Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
Deadly Mbeya Truck Accident Claims 28 Lives, Including Children
The Tanzania Police Force in the Mbeya Region has announced that 28 people had died as of Sunday, June 8, 2025, following an accident involving a truck that rear-ended two small passenger vehicles on Iwambi Hill along the Mbeya–Tunduma Road on the evening of Saturday, June 7, 2025, at around 7:00 p.m.
It has been reported that the cause of the accident was negligence by the driver of the truck, a Scania with registration T830EDP/T148CTD which was transporting a consignment of flour from Dar es Salaam to Zambia.
“The truck hit from behind two small vehicles: a Mitsubishi Rosa with registration T257 DVP and a Toyota Lite Ace with registration T185DMF,” states the Police statement.
According to Mbeya Regional Police Commander ACP Benjamin Kuzaga, among the 28 who died, there were two girls and two boys. He also stated that 9 others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment, including the truck driver who is under police custody while undergoing medical care.
ACP Kuzaga further noted that 18 of the bodies have been identified by relatives, while the remaining bodies have not yet been identified.
The Iwambi hill area along this Tunduma–Mbeya road commonly known as the TANZAM Highway, has been a frequent site of accidents for many years, especially involving trucks.
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No Reforms, No Election Takes Over Tanzania’s Social Media
If it’s your first time encountering Tanzania’s online space, you might think something is wrong with your social media timeline. That’s because No Reforms, No Election has flooded every corner of Tanzanian social media—appearing in statuses, stories, videos, and image captions.
No Reforms, No Election is a campaign launched by Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, calling for major reforms in the country’s electoral system. The campaign stems from issues the party faced during past elections, including the killing of some of its candidates during the 2024 local government elections, the disqualification of its candidates in several elections since 2020, the spread of fake ballots, and concerns over the independence of the electoral commission.
While CHADEMA has pushed the campaign through its rallies, which have gathered thousands across the country, the campaign has taken its own form on social media. Without a celebrity endorsement, viral song, or trending dance, the campaign has still managed to dominate Tanzanian social media for three straight days. Tanzanians are commenting en masse on government social media pages, as well as the pages of politicians, institutions, celebrities, and anywhere that allows comments. This flood of engagement has overwhelmed many administrators of official pages, forcing them to delete comments, block users, filter keywords, or disable comments entirely.
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Constitution Day Marks Denmark’s Return and Reinforced Ties with Tanzania
The Kingdom of Denmark reiterated its commitment to a strong and forward-looking partnership with Tanzania during a Constitution Day reception held on June 5, 2025, at the Danish Ambassador’s residence in the city.
The event marked the 176th anniversary of the Danish Constitutional Act, one of the world’s oldest constitutions, and signalled Denmark’s renewed diplomatic presence and long-term engagement in Tanzania, following a previous decision to close the Embassy in 2021.
Constitution Day, or Grundlovsdag in Danish, commemorates the signing of Denmark’s 1849 Constitutional Act, which transformed the country from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy. The Act remains the cornerstone of Danish democratic governance, safeguarding fundamental freedoms and universal suffrage.
“Today we mark that Denmark is back in business in Tanzania,” said the Ambassador of Denmark, Jesper Kammersgaard. “We need strong, trusted partnerships, especially in times of uncertainty. Our presence here reflects our commitment to dialogue, mutual respect, and shared progress,” he continued, with reference to Denmark’s long-term, trusted and respectful partnership with Tanzania.
The reception was attended by Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, as guest of honour. Also present were ambassadors, members of the private sector, development partners, civil society representatives, and the media.
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