The government of Zanzibar has outlawed the braiding of hair by men, with a 1 million Tanzanian shilling (Ksh.58,000) fine, six-month imprisonment or both for anyone who contravenes the directive.
The island’s Council of Arts, Film, and Culture says the rule is aimed at protecting what it calls Zanzibar’s culture and tradition.
The council’s executive secretary Omar Adam told local media that police will arrest any man who plaits his hair in Zanzibar without a special permit.
To that effect, any man who wants permission to plait will be required to pay 1 million Tanzanian shillings for the permit.
“Police will arrest all men who plait hair; this is not acceptable by the arts council, and there is a special permit for plaiting hair, which is Sh1 million, and we have set that price in order to deter them. Now it is your choice to either pay 1 million shillings to plait or buy a razor to shave,” Adam told the Zanzibar Broadcasting Corporation.
Adam says many young people in the popular tourist destination have had the habit of braiding their hair, which he deems to be against the traditions of the Zanzibari people.
“I don’t know if there is any father here in Zanzibar who will take his son to a hair salon. This is not the culture of Zanzibar and we as law enforcers must prevent this,” he said in another interview with BBC Swahili.
According to Adam, the law has been in existence since 2015 but has not been implemented. He however did not clarify whether it affects foreigners who visit the islands.
