Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on June 18, 2025.
Tanzania Police Address Abductions and Disappearances: Cite Staged Cases, Witchcraft, and Traveling to Join Extremist Groups, Among Other
On June 18, 2025, the Tanzania Police Force issued a public statement addressing the growing number of abduction and disappearance cases in the country. The statement attributed many of these incidents to staged abductions, jealousy, witchcraft, and other contributing factors.
“In the cases reported at police stations and thoroughly investigated—where the missing individuals were later found either alive or deceased—evidence in some instances has revealed causes such as self-staged abductions, jealousy in romantic relationships, superstitious beliefs, property disputes, acts of revenge, travel to foreign countries to learn extremist ideologies, and fleeing from justice after committing crimes,” the statement reads.
The police report has sparked widespread public debate, with many questioning the handling of unresolved cases, including recent high-profile disappearances such as those of Mdude Nyagali and Edgar Mwakabela, popularly known as Sativa—cases in which police officers themselves were accused of involvement.
Read the full article here.
Tanzania Defends Itself at the UN Human Rights Council Following Allegations of Torture and Sexual Abuse of Activist
Tanzania has responded to the submission by the Defend Defenders Network regarding the reports of torture and sexual abuse of Ugandan Lawyer, Agather Atuhaire, and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who were arrested on May 19, 2025, after entering the country to attend court proceedings of Tanzania opposition figure, Tundu Lissu, who is charged with treason.
In his presentation, Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abdallah Posi, argued that the two activists had failed to declare their genuine purpose of entering Tanzania.
“Although these claims against the government are highly doubtful, we take the allegations of torture, sexual abuse, and malpractices very seriously,” Possi said. “That is why the government is currently investigating, and if established, the concerned will be held accountable.”
Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire have also filed lawsuits at the East African Court of Justice, the East African Legislative Assembly, and the International Criminal Court.
Tanzanian Government Says It Is in Consultation With U.S. Government on Travel Ban Matter
The Tanzanian government has revealed that it is in consultation with the U.S. government to address immigration concerns raised by the Trump administration, which has placed Tanzania among 36 countries under consideration for a travel ban.
“I would like to inform the public that the Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already begun consultations with our counterparts in the United States to identify areas that need improvement, particularly those related to consular matters. This is part of our efforts to ensure that Tanzania is not among the countries whose citizens will be restricted from entering the United States,” the Tanzanian government said on June 18, 2025.
U.S. media have reported that the Trump administration has set a deadline of Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (East Africa) for the targeted countries, including Tanzania, to submit a remediation plan. This plan must include actions to address ongoing vetting and screening concerns.
Government Set to Launch National Supply Chain Management Policy
The Commissioner for Public Procurement Policy at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Frederick Mwakibinga, has announced that the Government is in the final stages of launching a National Supply Chain Management Policy aimed at further strengthening oversight systems to ensure effective control of public expenditure in the supply chain.
Speaking at a workshop with owners and journalists from online media platforms held in Morogoro on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Dr. Mwakibinga said the goal is to ensure transparency, proper monitoring, and value for money in the use of public funds.
The supply chain encompasses various stages, including needs assessment, procurement, clearance and customs processes, receiving, storage, distribution, utilization, and disposal of goods, equipment, or services.
Dr. Mwakibinga stated that the policy will lay a strong foundation and introduce guidelines that align across all stages of the supply chain.
“We must recognize that failing to adhere to any step in the process can result in significant losses to the Government, wastage of resources, or poor service delivery to citizens,” said Dr. Mwakibinga.
Read the full article here
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see left), following us on X (Twitter) (here), or you can support us (here). And if you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com
