Tanzania’s top music star Diamond Platnumz has apologised for posting a video clip on Instagram of himself playfully kissing a woman.
He removed it from his account earlier this week after he was questioned by police.
The authorities have deemed the footage to be indecent, in breach of Tanzania’s culture and in violation of new laws regulating online content.
The award-winning “bongo flava” star told reporters this morning why he realised that he had been in the wrong:
I’ve had a long conversation with the authorities and I have learnt that what I did was not right.
As a role model to many young people, not just in Tanzania but across the continent, posting a private moment was irresponsible of me.”
His apology comes after he met top officials at the country’s communication regulatory authority, the body charged with implementing the controversial regulations that came into force a few weeks ago.
Apart from censoring obscene content, the legislation requires bloggers to pay a hefty registration fee of more than $900 (£630).
Many activists, online content providers and ordinary users have accused the government of using these regulations to suppress freedom of expression.
