Dar es Salaam. The opposition ACT-Wazalendo party announced Wednesday that it will go after public officials involved in human rights violations against party members as well as members of the general public by targeting them personally with legal actions, primarily lawsuits.
The party’s attorney general, Omar Said Shaaban, told journalists in Zanzibar that regional and district commissioners in the semi-autonomous archipelago have been interfering with the voter’s registration exercise, while engaging in “wanton” violation of human rights and principles of natural justice.
Mr Shaaban, who doubles as ACT Wazalendo’s central committee member said the RCs and DCs in the isles have been using the pretext of “maintaining law and order” in their interference with the exercise while their main motivation is to “aid” the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in the exercise.
Zanzibar is currently in phase two of the voter’s registration exercise, which has been plagued by reports of irregularities and human rights violations, including the alleged involvement of law enforcement authorities in arbitrarily arresting and detaining opposition leaders and members, harassing them as well as torturing them.
“Even accredited observers have not been spared by this harassment,” Mr Shaaban, who doubles as the Minister of Trade and Industrial Development in the ruling Government of National Unity in Zanzibar, told a press conference. “They threaten them and beat them as well as give orders that they should be beaten or harassed.”
This happens as Chairperson of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), Judge George Joseph Kazi, describing the voter’s registration exercise in the archipelago as “smooth” and “without any challenges.” He adds: “There’s no issue, anyone with required qualification is allowed to register, and the exercise is progressing just fine.”
As a demonstration, Mr Shaaban said that the party has helped two of its members – Khadija Anwar Mohamed and Said Muhuzi Bakari – to file a demand notice against Unguja West A District, Sadifa Juma Khamis, for his alleged involvement in their arbitrary arrest and detention as well as torture.
Police arrested Khadija, an ACT Wazalendo central committee member, on March 3, 2025, and detained her for hours before she was released.
According to Mr Shaaban, Mr Khamis personally directed law enforcement authorities to beat, torture and detain the two ACT Wazalendo members on March 1 and March 5, 2025.
However, in an interview with The Chanzo, Mr Khamis denied these allegations, saying that he doesn’t recall anytime directing anyone to hurt anyone.
“I don’t even know the people [ACT Wazalendo] talks about,” the district commissioner said. “I never gave any order for anyone to be detained. I didn’t know anything. I’ll also sue them for defamation. I won’t demand Sh200 million; I’ll demand Sh300 million.”
“On behalf of these two members, ACT Wazalendo-appointed lawyer has filed the demand notice against Sadifa,” Mr Shaaban said. “He is required to pay Sh200 million to each aggrieved person for tortures, inconveniences and violation of their constitutional liberties. He has also been required to publicly confess the mistake and apologise.”
In his interview with The Chanzo, Mr Khamis said he received the demand notice, and he has already responded, stating that he’s not involved in any way in arresting and detaining anyone.
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Shaaban added that the party targets public officials personally so that even when removed from power they can still be answerable to the claims.
He bases his party’s decisions to help its members and citizens to sue for damages on landmark cases such as Lawrence Sulumbu Tarra v Richard Mwaisemba, Attorney General and Halfan A. Matipula as well as Marry Peter Otaru v Onesm Buswelu, Namsemba Mwakatobe and the Attorney General.
In both cases, the court ordered the defendants to pay damages to the plaintiffs over unlawful arrest and detention, precedents Shaaban said ACT Wazalendo relies on in its efforts to fight for the rights of its members, whom it believes are victims of unlawful arrest and detention.
“We have confidence in our courts, and we believe that justice will be served,” Mr Shaaban told journalists. “No more nonsense and injustice. We believe legal action is one of the most effective tools to build a just and fairer Zanzibar. It’s therefore imperative for public officials to behave accordingly and act within the limits established by laws.”
