the founders of this institution, and it is the responsibility of today's leaders to preserve it.

 

After all, institutions are not sustained by legislation alone. They survive through ethical leadership, quality service, and the confidence of the people who watch them, listen to them, and recognize them as their voice.

Remember:

 

"TBC Should Not Be Misled by the Government Name."

I wish you a good day.

Email: makwadeladius@gmail.com

Phone: +255 717 649257