Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on June 11, 2025.
Tanzania to Fully Fund 2025 Election Without Donor Support
The Chief Government Spokesperson of Tanzania, Gerson Msigwa, has announced that the country’s upcoming general election, scheduled for October 2025, will be financed entirely by the Tanzanian government, not by foreign donors.
This plan will be outlined in the coming Government’s National Budget for 2025/26 financial year, expected to be presented in Parliament on June 12, 2025, in Dodoma.
Msigwa, who also serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, made the announcement while speaking to journalists at the Ministry’s new headquarters in Mtumba, the new government city in Dodoma.
He stated that the 2025/26 budget is a crucial one, as it will allocate funds specifically for the election. He also noted that this budget will mark the completion of the National Development Vision 2025, which began in the year 2000.
“The most important thing for all Tanzanians is that we are going to present an election budget funded entirely with our own resources,” said Msigwa. “This is something all Tanzanians should be proud of — our independent Tanzania, self-reliant and making its own decisions, must have a self-financed budget.”
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the Government’s Budget for the 2025/26 financial year will be presented in the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. This event will be preceded by the presentation of the Economic Situation Report.
These two presentations will be the last of their kind during the term of the 12th Parliament, which is expected to be dissolved at the end of June in accordance with the Constitution, in preparation for the general election.
This is not the first time Tanzania will finance a general election using domestic funds. In 2020, for the first time since the reintroduction of multiparty politics, Tanzania fully funded its general election without relying on donor support.
In contrast, previous elections before 2020, including those in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 were financed through a combination of government funds and donor contributions.
Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign Frees Thousands, Eases Prison Congestion
Commissioner of Legal Affairs and Prison Operations, CP Nicodemus Tenga, has stated that the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign has assisted over 12,000 inmates and remandees across the country’s prisons. Among them, 6,900 remandees have been released after receiving legal assistance.
Speaking while opening the second phase of capacity building training for legal and correctional officers in the Prison Service—focusing on legal aid services, prisoner intake procedures, and the implementation of alternative sentencing, CP Tenga noted significant improvements in prison management.
He highlighted that the ratio of inmates to remandees has shifted from 50:50 to 75 percent inmates and 25 percent remandees, due to the reduction in the overall prison population. The number of prisons has decreased from over 32,000 in 2021 to 26,896 as of June 9, 2025.
“Currently, the capacity of prisons is 29,102 inmates, but we have a shortfall of over 3,000 inmates, meaning there is available space in our facilities,” said CP Tenga.
Launched in 2023, the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign aims to provide legal services to citizens who cannot afford lawyers or legal representation.
The Prison Service operates 129 facilities, including 26 regional centers, additional force units, and six prison schools. However, 50 districts in the country still lack prison facilities, resulting in the transfer of inmates to neighboring districts.
Rethinking Development: Africa’s Wake-Up Call
The latest Human Development Report of 2023/2024, published by the United Nations Development Programme, reveals that African countries have the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) score. Out of the 52 African countries ranked in the HDI, only four made it into the top 100.
The report indicates that the continent’s strong economic growth has not necessarily translated into improved global rankings. African governments must balance humanitarian aid with sustainable initiatives to promote self-sufficiency and advance human development. Civil society organisations must support community-led development programmes, leveraging successful models. Also, African trade policymakers must implement regional trade agreements to promote open markets.
Africa’s development requires a shift away from foreign aid, which can create a culture of dependency, stifling local innovation and entrepreneurship. Governments that rely heavily on external assistance may fail to strengthen their tax bases and institutions. Such reliance can undermine a country’s potential for fiscal autonomy, leaving it vulnerable to the whims of foreign donors.
For example, the United States government cut aid distributed by its international development agency, disrupting foreign aid programmes. As a result, many African countries are scrambling to fill the resulting funding gap. This unpredictability can have devastating consequences, as seen in Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS programmes. African governments must reduce their reliance on foreign aid and focus on strengthening local institutions and industries to achieve sustainable growth.
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One Response
“elections will be financed entirely by the Tanzanian government, not by foreign donors.”
Lets not cheat ourselves Mr. Msigwa. Our country is already deeply ensnared in debt trap. Read the following:
Total budget for 2025/26 shs 20.19 trillion
Amount set aside for servicing public debt shs 14.22 trillion
Therefore the % of budget set aside for servicing public ddbt is 14.22/20.19 x 100 = 70.431%
This is 95% of money borrowed from domestic and external commercial lenders.
In effect, you borrow to pay previous loans. This is called debt trap.
Payment for debt servicing is 13 times the expected grants and 42% of the tax collected by TRA.
So more than two-fifths of our taxes go to service public debt.
Source: The Citizen, 5/06/2025 p. 2