Local News

Clerics warned over negative census comment

MOROGORO Regional Commissioner, Mr Joel Bendera.

MOROGORO Regional Commissioner, Mr Joel Bendera,  has cautioned some religious leaders against propagating negative stance to their followers about the national census which is expected to start next month.

Mr Bendera said when closing a two-week training for district census supervisors in Morogoro that there is a group of people who are convincing others not to participate in the coming housing and population census. 

Mr Bendera's warning comes a week after some residents refused to be counted for trial when census supervisors were in practical training in Sultan ward  in Morogoro urban and in Mikese area in Morogoro Rural on religious grounds.

He said the census exercise is for the development of the nation and all citizens regardless of their religious affiliations and it is against the law to refuse to be counted. "We know people are printing t-shirts with messages against the census exercise, we want to assure them that we know who they are and legal action will be taken against them," he said.

He called on the people printing the t-shirts to find a place to get rid of them because the government will deal with the printer, distributors and the people who will be found wearing them. "These people are a hindrance to our efforts because census is for the development of Tanzanians and has no relation with religion, we shall deal with those printing t-shirts discouraging others from participating in the census," said Bendera.

Unconfirmed reports say that police in Morogoro region have arrested one person who was found wearing the t-shirt with messages telling Muslims not to participate in the census.