Ditched at the Alter

I am a man aged 37 living in Morogoro. In January 2025, a woman I was courting for over 3 years left me for another man on the day of our wedding. I invested a considerable amount of my savings in her education and I also helped her start her own business after University. My support to her was only because she promised to marry me, otherwise I would not have supported her. Please advise if I can take legal action against her?
MJ, Morogoro

We sorry to hear about this. This is a tricky situation. If you can prove that you had agreement with your then-partner, then you can sue her in civil proceedings for recovery of sums that you have invested in her education and business, especially if it was clear that you were only investing in her because she promised to marry you. Section 69 (1) of the Law of Marriage Act, Cap. 29 [R.E. 2023] (LMA) provides that a suit may be brought for damages for the breach of a promise of marriage made in Tanzania whether the breach occurred in Tanzania or elsewhere, by the aggrieved party, provided that (a) no suit shall be brought against a party who, at the time of the promise, was below the age of eighteen years; (b) no damages shall be awarded in any such action in excess of loss actually suffered as a result of expenditure incurred as a direct result of the promise. Further, a suit may similarly be brought in respect of the breach of a promise of marriage made in any other country but only if such an action would lie under the law of that country as well as under LMA. Note that the law does not permit suits for specific performance of a promise of marriage. Be mindful that there is also a time limitation. Section 70 of the LMA provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of any law regulating limitation of actions for the time being in force, no suit shall be brought for damages for the breach of a promise of marriage more than one year after the date of the breach. We are sorry for what you are going through and we wish you all the best. Your lawyer can guide you further.

Money laundering in casinos

I am a concerned citizen. I have heard stories that people who go to casinos are criminals looking to clean their money. Is this true? What measures are there to stop this? Kindly guide me.
NH, Arusha

You are concerned about money laundering. The Anti-Money Laundering Act, Cap. 423 [R. E. 2023] (AMLA) is the main legislation against money laundering in Tanzania. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) established under section 4 of the AMLA is responsible for receiving suspicious transaction reports from reporting persons, in relation to suspected money laundering and terrorist financing activities. After receiving a report, the FIU will analyse and disseminate intelligence to appropriate law enforcement agencies for investigation and further action.
Similarly, the Gaming Act, Cap. 41 [R.E 2023] (Gaming Act) obliges persons with a gaming license including operation of a casino to report suspicious transaction to the FIU. Section 62(1) of the Gaming Act states that a licensee shall file a report with the FIU of any suspicious transaction relating to a possible violation of law or regulations or where a licensee believes that there is suspicious transaction relevant to possible violation of any law or regulation. A suspicious transaction includes one which, if it is conducted or attempted by, at or through the licensee, involves more than three million shillings, and the licensee suspects or has reason to suspect – (a) the transaction involves funds derived from illegal activities; (b) the transaction is designed to evade any requirements of anti-money laundering laws or regulations; or (c) the transaction has no business or apparent lawful purpose or is not the type of transaction the particular patron would normally be expected to engage, and the licensee knows of no reasonable explanation for the transaction after examining the available facts, including the background and possible purpose of the transaction. Not every who goes to a casino is a criminal but in case this happens they will be reported to the FIU. Consult your lawyer for further clarity.

Personal data protection in Zanzibar

We are an insurance services company headquartered in Zanzibar, with operations spanning both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. We have heard of cases on personal data protection from mainland Tanzania and wonder whether there is similar law in Zanzibar. Kindly advise.
MK, Zanzibar

The Personal Data Protection Act, Cap. 44 [R.E. 2023], applies to both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Section 2 of the Act explicitly states that it shall apply to Mainland Tanzania as well as Tanzania Zanzibar, except that in Tanzania Zanzibar, the Act does not apply to non-union matters. To determine what constitutes a non-union matter, reference must be made to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977. Article 4 of the Constitution distinguishes between Union Matters listed in the First Schedule and non-union matters, which are those not included in that list. The First Schedule outlines twenty-two Union Matters, including: Foreign Affairs; Defence and Security; Police; Emergency Powers; Citizenship; Immigration; External borrowing and trade; Posts and telecommunications; Income tax and customs duties; Banking and currency; Civil aviation; Higher education; Mineral oil and natural gas; Meteorology; Statistics; Registration of political parties, among others.
Given that your company operates in the insurance services sector, which intersects with some Union Matters, you are required to comply with the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act in Zanzibar to the extent that your operations relate to these Union Matters. We anticipate that the Data Protection Commission will issue further guidelines to clarify the application of the Act in Zanzibar. In the meantime, it is advisable to consult your legal counsel to ensure full compliance with the law.