Joseph Isangura
Journalist Erick Kabendera’s lawsuit against Vodacom Tanzania has been dismissed by the High Court of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
Kabendera accused the telecommunications company of providing personal data to government authorities, which he claims led to his unlawful detention in 2019. He sought $10 million in damages for the economic losses and psychological trauma he allegedly suffered during this ordeal.
The High Court ruled that Kabendera’s claims were filed beyond the legal time frame, leading to the dismissal of the case. Deputy Registrar Livin Lyakinana issued the ruling on behalf of Judge Salma Maghimbi, who had been presiding over the matter following an initial objection raised by Vodacom regarding the timeliness of Kabendera’s claims.
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This case has raised important questions about privacy rights and the responsibilities of telecommunications companies in Tanzania. Kabendera’s allegations come at a time when scrutiny of telecom companies is increasing, especially concerning their cooperation with government requests for customer data.
Recently, similar allegations have surfaced against Millicom (formerly Tigo), which is also accused of assisting in the tracking of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
