Zanzibar bans men from plaiting their hair
The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has banned men from braiding their hair, and those caught face a fine of Sh1 million, six months imprisonment, or both.
This was said by the executive secretary of the Council of Arts, Film, and Culture in Zanzibar, Dr. Omar Adam, who said that the action aims at protecting Zanzibar tradition and culture.
He said police will arrest all men who plait hair in Zanzibar without a special permit and that any man who wants to have permission to plait will be required to pay Sh1 million.
He was speaking on ZBC’s morning show, where he explained various things concerning the Arts and Film sectors and how they supervise the traditions, customs, and Culture of Zanzibar.
“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 Sh1 million to plait or buy a razor to shave,” said Dr. Omar.
According to him, it is a law that has been in existence since 2015 but has not been implemented; he did not state whether it would affect foreign visitors who come to the islands.
