Begging along a highway

There are people I see along the highway begging every day and some of them are using children to beg. Doesn’t the law address this problem?
KL, Dar

It is an offence under section 176(b) of the Penal Code for a person to place himself in a public place for the purpose of begging or causing or procuring a child for begging. Even merely standing or sitting along the highway, road or any public place at a time and in circumstances that may lead to a conclusion that the suspect is there for begging is also an offence under section 177(d) of the Penal Code. Begging or being in a public place for begging is an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding TZS 500 or imprisonment for a term of 3 months or both.

In 2019 Ilala Municipality made an Anti-begging by-law through Government Notice No.529 of 2019. The anti-begging by-law prohibits begging in the streets of Ilala Municipality and directly giving beggars money, food or anything they beg. Any help to a beggar should be channeled through an orphanage center, religious institution, center for elderly people or center for people with disabilities, although there was an outcry that the money might not directly reach those in need. Under the by-law, begging or giving help to a beggar directly is an offence attracting a fine of TZS 300,000 or imprisonment for a term up to 12 months or to both. However, the Municipal Director has the power under the By-law to compound the offence of begging or helping a beggar directly by imposing a fine of TZS 200,000.

Although the law is very clear, begging is still a problem in our cities, perhaps because the law is not strictly enforced or because the penalty imposed by the law is not large enough.