Audio By Carbonatix
Zanzibar authorities are enforcing a ban on men wearing their hair in braided styles, telling the BBC it flouts the law and local traditions and threatens people's morals.
"We find it dangerous to our future generations", says Zanzibar’s Culture Executive Secretary Omar Adam. "This is one form of immorality in Zanzibar, it is a culture which is adopted from outside Zanzibar."
He has dismissed concerns that the move was targeting the LGBTQ community in the islands, where same-sex relationships are illegal.
The law against men braiding their hair is not new - it dates back to 2015 - but the authorities have only now started enforcing it.
Any man who enters or lives in Zanzibar with braided hair faces fines of over $400 or six months imprisonment - or both.
Despite Zanzibar being among top tourist destinations, the authorities say the enforcement will apply equally to visitors.
Two months ago, the Zanzibar government banned 16 book titles and the use of rainbow colours in schools claiming that they advocated for LGBTQ rights.
Latest Stories
-
We haven’t handed over our forex role to Goldbod – BoG Governor Asiama
1 minute -
‘Trust but verify’ – MTN Ghana urges SMEs to guard against cyber fraud
10 minutes -
Assemblies of God Congress: Mahama urges churches to promote compassion, integrity
21 minutes -
North Korea and China open new bridge after 12-year delay
31 minutes -
Anthropic flags revenue surge to investors ahead of stock market debut
40 minutes -
Norway’s wealth fund set to overhaul ethical rules after US scrutiny
50 minutes -
‘There can be no mistake, regardless of who is picked’ – Bentil on CJ contenders
1 hour -
Ghana needs a Chief Justice who inspires public confidence – Bentil
1 hour -
Government to introduce integrated basic education model schools from 2027 – Haruna Iddrisu
2 hours -
Russell Brand was a ‘sexual predator’, prosecution alleges as rape trial begins
2 hours -
Drop-off charges at UK airports to be reviewed after sharp increase
2 hours -
Kenya confirms second Ebola case – a relative of the first victim
2 hours -
Hidden video recording device found in cabin of Australian navy ship
2 hours -
Saudi Arabia overturns death sentence for man over Facebook comment, Sri Lanka says
2 hours -
Burnham says he wants to ‘repair bridges’ between Ukraine and US
3 hours