Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on September 1, 2025.
Tanzania Announces Two-Month Arms Amnesty Starting September 2025
The Tanzania Police Force has announced a two-month arms amnesty, giving individuals in possession of illegal firearms an opportunity to surrender them without facing prosecution.
In its statement published on Monday, September 01, 2025, the Police says the amnesty was gazetted under Government Notice No. 537 on August 29, 2025, and officially runs from September 1 to October 31, 2025.
“The voluntary surrender of illegal firearms nationwide will take place on any day from September 1, 2025, to October 31, 2025. Illegal firearms should be surrendered at any Police station in the country, at the Local Government Office, or to the Ward/Shehia Executive Officer from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Anyone who surrenders an illegal firearm within that period will not face any legal action,” the Police statement reads.
The initiative forms part of a global campaign spearheaded by the United Nations to reduce the circulation of illicit arms. Several other countries are also launching arms amnesties in September 2025.
In addition to illegal weapons, firearms that were legally registered but whose owners have since passed away must also be surrendered. The same applies to firearms previously registered under security companies that have ceased operations, or weapons informally transferred to another security firm without official authorization.
Tanzania Delegation Visits Rwanda for Gender-Responsive Budgeting Exchange Program
High-level delegation of senior government officials from Tanzania has arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday, Spetember 01, 2025, for a South–South Knowledge Exchange Mission focused on strengthening institutional capacities in gender-responsive budgeting (GRB).
The mission, organized by UN Women, brings together delegates from Tanzania’s Ministries of Finance and Gender, both from Mainland and Zanzibar, along with representatives from national planning bodies, audit institutions, and statistics offices.
The exchange is part of the longstanding collaboration between UN Women and the government of Tanzania aiming at embeding gender equality principles into national and subnational budgeting processes. It is facilitated by the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI) and UN Women Rwanda Country Office.
Speaking ahead of the exchange, Katherine Gifford, Deputy Country Representative for UN Women in Tanzania, emphasized the importance of turning frameworks into practical action:
“This mission underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that public resources are allocated and spent to respond to realities and priorities of all people, especially women and people experiencing marginalization.”
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Tanzanian Police Refute Claims of Container Full of Heavy Weapons Entering the Country Illegally
The Tanzania Police Force, through its spokesperson David Misime, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that a container of heavy weapons was allowed into the country and handed over to a civilian.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, September 1, 2025, Misime described the allegation as election-related misinformation.
“Unfortunately, there are people, or some individuals, with criminal tendencies or who are criminals, who use social media to spread a lot of false information. Like the rumor that a container of weapons has entered the country. There is no truth to that; we, the Police Force, have heard it, investigated it, and found no truth in that incident. Because if it were true, we would have already told you about it,” Misime told reporters.
This information was circulated by U.S.-based Tanzanian activist Mange Kimambi on her Instagram page. She claimed to have received the information from credible sources and highlighted that it came from the same individual who leaked confidential documents about payments from certain government institutions in May 2025. While the government did not confirm the authenticity of those documents, the President later issued a directive on May 24, 2025, against the leakage of classified information.
Kimambi remains a highly influential social media activist in the country. Following her claims, a widespread discussion on social media emerged. The Police urged Tanzanians not to share such claims, stressing that doing so constitutes a criminal offense.
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Tanzania’s Main Opposition Party CHADEMA Declares “Democracy Heroes Week,” Culminating on September 7
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has designated the first week of September as “Democracy Heroes Week,” with nationwide commemorations set to peak on September 7, 2025.
Party officials say the date holds deep significance. On September 7, 2017, CHADEMA Chairman Tundu Lissu narrowly survived an assassination attempt after being shot multiple times in Dodoma. More recently, on the same date in 2024, the body of Ali Kibao, a member of CHADEMA’s national secretariat, was found after he was abducted in broad daylight by armed men. Police have maintained that investigations into both incidents are still ongoing.
The commemorations began on September 1 with an online campaign led by human rights lawyer Tito Magoti, who launched the hashtags #IamTunduLissu and #MiminiTunduLissu. Social media users have since shared messages of solidarity with Lissu, who has been in remand prison since April 10, 2025, facing treason charges.
Although CHADEMA is currently barred from using official party resources, it has scheduled an online session for September 2, where senior leaders will engage members in nationwide political discussions.
According to Deputy Chairperson John Heche, the climax of Democracy Heroes Week will take place on September 7, when CHADEMA flags will be flown at half-mast across the country in memory of party members and pro-democracy activists who have been jailed, abducted, disappeared, or killed.
“The day will feature memorial services, political forums, and public dialogues,” Heche said.
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