Samia to launch Legal Aid Phase II in Zanzibar

ZANZIBAR: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to grace the launch of the second phase of the Samia Legal Aid campaign next week in Dole Village, Central District, Unguja.

The event, scheduled for June 20, is expected to attract senior national leaders and more than 15,000 members of the public. The announcement was made by the Zanzibar Minister of State in the President’s Office (Constitution, Legal Affairs, Public Service and Good Governance), Dr Haroun Ali Suleiman, during a press briefing held recently at Sheria House in Mazizini.

Dr Suleiman said the Samia Legal Aid campaign is a national initiative aimed at expanding access to justice, particularly for low-income and vulnerable groups.

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The programme provides free legal assistance, raises public awareness on legal rights and facilitates dispute resolution through legal counselling and mediation services. “In the first phase, the people of Zanzibar were among the beneficiaries. We are calling on citizens to turn out in large numbers for this second phase. Legal service providers will be available to receive and handle all types of complaints,” he said.

He added that preparations for the launch are progressing well, noting that the Union Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Dr Juma Zuberi Homera, recently spent three days in Zanzibar coordinating arrangements for the event.

According to Dr Suleiman, a total of 422,908 citizens, the majority of them men, benefited from legal aid services during the first phase of the campaign. He said the initiative has played a key role in bridging gaps in access to justice, reducing case backlogs and empowering citizens to understand and defend their rights.

“I urge members of the media to take the lead in publicising this event so that citizens are well informed and can come forward to receive legal assistance where needed,” he said. Dr Suleiman further noted that under the leadership of President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, legal services have improved significantly across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, strengthening governance and the rule of law.