Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on May 20, 2025.

Tanzania and Namibia Agree to Intensify Efforts to Enhance Economic Cooperation

Following a joint meeting between Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, the two leaders jointly emphasized the need for both countries to intensify efforts to strengthen economic cooperation.

Speaking to the media, President Samia underscored the importance of the private sector in driving economic growth and urged greater and more impactful investment from private entities than what is currently being seen. In line with this, she invited Namibia’s private sector to invest in Tanzania.

President Netumbo, on her part, stated that her government would send ministers responsible for industrial and trade affairs to Tanzania to study various development programs and explore ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

Tanzania and Namibia share a deep historical political and diplomatic relationship. During Namibia’s liberation struggle, Tanzania served as a stronghold for the SWAPO freedom fighters led by the late Sam Nujoma. 

President Netumbo also lived in Tanzania for many years as part of the SWAPO liberation movement. In the 1980s, she served as a special representative of SWAPO at their office in Dar es Salaam, which earned her the nickname “Mama wa SWAPO,” a title given to her by Tanzania’s founding father, the late Julius Nyerere.

However, trade between Tanzania and Namibia remains limited. As of 2023, the trade volume had reached only TZS 20 billion, prompting both leaders to recognize the need to expand cooperation in trade and economy.

President Netumbo, who is on a two-day official visit to Tanzania, is expected today to visit the African Liberation Heritage Centre in Dar es Salaam, a site that once served as the headquarters of the OAU Liberation Committee. She is also scheduled to speak at the University of Dar es Salaam, a historic hub for Pan-African thought in the 1970s.

Tanzania Concerned About Border Dispute With Uganda

The Tanzanian government, through the Ministry of Defense and National Service, has expressed concern about the border dispute with Uganda, citing a ‘security threat’. This was revealed in parliament today, during the tabling of the Ministry 2025/26 budget.

In the report regarding the security situation of the country’s borders, on the Tanzania-Uganda border, the ministry report underscored that the security situation is calm however border dispute brings concerns.

“The security situation along this border, which is 397.8 kilometers long, is calm. There is no incident endangering the security situation of our country,” the Ministry report reads.

“Despite this, there is a security threat stemming from the border dispute between Tanzania and Uganda. Despite efforts to resolve the dispute, Uganda still claims that its border with Tanzania in Kagera lies at 01° south of the equator, rather than the stone boundary markers,” the Ministry report continues.

The Ministry reported that talks are ongoing through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development.

Tanzania’s Minister of Constitutional Affairs Weighs in on the Deportation of Kenyan Lawyers: They Are Not Licensed to Practice Law in Tanzania

Tanzania’s Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Damas Ndumbaro, said that the Kenyan lawyers who intended to attend the treason hearing of Tundu Lissu, the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, were deported due to concerns of violating Tanzanian law. According to the minister, the lawyers were not licensed to practice law in the country.

“There are some of our Kenyan colleagues who came and were stopped at the airport. They said they came for Tundu Lissu’s case, to defend Tundu Lissu’s human rights. They say they are lawyers. According to my understanding, they did not have a license to practice law in Tanzania, so what they came to do is a violation of our laws,” Ndumbaro said.

“But they have failed to deal with issues in their own country; their own house is on fire, yet they want to put out the fire at their neighbor’s house. That is hypocrisy, and we Tanzanians do not want hypocrisy,” Ndumbaro emphasized.

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Tanzania’s Police Social Media and Several Other Public and Private  Social Media Accounts Compromised by Unknown Individuals

On May 20, 2025, several government and prominent institutional social media accounts in Tanzania were compromised. The breaches led to the posting of various unethical and disinformational as well as politically linked messages.

The incident began with the Tanzania Police Force’s official X account, which started posting pornographic images around 5:00 AM. Later, the account was used to livestream false information about the health of a Tanzanian president. As the day progressed, the attackers also compromised the police’s YouTube account, Usalama TV, where they continued spreading similar falsehoods.

This trend extended to several other social media handles. The Tanzania Investment Centre’s X account was affected, followed by the YouTube page of Simba Sports Club. The Tanzania Revenue Authority’s YouTube channel, known as TRA Online TV, was also compromised. In addition, the YouTube and X accounts of Airtel Tanzania, the YouTube channel of the ruling party CCM, and the University of Dar es Salaam’s YouTube page were all impacted.

Surprisingly, the official YouTube page of UN Tourism, the United Nations agency responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism, also published similar messages. As of 6:00 AM on May 21, 2025 (Tanzania time), these messages were still visible on UN Tourism page, according to a review by The Chanzo.

The Tanzania Police Force issued a statement confirming that investigations to identify the criminals who were involved in the incidents and calling for citizens not to engage with the messages.

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