Tanzanians will go to the polls on November 27 in the first real political test of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.
The official date was announced this week as security agencies and the main opposition party, Chadema, clashed over the right to assemble, which the authorities saw as a plot to sow chaos in the country.
Hopes for a smooth conduct of the civic poll, which will lay the groundwork for next year’s general elections, were dealt a severe blow after a heavy-handed police response to Chadema’s plan to hold a rally in Mbeya, south-west Tanzania.
The party’s leaders and some supporters, more than 500 of them, were arrested ahead of the rally on Monday before being released and sent back to their homes.
The incident overshadowed the long-delayed announcement of the election date by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Administration (Tamisemi), which was made with fanfare in the capital Dodoma on Thursday.
Police violently enforced a ban on the opposition rally, which was to mark the annual International Youth Day.
Among those arrested in the raid were party Chairperson Freeman Mbowe, Vice-Chairperson Tundu Lissu, Secretary-General John Mnyika and central committee member Joseph Mbilinyi, who were eventually taken back to their home regions under heavy police guard with other detainees.
The police and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties said they were concerned that the rally could spark anti-government protests along the lines of the Gen-Z youth movement in neighbouring Kenya as the reason for prohibiting it.
But at their first press conference on Wednesday after returning to Dar es Salaam, the Chadema leaders condemned the “unprecedented brutality” they had experienced at the hands of the police.
Lissu and Mnyika minced no words in describing how police officers used batons, pepper spray and tasers to rough them up, and how their colleague Mbilinyi was seriously injured and taken to hospital in Dar es Salaam.
Mnyika recounted how the police team leader, Commander (CP) Awadh Haji, who heads the force’s Operations and Training Unit, “snatched my spectacles off my face, broke them and then stomped on them, before other police officers began beating us up mercilessly”.
“We were then thrown into police trucks and driven for hundreds of kilometres, lying face down. Mbilinyi in particular was in a very bad state,” he added.
Mbowe said the police action was “totally uncalled for” and said it was a deliberate strategy to cripple the opposition ahead of Tanzania’s new election season.
“Instead of achieving their intended purpose of deterring the youth from pursuing the kind of mutinous stances we have seen in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and elsewhere, such actions could actually spur them on. And it would be pointless to blame the opposition [if this were to happen],” the party leader said.
He said that despite the incident, Chadema would continue its quest for political equality and that if such police violence was repeated in either of the two upcoming elections, “this country will not be safe for anyone”.
Read: Tanzania 2025 elections: Why Magufuli legacy persists despite Samia’s political reforms
The party has also announced its intention to take legal action against CP Haji and Assistant Registrar Sisty Nyahoza, who signed the letter to Chadema banning the Mbeya rally, in their personal capacities for spearheading the week’s events.
Mr Nyahoza’s letter quoted invitation videos posted on social media by the party’s youth leaders calling on youths across the country to attend the rally “to show that they are as serious as their Kenyan counterparts in charting a new destiny for the country and doing away with state control”.
He said such statements were tantamount to inciting social chaos, which Mbowe dismissed as a “completely baseless assumption”.
The nationwide November 27 civic poll will see the election of village, street and ward chairpersons and council members.
It is expected to be a litmus test for the 2025 presidential and parliamentary elections, in which the ruling CCM party will seek to maintain its legislative dominance and President Samia Suluhu Hassan will seek to secure an outright electoral mandate for the first time.
She was elevated from vice-president by constitutional decree after her predecessor John Magufuli died in office in 2021.
However, the Mbeya incident has fuelled scepticism about the chances of a free and fair vote in November, especially as questions have also been raised about the government’s continued oversight of local elections, despite the establishment of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following amendments to the electoral law earlier this year.
Kicking off the November race on Thursday, Tamisemi Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa, whose portfolio falls directly under the president’s office, said ballot papers and other required documents were ready for the exercise.
Contesting political parties will only be allowed to start formal campaigning a week before the polls on November 20, and have also been instructed to submit their campaign meeting schedules to the ministry’s approved election supervisors at least a week in advance.
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Tanzania’s opposition party ACT Wazalendo honours veteran politician under new policy
Unguja. Opposition party ACT Wazalendo today officially bids farewell to its former Chairman, Juma Duni Haji, also known as Babu Duni, as part of a new policy designed to honor retired senior leaders at a ceremony held at Kiembesamaki, Zanzibar.
The initiative highlights the party’s commitment to recognizing and supporting individuals who have served with dedication and integrity.
Babu Duni, who stepped down earlier this year, was succeeded by Othman Masoud, now the First Vice President of Zanzibar.
The policy aims to provide ongoing respect and support to retired leaders, ensuring their continued recognition and contribution to the party’s development.
“Recognizing their significant contributions to the development and prosperity of the party, this policy ensures that retired leaders continue to be acknowledged and respected by both the party and the community,” the policy states.
To benefit from this policy, leaders must not have left or been expelled from the party. They must have served the party with honor and dedication. The national leadership committee will determine whether a leader has fulfilled these criteria.
The policy seeks to honor retired leaders, protect their dignity, acknowledge their contributions, leverage their ideas for the party’s growth, and support them to the best of the party’s ability.
In honoring these leaders, the party will provide a vehicle, the type of which will be determined by the national leadership committee. Additionally, they will receive a monthly allowance, with the amount also set by this committee.
Other benefits include health insurance. If a leader does not own a home, the party will cover their rent at a rate decided by the committee.
The leadership committee may also grant special recognition based on the leader’s contributions. Retired leaders will participate in decision-making meetings according to procedures outlined in the party’s constitution.
Depending on the party’s resources at the time, the policy may also apply to retired deputy chairpersons for both the mainland and Zanzibar, the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General for both mainland and Zanzibar, and the party’s Attorney General.
Additionally, leaders, executives, or members with exceptional contributions to the party’s protection, advocacy, and defense may also benefit, as determined by the leadership committee.
Currently, those who are eligible for benefits under this policy include Juma Duni Haji (retired party Chairman) and Zitto Kabwe (retired party leader).Continue Reading
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European Union Bans Air Tanzania Over Safety Concerns
Kampala — The European Commission added Air Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List, banning the airline from operating within European Union airspace. This decision follows the denial of Air Tanzania’s Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), citing significant safety deficiencies.
The EU Air Safety List includes airlines that fail to meet international safety standards. Commissioner Tzitzikostas emphasized the importance of passenger safety, stating: “The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards. We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift action to address these safety issues. The Commission has offered its assistance to Tanzanian authorities to enhance safety performance and achieve compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania joins several African airlines banned from EU airspace, including carriers from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Kenya. Notable names include Congo Airways, Sudan Airways, and Kenyan carriers Silverstone Air Services and Skyward Express. The ban reflects the EU’s strict approach to aviation safety worldwide.
Source: allafrica.com
