Smoking at wedding reception

My uncle, who had just gotten married, lit a cigarette in the middle of his own wedding reception. The venue was a hotel ballroom in Dar es Salaam, full of family, friends, and music. Hotel staff asked him politely to stop, but being the groom, he refused. They ended up calling hotel security, and he was escorted out of his own party. The reception turned chaotic, and my new aunt was visibly upset. I am not proud of how he behaved, but I think that, as the groom, the hotel staff were being overzealous. Is smoking indoors at a wedding really illegal? Please enlighten me.
GM, Dar es Salaam

We are sorry to hear that the wedding reception turned sour. Smoking in public places is actually against the law in Tanzania. According to section 12 of the Tobacco Products (Regulation) Act, (Act No. 2 of 2003, smoking is prohibited in public places such as hotels, restaurants, schools, health facilities, and public transport. Section 13 goes even further, stating that if smoking is to happen at all in such spaces, it must be confined to clearly marked smoking areas that have proper ventilation and signage.

Hence if your uncle decided to light up a cigarette inside the hotel ballroom during his own wedding reception, without a designated smoking area around, then yes, he was breaking the law. The hotel staff were not being overzealous when they asked him to stop, they were simply following the law. We think since your uncle ignored their request, they had little choice but to involve security. It may have seemed harsh, but hotels are legally responsible for ensuring guests comply with public health rules.

Beyond the law itself, these restrictions exist for good reason. Smoking indoors can seriously affect others, especially in crowded events like weddings, where children, elders, and non-smokers are sharing the space. It is not just about enforcing rules it is about protecting people. Being the man of the hour doesn’t give you a free pass, the law applies equally to everyone, wedding day or not. So next time someone’s feeling festive with a cigarette in hand, remind them there is a law against smoking in non-designated areas especially indoors. Consult your lawyer for further guidance.

Twins marrying twins

My twin brother and I have worn matching outfits, attended the same school, and shared the same hobbies and interests. We are currently dating twin sisters, and are thinking of marrying them. Our friends and family say it is weird and maybe even illegal. We will be heartbroken not to marry these twin sisters. However, we also do not want to find ourselves in trouble with the law. Is marrying twins to twins prohibited in Tanzania? Please advise us.
KD, Shinyanga

Congratulations. We assume the wedding news brought dinner-table debates!

Legally, the the Law of Marriage Act, Cap. 29 [R.E 2023] outlines prohibited relationships in section 14. Tanzanian law clearly defines a range of relationships in which marriage is strictly prohibited. No person may legally marry their grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, sibling, or extended close relatives such as great-aunt, great-uncle, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew. The law extends these restrictions to in-law relations as well, including the grandparent, parent, child, or grandchild of one’s current or former spouse.

Additionally, marrying the former spouse of one’s own grandparent, parent, child, or grandchild is forbidden. The law also prohibits marriage between adopted individuals and their adoptive parents or children. It makes no distinction between half-blood and full-blood relatives, treating both types of relationships equally in terms of legal impediments.

Furthermore, the legitimacy of birth, whether someone was born within or outside of wedlock, does not affect these prohibitions. Lastly, when referring to familial terms like grandparent, grandchild, great-uncle, or great-aunt, the law applies these restrictions regardless of degree, meaning even distant relations in those categories are covered. Anyone falling within these classifications is considered to be in a prohibited relationship, and under Tanzanian law, marriage between them is not permitted.

As long as each couple meets the minimum age requirement of 18 years, enters into the marriage with free will and full consent, you are free to marry anyone who does not fall into the prohibited relationship category. So, legally speaking, you are in the clear. No government office is going to raise an eyebrow, although your wedding guests definitely might. We can imagine the coordination, the matching outfits, the double anniversary. Just make sure people know which twin is marrying whom to save everyone some confusion. Consult your lawyer for further guidance.

Content on indigenous cultures

I recently visited the Hadzabe community with a licensed tour operator. It was incredible to see their hunter-gatherer lifestyle up close, and I took lots of photos and short videos and shared them with my social media followers. I made sure not to interfere, but most of the elders seemed uncomfortable when I took shots of them. I did not think much of it until someone commented on my post that I could be violating tourism laws about recording indigenous cultures. I believe I was respectful, however, I am now wondering whether, even if I had permission from the tour group, I could get into trouble for how I used the content. What does the law actually say about this?
BO, Arusha

It is good that you want to create ethical content. Section 60 of the Tourism Act (Act No. 11 of 2008) makes it clear the tour operator’s duty to ensure that photographers take local customs seriously, protect cultural crafts and folklore, and never use images to mock, shame, or strip dignity from anyone. That means no exploiting traditions for likes, no turning real lives into entertainment, and definitely no funny captions that put people down. You mentioned the elders were uncomfortable, but you did not specify what they were doing while you took the shots, so we cannot comment on the legality of the shots. Consult your lawyer to review the post.