Tanzania bans newspaper for 2 years(iafrikan.com)
iafrikan.com
Tanzania bans newspaper for 2 years
https://www.iafrikan.com/2017/06/17/tanzanias-government-has-imposed-a-two-year-ban-on-a-newspaper-including-any-online-articles-it-publishes/
11 comments
lol, as a Ugandan. I know exactly how u feell
Tanzania bans ‘a’ newspaper for 2 years
I think the singular use of "newspaper" here follows convention in not needing a leading article ("a").
(Had it been plural the article would have also not been needed on a grammatical basis, although I think it would in that case have been fair to specify "some" or "all").
(Had it been plural the article would have also not been needed on a grammatical basis, although I think it would in that case have been fair to specify "some" or "all").
Lacking a definite article is incorrect and worse, confusing.
"Tanzania bans fruit for two years"
"Tanzania bans song for two years"
"Tanzania bans fruit for two years"
"Tanzania bans song for two years"
No confusion
The first can mean all fruit is banned, because "fruit" is a mass noun and as such does not have a plural form.
The second clearly refers to one song, just like the headline refers to one newspaper.
The first can mean all fruit is banned, because "fruit" is a mass noun and as such does not have a plural form.
The second clearly refers to one song, just like the headline refers to one newspaper.
"Song" can also refer to the act of singing, so the second one still read ambiguously to me.
The rules for newspaper headlines is not the same as for normal sentences.
> "Tanzania bans song for two years"
That's ungrammatical as a sentence but a perfectly good headline.
> "Tanzania bans song for two years"
That's ungrammatical as a sentence but a perfectly good headline.
Oh, I actually thought it meant "newspaper" the material, similar to how some cities in India have banned disposable plastic.
Summary of what is going on.
17 years ago, Tanzania signed a "bad" contract with acacia mining company[1].
The person who signed the contract on Tanzania side is Jakawa Mrisho Kikwete when he was a minister for energy, water and minerals and Benjamin William Mkapa was Tanzania's president at that time. Mr. Kikwete became Tanzania's president after Mkapa finished his second term.
The currently president is running an investigation and is completely side stepping these two individuals who are at the center of it and does not want them to even be mentioned and thats what is going on.
If he chooses not to talk about them then thats his prerogative but, the citizens of Tanzania should be allowed to and there is plenty of stuff to talk about.
[1] http://www.acaciamining.com/