Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is witnessing an intensifying crackdown on the opposition ahead of the general elections slated for later this year, raising concerns among the country’s political observers, who fear that the democratic process will be marred by violence and lawlessness, rendering the elections neither free nor fair.
The authorities’ decision to charge Tundu Lissu, chairperson of the opposition party CHADEMA, with treason—following his calls for key legal and regulatory reforms to ensure free and fair elections—signals the administration’s abandonment of reconciliation in favour of retribution under the guise of maintaining law and order, rather than fostering a level playing field.
Authorities allege that Lissu’s remarks—outlining CHADEMA’s planned strategy to block elections unless key reforms are implemented, including references to rebellion—amount to treason, a grave offence in Tanzania punishable by death.
However, CHADEMA maintains that its chairperson has been falsely accused merely for advocating essential reforms aimed at enhancing citizens’ participation in democratic processes. In addition to treason, Lissu—himself a lawyer—faces separate charges of publishing false statements. Both cases are currently being heard concurrently at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court.
Authorities have pursued Mr Lissu’s prosecution with such heavy-handed tactics that many are now questioning both the lawfulness of their actions and their underlying intentions, including transferring him from Keko Prison to the maximum-security Ukonga Prison without providing any explanation to his lawyers or family.
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Prison officers have also been accused of arbitrarily restricting access to the opposition leader, with multiple reports of family members and lawyers having their visitation requests denied without justification.
Darkest chapter?
Yet the darkest chapter in this unfolding drama came on Thursday, April 24, 2025, during the hearing at Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court. As CHADEMA mobilised its supporters to attend the proceedings, police deployed overwhelming force to prevent any gathering near the courthouse, ultimately unleashing a crackdown of “unprecedented brutality.”
Police are accused of using excessive force to prevent access to the courtroom where the hearing was scheduled. Among those blocked was opposition ACT-Wazalendo party leader Dorothy Semu, whose confrontation with officers went viral after she was barred from entering to observe proceedings. Dozens of others faced similar restrictions in what has been described as a systematic denial of access.
Police arrested dozens of CHADEMA leaders and members outside the courthouse. Many detainees later reported being harassed, beaten, and subjected to various forms of torture before being abandoned in Ununio, and Pande Forest – a game reserve approximately 43 kilometres from Dar es Salaam’s city centre. Disturbing videos circulating on social media show detainees writhing in pain, their trousers stained with blood from apparent beatings.
Among those arrested and subjected to severe torture were several high-ranking CHADEMA officials: John Heche (Deputy Chairperson for Tanzania Mainland), Ali Ibrahim Juma (CHADEMA deputy Secretary General – Zanzibar), and Tito Kitalika (Finance Director), along with numerous rank-and-file party members. Many of the injured were hospitalised at Mwananyamala Hospital, where they received emergency treatment for their wounds.
In a particularly concerning incident, police briefly disappeared with the party’s Secretary General, John Mnyika, before returning him to CHADEMA’s Mikocheni headquarters in Dar es Salaam late that evening. Several CHADEMA leaders have gone missing, including Hilda Newton—a mother of a one-year-old child and a member of the party’s General Assembly. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and the police have not confirmed where she is being held. Hilda was arrested in Kisutu while providing updates on the ongoing virtual procession of Lissu’s case.
Unconfirmed reports indicate police may have tortured and killed at least one unidentified individual. CHADEMA Central Committee member Godbless Lema stated on X that when party officials attempted to identify the body at Mwananyamala Hospital mortuary, police refused to hand it over to hospital authorities and transported it to an undisclosed location.
The crackdown extended beyond opposition figures, with journalists also targeted by police violence as officers forcibly cleared the courthouse perimeter. Among the victims was Francis Simba, a journalist with Mwanzo TV, who sustained such severe injuries from torture when he was taken to Mabwepande fores, leading to him losing mobility. Global TV’s Grace Khuni described being repeatedly interrogated and abused while being shuttled between police stations in a van, before her eventual release.
From the on-set, journalists who arrived at the scene were informed that they were denied entry to the court, because the proceedings will be held virtually. When the court session commenced virtually, Lissu’s legal team protested as non-consensual. In defiance, Lissu refused to appear via video link, allowing both the treason and false publication cases to proceed in his absence. The court briefly heard arguments before adjourning the cases to May 7 and April 28, respectively.
Police justified their actions as necessary to uphold law and order in the city, ensuring the uninterrupted continuation of social and economic activities. Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Jumanne Muliro informed journalists that officers acted based on “indicators of public disorder” and “credible intelligence,” characterising the operation as fully lawful.
Condemnations
However, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) – an NGO advocating for human rights and good governance – strongly condemned the police’s conduct toward citizens exercising their constitutional rights, denouncing their actions as “unlawful” and “completely unacceptable.”
READ MORE: How CHADEMA Aims to Block Tanzania’s 2025 Elections Without Electoral Reforms
“Every citizen has the right to observe court proceedings,” declared Fulgence Massawe, LHRC’s Director of Reforms and Advocacy, during a brief press conference outside the courthouse. “Denying this right constitutes both a constitutional violation and judicial interference.”
Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan lawyer and politician leading a pan-African rights campaign for Mr Lissu’s unconditional release, condemned the violent treatment of citizens outside the courthouse. She urged regional and international bodies to denounce the abuses and hold Tanzanian authorities accountable.
“These systematic actions clearly aim to suppress fair political competition ahead of Tanzania’s October 2025 elections,” declared Karua, leader of Kenya’s opposition People’s Liberation Party, during the press briefing. “We must collectively denounce these brazen human rights violations and demand full accountability from those responsible.”
