A top Tanzanian official who launched a surveillance squad dedicated to hunting down gay people has been banned by the US from entering the country. The US state department said Paul Makonda, the administrative chief of the capital Dar es Salaam, was involved in “gross violations of human rights”. His immediate family members have also been barred from visiting the US. A crackdown on freedom of expression has been on the rise since President John Magufuli came into office in 2015. Human rights groups also accuse Mr Magufuli of repressing political dissent, detaining human rights activists, and muzzling the media.