The government says the newspaper had violated previous warnings about articles concerning President John Magufuli. In a statement, the government points to five stories it found objectionable.

One article quotes Information Minister Harrison Mwakyembe as saying his life is in danger, which according to the government is not true. The government statement adds that the newspaper failed to retract the story when asked to do so.

Another story it objected to was an opinion piece asking whether Tanzanians should pray for President Magufuli or opposition MP Tundu Lissu, who survived being shot at two weeks ago, and is now receiving treatment at a hospital in neighbouring Kenya:

Mwanahalisi

The headline reads: 'Should Tanzanians pray for President Magufuli or opposition MP Tundu Lissu?'

Mwanahalisi is the second newspaper to be banned in Tanzania in the past 12 months.

Earlier this year, privately-owned Mawio newspaper was banned for a year, with the government suspending both its print and online editions. Freedom of the press has been restricted since Mr Magufuli came to office in 2015, earning him criticism from rights groups.

In March, he warned media organisations against “inflammatory” reporting, a day after he fired a cabinet minister who defended press freedom.