Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on August 07, 2024.
Police debunked rumours about the death of a gang rape victim
The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Jumanne Muliro, has debunked rumours that circulated online that the victim of a gang rape incident involving young officers from the Tanzania military is dead.Speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, Muliro confirmed that the victim is alive and safe.
“We are in the final stage of the investigation and soon the Police Spokesperson will release a statement,” said Muliro while warning those spreading false information, which he stated interferes with police investigations. “We have arrested one suspect, Amos Rwiza (54), a resident of Tegeta, for spreading these false rumors about the girl’s death,” he added.
How are Tanzanians reacting to global Gen Z protests?
The wave of youth-led protests, colloquially referred to as ‘Gen Z protests,’ that continues to rock several countries globally has generated mixed reactions from Tanzanian observers, with the government and the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) seeming to take an interesting note of the attention-grabbing developments.
Protests are currently underway in several countries worldwide, and the youth leading them appear to be decrying issues and challenges of similar nature, including runaway inflation, corruption and mismanagement, mass unemployment, and nepotism in government.
While some governments managed to suppress the protests through heavy-handed approaches, such as in Uganda and Nigeria, elsewhere, protesters managed to topple governments, forcing power-holders to flee their countries, such as in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In Kenya, protesters forced President William Ruto to withdraw an unpopular finance bill and dissolve his cabinet.
Tanzanians’ reactions to these developments have been a mixture of despair, where some believe the same cannot happen here given the past failed attempts, and caution, where some observers note that nothing can be ruled out given Tanzanian youth face similar challenges their colleagues elsewhere are up in arms against.
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Child abused by housemaid recovers and is discharged from hospital
Malick Hashimu (6), a resident of Goba, Dar es Salaam, who was injured in the neck with a sharp object by a housemaid, has been discharged from Muhimbili National Hospital after his condition improved.
The Director of Surgical Services at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dr. Rachel Mhavile, speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, said that hospital experts are satisfied with the care the child received since he was admitted last month. Now, he is safe and will return home to continue his schooling and normal life, with the hospital promising to closely monitor his progress.
Hashimu sustained severe injuries after being cut in the neck with a sharp object by the housemaid, an act which severed his airway below the voice box, causing difficulty in breathing, speaking, pain, and significant blood loss.
On July 17, 2024, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Force reported the successful arrest of the suspect, Clemensia Cosmas Mirembe (19), who was hiding in an abandoned building in Goba Kizudi, Kinondoni. The police report stated that the suspect is being thoroughly interrogated and will be brought to court as soon as possible for further legal action.
According to the Legal and Human Rights Centre, children’s right are the most violated rights in Tanzania.Police statistics showing that from 2017 to 2021, 70,997 incidents of violence against children were reported at police stations across the country, averaging 14,199 incidents yearly, 1,183 monthly, and 39 incidents each day.
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