Good morning!The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on July 22, 2024.
Kombo Mbwana’s lawyers sue the police. It’s a 29-year-old who went missing for a month only for police to say he was detained
Lawyers representing Kombo Twaha Mbwana, a 29-year-old who went missing for a month, have filed a habeas corpus application, demanding the court compel the police to produce him.
Kombo disappeared on June 15, 2024. According to his mother, Hellena Joseph, several individuals arrived at his house around 8 a.m., accusing him of illegally occupying his plot. They manhandled him and forced him into their vehicle, and his whereabouts remained unknown despite the family’s efforts to contact hospitals and various police stations in Tanga.
On July 14, 2024, police in the Tanga region confirmed they had detained Kombo, a businessman and CHADEMA party leader in Handeni, for alleged offenses related to the misuse of social media platforms. These are bailable offenses. Despite this, Kombo has not been granted bail and remains in detention. His family and party members report that he has been wounded due to torture during his disappearance.
The application, registered under number 202407182000020036, is scheduled to be heard today, July 23, 2024, before Judge Happiness Ndesamburo. Kombo is represented by nine lawyers, including Mpale Mpoki, John Seka, Boniface Mwabukusi, Peter Madeleka, Paul Kisabo, Daimu Halfani, Hekima Mwasipu, Fulgence Massawe, and Ferdinand Makore.
Kombo’s case arises as the Commission for Human Rights reveals that several police stations in Tanzania are being used as torture chambers.
Panic at Mburahati School as parents storm schools fearing kidnappings. Police say it is misinformation
Some parents and guardians of Mburahati Primary School pupils stormed the school on the afternoon of July 22, 2024, intending to pick up their children due to fears that individuals were planning to abduct them.
It is alleged that a black Van without registration numbers was seen near the school, alarming some people who then began spreading information about the presence of the vehicle, linking it to kidnapping incidents. After a while, the vehicle left.
Following the spread of this information, parents and guardians gathered at the school and neighboring schools, wanting to know if their children were safe, causing a large crowd that overwhelmed the school.
“I received the news at home from Kigogo, a parent came to pick up her child from Kigogo school and said two children had died, and parents were at the school picking up their children. After that, I got scared and came to find my fellow parents, we came to pick up our children,” said an unnamed woman explaining why she came to pick up her child during school hours.
“I heard such alarming news and had to come to verify. I had to go to the classroom to make sure. My child is here, yes, here at nine, come and pick up your children,” said another parent.
After the police arrived and helped calm the parents and guardians, the school management decided to dismiss the students by handing them over to each parent individually.
Using a loudspeaker, they began calling the children’s names, and teachers had to verify the identity of the parent or guardian before allowing them to leave with the child. Children who did not have someone to pick them up were required to remain at the school for a while.
In recent days, there have been reports of children being kidnapped by unknown individuals using cars, motorcycles, and three-wheelers in various parts of Dar es Salaam, causing the community to live in constant fear.
The recent case involved an eight-year-old, Telesphore Mwakalinga from Dodoma who went missing on July 17, 2024, only for his body to be found with several parts removed including genitals.
On July 20, 2024, while speaking to cultural and traditional leaders, President Samia Suluhu called for community participation in ensuring the incidents of kidnappings are stopped. She called for the community to debunk the myth that the incidents are related to the upcoming election.
“Another thing go and raise awareness, for now when you question these incidents [of kidanapping] people say it’s because of the election, people want to be elected. Go and tell the politicians, if the assertion is true, you are the traditional leaders you know these things, tell the politicians that they cannot get political positions that way,” said President Samia.
In their report, Police explained that some people were spreading rumors causing panic and one person has so far been arrested. Some of the false reporting includes the report in Mbagala and Kisewe schools which claim some children were kidnapped and their kidneys and eyes taken.
Six Ethiopian nationals arrested in Morogoro for entering the country illegally
The Police Force in Morogoro Region has arrested six Ethiopian nationals for allegedly entering the country without permits during an operation conducted by the police and other security agencies that began on July 1, 2024.
Explaining the incident today, Monday, July 22, 2024, Morogoro Regional Police Commander, Alex Mkama, said the suspects were arrested on July 20 in the Kisisi Forest area, Malolo Village, Kilosa District, Morogoro Region.
“We managed to arrest the illegal suspects on July 20 at 9:00 AM in the Kisisi area, where they were hiding in the Malolo Village, Malolo B Ward. We have already handed them over to the immigration authorities for further action,” he said.
Morogoro Regional Deputy Immigration Officer, Richard Mwasongwe, confirmed the arrest of the immigrants and urged citizens to avoid engaging in such activities, as those caught will face legal action and a fine of TSh 20 million. Additionally, their properties used to harbor or transport the immigrants will be confiscated.
“I urge citizens to avoid engaging in the transportation of illegal immigrants, as per the Immigration Act of 2016, Chapter 54, Section 46 Subsection 1C and 2, anyone found doing so will face severe penalties. A fine of TSh 20 million or 20 years imprisonment, and any vehicle used in the process will be confiscated,” said Mwasongwe.
This is not the first incident of illegal immigrants being arrested in the country within the last six months. Recently, V8 vehicles, some with government registration numbers and the ruling party’s flag, were arrested with illegal immigrants in the central part of the country.
Without accountability, there’ll never be justice. Nowhere
Impunity is the death of accountability. Or it is the lack of accountability that gives birth to impunity, always and everywhere. Or they egg each other on. I do what I like because I can.
But whatever the case, the more impunity there is, the more the victims of those who act with impunity suffer—in all spheres, from the political to the domestic, from the community to the national and international.
I always remember the Swahili proverb, dua la kuku halimpati mwewe. The hen can jump, shout, and turn the air blue with their insults, but the hawk sails off into the blue, carrying the chick in his claws and looking forward to the feast.
Read the full analysis here
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see left), following us on X (Twitter) (here), or joining us on Telegram (here). And if you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com
