Tanzania threatens religious organisations that weigh in on politics
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has threatened to revoke the registration of religious organisations that "mix religion and politics" after a cleric criticised President John Magufuli’s leadership in a Christmas sermon. Opposition leaders in Tanzania say tolerance for dissent has been rapidly disappearing since Magufuli took office in late 2015 with pledges to reform East Africa’s third-biggest economy and crack down on large-scale corruption. Tanzania’s constitution protects freedom of worship, but religious organisations must register at the country’s home affairs ministry to get a licence to operate legally. "Recently, some leaders of [religious] societies have been using their sermons to analyse political issues, which is contrary to the law," the permanent secretary in the ministry Project Rwegasira said late on Thursday. "Any violation of the law could lead to cancellation of the registration of the concerned religious society." The warning was issued just days after the head of a Pe...
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