Good morning!The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
CHADEMA’s Vice Chairperson Tundu Lissu arrested alongside other top officials in police crackdown against the Youth Day celebration
CHADEMA Vice-Chairperson Tundu Lissu alongside party secretary John Mnyika and Nyasa zone chairperson Joseph Mbilinyi were arrested in Mbeya on the evening of August 11, 2024. This follows a full day of the Police crackdown on CHADEMA members who were traveling to Mbeya for the party’s official celebration of the youth day.
Earlier in the day, Police issued a statement banning all gatherings planned for the youth day event citing that they might lead to the breach of peace. All regional Police officials were advised to stop convoys heading to Mbeya for the celebration.
By mid-day, CHADEMA’s youth wing Vice Chairperson, Moza Ally reported that 20 buses full of members who were traveling to Mbeya for the celebration were stopped in Iringa, Makambako, and Mtera.
Pictures of a large group of detained CHADEMA members were shared by party officials, with about 109 members detained in Iringa. One of the arrested members is Awema Othman Nassor who was travelling with her six-month daughter.
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Tanzania police detain a large number of CHADEMA youth traveling to Mbeya for the Youth Day celebration
Tanzania Police have detained at least a hundred CHADEMA members who were heading to Mbeya, the region designated by the party for the official celebration of Youth Day, which is observed annually on August 12 worldwide.
Arrests began last night, August 10, 2024, when several youths from the Temeke region, who were organizing their convoy to Mbeya, were detained. The situation continued on August 11, 2024, with youth from various regions being stopped at multiple checkpoints.
This comes a day since the ruling party youth celebrated Youth Day in Zanzibar on August 10, 2024, a celebration that attracted hundreds of ruling party supporters from across the country. Speaking about the incident, the Vice Chairperson of the CHADEMA youth wing Moza Ally said about 20 buses were stopped at various checkpoints in Iringa, Makambako, and Mtera.
“I urge the Police to release the youth who are traveling to Mbeya. CCM’s youth held their celebration at the Aman stadium and the Police were there to protect them. How come for CHADEMA’s youth it is different, you are focusing on sabotaging us,” enquired Moza.
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TLS calls for accountability, lists 83 kidnapped and disappeared individuals
The Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) has expressed its disappointment and condemnation of the ongoing arbitrary arrests, abductions, and torture of citizens in the country, criticizing the lack of accountability by relevant state authorities.
In a statement released on August 09, 2024 TLS, a list of 83 names of individuals allegedly kidnapped in the country has been compiled, including Kombo Mbwana, Shadrack Chaula, and others identified in the list. The society further stated that there have been numerous reports of people disappearing under mysterious circumstances, being kidnapped, tortured, and later found, with some having died and others bearing severe injuries.
“We are also disheartened by how our state organs, particularly the Police Force, have handled these reports. The Police have repeatedly denied the occurrence of such incidents, only for it to later be revealed that the incidents were indeed true. In some cases, the Police have even arrested good citizens who reported these incidents, accusing them of spreading false information instead of investigating the reports in accordance with the Constitution and laws that mandate them to protect people and their property,” the TLS says in its statement.
“TLS, under the authority granted by Section 4 of the Tanganyika Law Society Act, Cap. 307 R.E. 2002, wishes to remind the state organs, especially the Police Force, of their Constitutional and Legal duties to protect people and their property.”
“These abduction incidents violate Article 13(6)(e) and Article 14 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as International Conventions on Human Rights, which prohibit torture, such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the statement read.
Father makes desperate appeals after his son who avoided jail time for burning president’s portrait went missing: ‘I want him dead or alive’
Police in Tanzania remain under constant pressure from citizens decrying forced disappearance incidents that continue to dominate headlines in the East African nation, casting serious doubt on the law enforcement authorities’ capability to ensure people’s safety.
Families whose members have mysteriously disappeared have been making desperate calls to authorities to expedite efforts to find what might have happened to their loved ones with the hope that the completion of such processes would allow them to reconnect with them finally.
The latest of these families is that of the 24-year-old TikToker Shadrack Chaula, who avoided jail time after Tanzanians crowd-funded to buy back his freedom. Chaula was arrested for burning a portrait of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. He was subsequently charged with publication of false information and sentenced to two years in prison or paying a fine of Sh5 million.
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Police investigation reveals gang rape incident occurred in dodoma, four suspects arrested
The Tanzanian Police Force has confirmed that their investigation has revealed that the video circulating online, showing a woman being raped and sodomized by a group of men, took place in Dodoma. In a statement released today by Police Spokesperson SACP David Misime, it was disclosed that the incident occurred in May 2024 in the Swaswa area of Dodoma.
“So far, the investigation has successfully led to the arrest of four out of the six suspects who planned and executed the crime,” Misime said.
The suspects were apprehended in Dodoma and Pwani regions, identified as Clinton Honest Damas, known as “Nyundo,” Praygod Edwin Mushi, Amini Lord Lema, and Nickson Idala Jackson.
Since August 2, 2024, a video has been circulating online, showing a woman being raped and sodomized by five men. In one of the videos, the men are seen forcing the woman to apologize to their superior for allegedly having an affair with her husband.
Following the circulation of the videos, citizens and various human rights advocates called for strict legal action against the men, who were alleged to be members of the security forces. However, in initial actions, the Police issued a statement urging people to stop sharing the videos online to protect the dignity and respect of the victim.
The Police also reported the arrest of four individuals in Dar es Salaam who violated the law by distributing footage of the incident on social media. The suspects are Flora Mlombora, Agatha Mchome, Madatha Jeremiah Budodi, and James Nyanda Paulo.
Additionally, the statement mentioned the arrest of four individuals accused of creating and spreading false information online, claiming that the raped girl had died. The suspects, identified as Amos Lwiza, Adam Dongo, Venance Mallya, and Asack Elias, were arrested in Arusha and Dar es Salaam regions.
“The investigation is ongoing, with efforts to locate the two remaining suspects who are still in hiding, to bring them to court,” Misime added.
The Police also reported that they had located the girl who was victimized, and she is currently in a safe location, receiving the necessary care and support for someone who has experienced such brutality.
Aga Khan to stop offering services to NHIF patients
The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has informed the public that Aga Khan hospitals has requested a termination of its contract with NHIF due to operational challenges. This decision was announced in Dodoma on August 11, 2024.
According to the NHIF, they received a request from the Aga Khan Hospital to cease providing medical services to NHIF members effective August 13, 2024. The statement clarified that under the contract between the Fund and the service provider, either party has the right to request a suspension or continuation of services, thus allowing Aga Khan the freedom to exercise its contractual rights.
“Discussions with the service provider regarding their request to suspend services are ongoing,” the NHIF stated. “In the meantime, we advise our members to utilize alternative registered health facilities to receive medical services from the stated date.”
The NHIF has registered over 9,000 health facilities across the country, including those owned by the government, private institutions, and religious organizations. These facilities range from dispensaries to national referral hospitals, ensuring members have the freedom to choose where to receive their medical care anywhere in the country.
In preparation for this transition, the NHIF has registered alternative facilities of equal or higher standards than the Aga Khan Hospital to ensure continued service for its members. NHIF offices nationwide, are ready to assist members during this transition period.
“If a member encounters any difficulties, they should contact the Fund through its nationwide offices or the Customer Service Center, which operates 24 hours a day via the toll-free number 199,” the statement read.
This comes just six months after a dispute arose in the country, where private hospitals announced the suspension of services to NHIF members. The private hospitals claimed that the revised payment rates set by NHIF were not fair to the owners of these hospitals.
This incident sparked a significant debate about the balance between service costs and the payments provided by NHIF to private hospitals, raising concerns among NHIF members about the availability of quality healthcare services in the country.
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