In a now-viral video, a man is seen approaching Pastor Israel Ngatunga from behind and striking him on the head with a large cement block, knocking him unconscious. Ngatunga falls face-first to the ground, where he remains motionless.
“They’ve killed him! Please take him to the hospital!” some women can be heard crying in the background of the video.
Ngatunga, CHADEMA local representative in Msongola, Ilala, Dar es Salaam, recounted the incident to The Chanzo.
“I remember on October 14, 2024, around noon, I was informed by my party’s ward secretary that people attempting to register to vote were being directed to a non-official registration point. They were being told they had already registered, even though they hadn’t reached the actual registration center,” Ngatunga explained.
He added, “This alarmed us, so I decided to go with the secretary and the branch chairperson of Yangeyange to investigate. When we arrived near the registration center, in an area called Kwa Mussa on Yangeyange Street, we found three young men and a young woman registering people using an ordinary classroom notebook.”
According to Ngatunga, the official registration center was empty, but people at the unofficial site were being told that it was the legitimate registration point.
“When we questioned the young people about what they were doing, they didn’t respond. Instead, they stood up and began attacking us. Suddenly, I was hit by something and lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground,” he recounted.
After regaining consciousness, Ngatunga was shocked to hear rumors that he had died. When he saw the video of the attack, he was frightened by how serious it was. He noted that he still cannot move his neck properly and sometimes experiences moments of confusion, feeling as though he is losing consciousness. Though he has been advised to undergo further medical tests, he currently lacks the financial means to do so.
“I am deeply saddened that our country has come to this point. It pains me greatly. Tanzania has always been known as a peaceful nation—a true island of peace, admired by many for this very quality. But now, we’ve reached a place where, because of politics, we harm one another,” Ngatunga said.
Ukuni Simiti, the CHADEMA Msongola party secretary, was also present during the incident and called the ward executive, who then sent the police.
“The police arrived, but they didn’t confiscate the fake registration book. I was surprised—they said it wasn’t their concern,” Simiti said.
Police later arrested Abdulkadil Aziz for his involvement in the incident. While the police identified Aziz as a resident of Msongola ward, CHADEMA disputed this, saying he is not from the area.
