Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on July 15, 2025.

Treason Case Against CHADEMA Chairman Tundu Lissu Adjourned Again

The treason case against the National Chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, Tundu Lissu, continued on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam. The case, which was up for mention, has been adjourned once again until July 30, 2025.

The case proceedings began with Senior State Attorney Nossor Katuga, who is leading the prosecution, informing the court that the case is now at the stage where it is ready for reading and decision-making. 

He stated that the investigation has been completed, and the case file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP reviewed the evidence and found it sufficient, meaning the case is now ready to be referred to the High Court for a full hearing.

Katuga further told the court that following the DPP’s assessment, the Republic has submitted an application to the High Court that must be heard before the main case proceeds. He explained that this application, registered as number 17059 of 2025, was filed under Section 124 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Chapter 20, revised in 2023.

The application submitted to the High Court seeks to conceal the identities of certain witnesses, effectively allowing the Republic to bring in some “protected” or “anonymous” witnesses for security reasons.

Following this submission, Katuga requested the Magistrate’s Court to adjourn the case to allow time for the High Court to hear and decide on the application. He said the government was making this request under Section 265, arguing that the adjournment was necessary to protect the safety of its witnesses.

However, this prompted a legal dispute in court, as Tundu Lissu strongly opposed the adjournment, arguing that this was the tenth postponement since the case began and that he had already spent 97 days in custody.

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Crucial CCM Central Committee Meeting Set for Saturday as Race to October 2025 Heats Up

The Central Committee of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), is scheduled to meet on Saturday, July 19, 2025, for a regular session to be held in Dodoma starting at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting, which will be presided over by CCM National Chairperson and President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, will be preceded by ongoing sessions of the NEC Secretariat in Dodoma.

According to a statement from the party, the Secretariat is continuing with the vetting of aspiring candidates as part of preparations for the Central Committee’s agenda.

The current nomination process at the national level involves screening candidates seeking to contest for Parliamentary Constituency seats, the House of Representatives, Special Seats in Parliament, and Special Seats in the House of Representatives.

A statement posted on CCM’s official social media platforms on Monday, July 14, 2025, confirmed that the party’s Secretary-General, Ambassador Dr. Emmanuel John Nchimbi, chaired the most recent session of the NEC Secretariat. The Secretariat is tasked with receiving and scrutinizing the names of aspirants for these positions.

The upcoming Central Committee meeting will serve as the highest-level vetting forum for CCM aspirants. A shortlist of selected names will be returned to constituency delegates and the party’s affiliated organizations for primaries, where members will cast their votes to determine final candidates.

CHADEMA Senior Officials Arrested at Border Points Released on Bail

Two senior officials of Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, who were arrested by the Tanzania Police Force on July 12, 2025, while attempting to leave the country on official party business, have been released on bail, according to an official party statement.

The officials are the party’s spokesperson, Ms. Brenda Rupia, who was arrested at the Namanga border while en route to Nairobi, Kenya, and Mr. Leonard Joseph Magere, the party’s Resource Mobilization and Investment Specialist, who was arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport as he was heading to the United Kingdom.

According to the party’s statement, both officials are required to report to the Dar es Salaam Central Police Station today, July 16, 2025. The party emphasized that it is closely monitoring the situation and has called for due process, transparency, and respect for fundamental rights.

“We thank the Tanzanian public, our members, and supporters for their continued solidarity during this difficult time,” the statement said.

When Opposition Turns on Itself, Who Wins?

“When your adversaries play hardball, it’s cheating. When your friends do it, it’s fair play.” — Anonymous.

This adage captures perfectly the double standard one senses in Tanzania’s political terrain today. When you log onto social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), you will encounter a barrage of verbal exchanges between CHADEMA and ACT Wazalendo. What should have been a united front in the struggle for democracy has degenerated into a bitter tug-of-war, disheartening those of us who still cling to the promise of change.

For many observers, the infighting has blurred the real contest. Citizens are left wondering: Who is the opposition’s true competitor? Scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and X reveals a profound lack of leadership clarity — and a vacuum where practical, people-centred politics should be. Tanzanians yearn for guidance to reshape politics into a force for solutions, not spectacle

One can’t help but wonder: Who benefits from all these woes?

According to a recent REPOA governance survey, the majority of Tanzanians say they prefer a multiparty system over a single-party state — a hopeful indication that democratic aspirations remain alive. Yet trust in political parties remains fragile. Roughly 59 per cent of citizens say they trust both CCM and the opposition combined, while a third trust only CCM, and a mere one in ten express confidence in the opposition alone.

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What Does a Khanga Mean in the Life of a Tanzanian?

Part of the Artist in Residence programme at Nafasi Art Space, the artist has to give a workshop or presentation. On Friday, March 28, 2025, I walked onto a stage thinking I was going to give my usual khanga facts and history, then answer a few questions. The conversation went on for about two hours straight. Thus, I feel obliged to share some observations from how the audience engaged their memories of the khanga.

My initial plan had gone well. Earlier in the day, we had displayed a khanga around the venue. The display was organised into themes. Political khanga with prominent Tanzanians, khanga with punch words ideal for fueling than pacifying quarrelling parties; khanga of goodwill and best wishes; and varieties of the kisutu khanga. 

To begin the programme, I took about ten to fifteen minutes frog-leaping through history to locate the khanga within the greater region of Southern and Eastern Africa, and the Indian Ocean. From records, textile products in this zone have been in circulation as far back as the 5th century CE. 

When the Portuguese invaded Eastern Africa, they caused disruption without succeeding in completely wiping out the trade routes. European explorers in the 19th century found women wearing both the khanga and some designs akin to the khanga.   

Therefore, khanga comes out of this legacy and was somehow able to remain a commodity item during and after colonialism. I also touched on the changes in the status of the khanga in society from being the garment women wore in public to the khanga being used mostly for domestic purposes and as a funeral garment.

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