Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on September 10, 2024. 

Mbowe warns of mass protests if abducted CHADEMA members are not returned

The Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) has given the government until September 21, 2024, to ensure that its leaders and members, along with all other citizens who have been abducted, are returned or their whereabouts made known and warned that if this is not addressed, they will take it to the streets.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam on September 11, 2024, CHADEMA Chairman Freeman Mbowe outlined three resolutions that the party has reached and urged the government to act on them to stop the ongoing abductions in the country.

“The first issue is that we are giving the government until Saturday, September 21, 2024, to tell us where our people, our members, and leaders are, and return them safely. If they are not safe, return their bodies, or tell us where they have been dumped,” said Mbowe.

 He added, “I have announced that by September 21, 2024, we expect to see actions, such as the return of the abducted and the resignation of certain leaders. If no action is taken, from September 23, 2024, the whole city of Dar es Salaam, in every ward, every street, will rise up. “

“My people, we’ve been joking too often, but this time, there will be no joke. Starting Monday, September 23, 2024, we will take to the streets to demand the lives of our lost people unless the government takes immediate and deliberate steps to return them, have people resign, and hold everyone accountable.”

Although Mbowe had previously called for a judicial commission to be formed to ensure justice for cases of abductions and disappearance, he clarified that, given the current circumstances in Tanzania, external support is needed to conduct the investigation. The party proposed for Scotland Yard to be invited for the investigation.

“Now, after consultations with all leaders, we have agreed that the only people we trust to conduct a fair investigation in our country must be an international investigative body, and we have specifically recommended Scotland Yard from the UK police force to come and conduct this investigation.”

Mbowe also stressed that leaders of the country’s security institutions should resign, as the responsibility was placed in their hands, but they have failed to fulfill it, causing deaths and panic in the nation.

 “We demand accountability, starting with the resignation of the Minister of Home Affairs (Engineer Masauni), who is responsible for the police force. We demand the resignation of the Chief of Police (IGP) Wambura, the resignation of DCI Kingai, and the resignation of the Director General of Internal Security (DGIS) Mombo.”

“They should resign for failing to manage these sensitive departments and turning them into propaganda arms of the ruling CCM party. Since Scotland Yard will conduct an impartial investigation without political interference, they will identify all those involved in this operation, and we will demand they be brought to justice and held accountable.”

On his part, CHADEMA Vice Chairman Tundu Antipas Lissu, speaking at the same meeting, stated that the police and other security agencies cannot investigate themselves.

“The security forces are the primary suspects—the police, the National Security Department headed by President Samia herself. The police are the main suspects; how can they investigate themselves? If you say the security forces should investigate, they can’t investigate themselves; they need to be investigated, cleaned out, and ensure we have real security officers, not thugs in uniform paid with public money.”

This comes just four days after the shocking incident of the abduction and brutal murder of a CHADEMA member and leader, Ali Kibao, who was buried on September 09, 2024  in Tanga Region, the incident has stirred many emotions.

15.78 Kilograms of gold seized while being smuggled to Zanzibar

The Minister of Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, has announced the seizure of 15.78 kilograms of gold worth 3.4 billion Tanzanian shillings at Dar es Salaam Port, which was being smuggled to Zanzibar.

Speaking to the media in Dar es Salaam on September 11, 2024, Minister Mavunde said the three suspects, during preliminary interviews, claimed they were transporting the gold from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar, and investigations are ongoing.

“Our country has several productive sectors, with their revenues being the foundation of our economic development, including the mineral sector. When a few individuals engage in activities like mineral smuggling it deprive the government of revenue, we cannot tolerate them,” Mavunde said.

He stated that the government will revoke the suspects’ licenses and place them on a blacklist, prohibiting them from holding any licenses to conduct business in Tanzania’s mineral value chain, should they be found guilty by the court.

“These 15.78 kilograms, at today’s market price, are worth approximately 3.4 billion shillings, money that these smugglers will now lose. The government will revoke their licenses if convicted, and blacklist them from holding any licenses to engage in any business within Tanzania’s mineral value chain,” Mavunde explained.

Mavunde commended the work of the anti-smuggling task force in collaboration with other security agencies, urging business people across the country to stop smuggling as it undermines the government’s efforts to grow the national economy.

This incident comes just six months after 10 other suspects were caught smuggling minerals in Mbeya on March 20, 2024. The mineral sector contributes about nine percent to Tanzania’s GDP, and the government now believes its contribution may have surpassed 10 percent ahead of the planned timeline. The initial goal was for the sector’s contribution to reach 10 percent by 2025.

Another student shot dead in Geita as Police use live bullets to disperse protesters

The Tanzania Police Force has confirmed the deaths of two people in Geita Region following violent clashes that led to over 800 people storming the Lulembela Police Station. The mob was demanding the release of two individuals suspected of being child abductors so that they could administer their own punishment.

A statement released on September 11, 2024, by Police Spokesperson David Misime explained that the crowd began attacking the police station with stones, insisting on forcibly taking the suspects to kill them. In addition to pelting the station with stones and attempting to storm the building, the angry mob set fire to a vehicle parked outside.

“The incident began after two individuals were seen carrying two children, and people at the Lulembela market suspected them of being child abductors and started assaulting them. A ward executive officer intervened, putting the two suspects on a motorcycle and rushing them to Lulembela Police Station,” the statement read.

“Upon seeing the situation endangering lives and government property, police officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd, but when that failed, they fired warning shots into the air. In the chaos, two people lost their lives: one was a young man estimated to be between 18 and 20 years old, and the second was a girl named Teresia John, 18, a Form Four student at Lulembela Secondary School, whose home is opposite the police station.”

The statement further clarified that the two individuals suspected of being child abductors were actually carrying their own children. They were identified as Emanuel John (33), a resident of Kigamboni, Lulembela, who was carrying his child, Ikram Emanuel, and Ng’amba Leonard (24), who was carrying a child named John Emanuel. The children’s mother, Rachel Masunga Luhende (22), also from Kigamboni, Lulembela, confirmed that the children were hers.

This is the second known incident in which citizens have stormed a police station, demanding accountability from the police, resulting in fatalities. Earlier, August 21, 2024 a person was killed in Lamadi, Simiyu Region, when residents stormed a police station following child abduction concerns.

However, the country has been grappling with a wave of people’s abductions including children , with some never being found or later discovered murdered. Reports of people being beaten for being suspected child abductors have surfaced in various parts of the country, with citizens claiming they are pushing for accountability from the relevant authorities.

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). If you have any questions or comments, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.