Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on August 4, 2025.
Tanzania Takes the Lead as SADC Marks 20 Years of Anti-Corruption Cooperation
Arusha. Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the fight against corruption, describing it as a national priority crucial for sustainable development and national security.
Speaking on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the opening of the Southern Africa Development Cooperation(SADC) Anti-Corruption Heads Workshop and the 20th Anniversary Commemoration of the SADC Protocol Against Corruption, held on August 4, 2025, in Arusha, Majaliwa emphasized the urgent need for deeper regional collaboration to combat the growing threat of corruption.
“We must acknowledge that corruption is a serious threat to security. It fuels organized crime, human trafficking, terrorism, and the erosion of the rule of law,” said Majaliwa.
The SADC Protocol Against Corruption was signed on August 14, 2001, in Blantyre, Malawi, and officially came into force in 2005. The 20th anniversary marks a significant milestone in the region’s ongoing efforts to address corruption through a coordinated legal and policy framework.
The workshop, themed “The SADC Protocol Against Corruption @20 – Facilitating Sustainable Cooperation for Economic Integration, Peace, Security, and Good Governance in the SADC Region,” provides a platform for regional leaders and stakeholders to reflect on two decades of implementation, assess progress, identify gaps, and chart future priorities and recommendations.
Majaliwa noted that the SADC Protocol Against Corruption remains a vital instrument in promoting good governance, peace, and sustainable regional integration. He urged member states to strengthen efforts to fight corruption, emphasizing that while the road ahead may be long, collective determination and political will can deliver a corruption-free SADC region.
“The road ahead may be long, but we must not envision failure. With sustained cooperation, strategic vision, and political will, we can and must build a corruption-free SADC region,” he said.
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Tanzania’s CCM Wraps Up Parliamentary and Councillor Primaries Amid Reports of Irregularities in Some Areas
On Monday, the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) concluded a week-long campaign in which nominated party cadres competed in parliamentary, Zanzibar House of Representative and councilor primaries. The winners, if approved by relevant party organs, will represent the CCM—which has held power for over six decades—in the upcoming October 28, 2025 general elections.
Despite many areas showing that the process went smoothly, some areas were marred by irregularities and even violence, with members expressing dissatisfaction over the exercise’s organization. Others protested the disqualification of their preferred candidates including incumbent lawmakers — by party organs.
In Simiyu, residents of Kisesa constituency protested the disqualification of their former MP, Luhaga Mpina, during CCM’s preliminary nomination process. Mpina, known for his outspoken criticism of the government, saw many supporters link his exclusion to his critical stance toward the administration
Protesters condemned the approved candidate list, demanding CCM leadership reinstate Mpina to the ballot. They framed their appeal as a defense of democratic principles, insisting voters should retain the right to choose their preferred representative without restriction.
The same discontent emerged in Mbulu, Manyara, where residents protested CCM’s disqualification of multiple parliamentary hopefuls for Mbulu Rural constituency – including former MP Flatei Gregory. Joining the chorus of dissent, locals have petitioned party leadership to restore Gregory’s candidacy, insisting voters should determine their representative without restriction.
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High Court Orders Witness Protection in Treason Case Against CHADEMA Leader Tundu Lissu
The High Court on Monday ordered protective measures for witnesses in the treason trial of CHADEMA national chairperson Tundu Lissu, approving a petition filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Under the court-ordered protection measures, civilian witnesses will now testify under full anonymity – with neither physical courtroom appearances nor public disclosure of their identities permitted during proceedings.
The ruling also imposes a media blackout. News outlets are prohibited from publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any information about these protected witnesses without official authorisation.
The decision follows closely on the July 11, 2025 gazettement of the Witness Protection Rules, legislation that opposition-aligned legal analysts characterise as a strategic legal framework tailored specifically to Mr Lissu’s high-profile case.
Lissu’s treason charges are currently undergoing committal proceedings in a magistrate’s court. This crucial pretrial phase determines whether evidentiary thresholds are met to refer the case to the High Court for full trial – the exact procedural stage where the new witness protection rules may prove most consequential.
Why hiding witnesses?
“In this era of advanced technology, how can you possibly conduct a capital punishment case while hiding witnesses? This is a major trial – you can’t sentence someone to death in secrecy,” John Heche, CHADEMA’s deputy chairperson (Tanzania Mainland), reacted to the court decision on X.
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Growing Calls for Equal Political Representation of People with Disabilities in Zanzibar’s House
A growing number of stakeholders are raising concerns over the persistent underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the Zanzibar House of Representatives. They are urging political parties and government institutions to foster a more inclusive political environment ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Their call comes amid increasing frustration with the current representative system, which many argue has failed to allow members of special groups, including people with disabilities, to elect or retain their own representatives directly in decision-making bodies.
Under the existing framework, people with disabilities are unable to directly choose their representatives, relying instead on selections made through political party processes.
Salma Saadat, Chairperson of the Zanzibar Association of Women with Disabilities (JUWAUZA), emphasized the need for political parties to actively engage with people with disability organizations to foster meaningful inclusion.
“While communities may be ready to elect individuals with disabilities, political parties’ internal primaries often fail to support such candidates, creating a barrier to leadership opportunities,” said Salma.
According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, Zanzibar has a population of 1,889,773, of which 215,434 about 11.4 percent are people with disabilities. Yet out of the 76 seats in the House of Representatives, only three are currently held by individuals with disabilities.
Of these, two are special seats held by Mwantatu Mbaraka Khamis and Aza Januar Joseph, both affiliated with the ruling party CCM, while the third is a presidential appointee, Anna Athanas Paul also CCM member. Notably, no member with a disability holds an elected constituency seat—a situation many hope will change in the upcoming October elections as party primaries continue.
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