The new clauses are included in the Written Laws Miscellaneous Amendments No 3 of 2020, which were approved under a certificate of urgency before Parliament was dissolved this week to pave the way for the October General Election.
The Bill was rushed through Parliament despite an outcry from civil society over its constitutional compatibility.
In a private write-up, prominent Tanzanian law professor, Issa Shivji, described the new clauses as an attempt to “amend the Constitution through the back door” by abolishing public interest litigation and conferring sovereign immunity on top public officials.
“Under these new clauses it is virtually impossible to sue the heads of the three branches of state even if they are alleged to have breached the constitution or the law of the land in the performance of their constitutional duties.”
In an online petition, a coalition of Tanzanian civil society organisations said the amendment was aimed at “instigating blatant violations of the national constitution” and called for strong public support against the Bill before it became law.
