Earlier this month a Saudi diplomat was alleged to have raped a Tanzanian girl who was his domestic worker. According to the Vienna Convention and Diplomatic Relations 1961, the culprit cannot be prosecuted in Tanzania. Do you think that diplomatic immunity is now being misused and what do you think should be done?

YES. According to what the Saudi diplomat did and according to the response of the diplomatic mission, there is a clear indication of diplomatic immunity abuse. I believe that the humiliation that was inflicted to the raped girl is as incriminating and prosecution was necessary. In their country, such an offence could have attracted a death sentence but the diplomat tried even to exchange it with US$ 5,000 apparently knowing that for poor Tanzanians it would have been accepted. We are being slaves in our own country because of diplomatic immunity.
Mary Kilanga – Teacher.

YES. What the Saudi diplomat did is complete abuse of diplomatic immunity. I am sure even the head of the diplomatic mission knew the extent of the crime and that is why he refused to waive the diplomatic immunity because the law is very harsh on such offences. But all in all, the government should do all it can to ensure that the culprit is taken to a court of law. If a Tanzanian diplomat in Saudi had committed such an offence, what do you think would have been the outcome – probably fatal. We have witnessed a number of Tanzanians sentenced to death in the said states by being found with narcotics.
Pendaeli Gyumi – Information Officer.

YES. Although the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations bars the prosecution of the said officer, diplomats are supposed, I think, to show example for refraining from committing any offence lest they may be viewed as abusing the immunity, which has a different aim. The offence committed by this official is grave and deserves to be taken to International Legal bodies. Right now just one person has greatly disrupted the relationship between the two countries and his country is defending him. He should be extradited to come and face the charges here in Tanzania under the SOSPA 1998.
Stella Joseph – Activist.

YES. I think the best thing to do, due to this gross humiliation is to close at once the Saudi Diplomatic Mission office in Tanzania. How on earth can we tolerate such a shameful act that has been done to one of our daughters and yet want to forsake the humanity of that particular citizen in return to a cash reward? Was it done deliberately since the diplomat knows that Tanzanians are so poor? NO. I think the government being elected by its citizens, including the poor young woman, should either exert pressure for the diplomat to be stripped of his immunity or close down their office.
Daniel Msimbu – Retired Officer.

Compiled by Timothy Kitundu.