Dar es Salaam – The horrific murder of a 21-year-old law student, who was abducted and set ablaze, has intensified scrutiny of Tanzania’s alarming rates of violence against women and a pattern of enforced disappearances that United Nations experts have condemned as increasingly concerning.
The body of Shyrose Mahande, a student at Mzumbe University, was discovered burning in Mbeya on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, four days after she was kidnapped by unknown assailants.
The perpetrators had contacted her family demanding a ransom, sending a video of her being tortured to extort money. Her death is the latest in a series of violent crimes against women and government critics that have affected the nation.
This incident occurs within a deeply troubling context. According to the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), an average of 492 women have been killed annually in Tanzania in recent years, with the monthly figure rising to 53 by late 2022. The organisation documented 50 cases of intimate partner homicide in 2023 alone, highlighting a crisis of gender-based violence.
Furthermore, UN human rights experts warned in June 2025 of an escalating pattern of concern, noting that over 200 cases of enforced disappearance have been recorded in Tanzania since 2019.
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These disappearances frequently have been reported targeting political opponents, human rights defenders, and journalists.
Tanzania Police Force have issued public statements several times addressing the growing number of abduction and disappearance reports in the country attributing many of these incidents to staged abductions, jealousy, witchcraft, and other contributing factors.
Mabula Mahande, the victim’s father, recounted the harrowing experience of receiving a call from the abductors. “They told me they had my daughter and were heading towards Tabora,” he told reporters. “They later sent a video clip of my child being tortured, which led me to send them a small amount of money to at least reduce the pain.”
His hopes were shattered when police informed him that a fire reported in the Nanenane area of Mbeya led to the discovery of a body, later identified as his daughter’s.
Mbeya Regional Police Commander, SACP Benjamini Kuzaga, said they are continuing with scientific investigations to establish the cause of the incident and to identify those responsible for the killing. He also called on members of the public with any information that could help in arresting the perpetrators to come forward and cooperate.
The Police Force has also continued to urge the community to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, noting that such actions have been causing serious consequences, including killings.
The local government leader of Uzunguini A Street in Mbeya City, where the late Shyrose had been living with her parents, Kelvin Mela spoke with sorrow, saying that the Mabula family is well-known, has no problems, and cooperates well with other community members.
He added that they have stood with the family shoulder to shoulder since receiving news of their daughter’s abduction. Mela also called on security organs to step up efforts in addressing such incidents.
‘It feels as though we are not very safe; we have to protect ourselves,’ Mela said. ‘But we also urge security organs to be more vigilant and professional. We believe they are doing their work, but they should further raise their level of professionalism.
The pattern of enforced disappearances has drawn international attention, particularly following the May 2025 torture reports of Kenyan human rights defender Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire in Dar es Salaam.
Both were observing the trial of opposition leader Tindu Lissu when they were seized by police officers. Atuhaire claimed was sexually assaulted, highlighting the gendered nature of attacks against women journalists and human rights defenders.
However, the incident also occurs at a time when Tanzania’s crisis of violence against women has reached alarming proportions. Data from the Director of Criminal Investigation reveals that 2,438 women were killed between 2018 and September 2022, representing a tragic average of one woman murdered every 18 hours.
The LHRC reports that 40 per cent of women and girls aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, whilst 17 per cent have suffered sexual violence in their lifetime.
The LHRC’s 2023 Human Rights Report documented intimate partner homicides across 18 regions, with half of the incidents reported in the Northern Zone and Lake Zone. In some areas, such as Mara and Shinyanga regions, spouse violence rates reach 78 per cent, whilst in Mwanza the rate is 60 per cent.
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Human rights organisations have consistently called for government action to address these issues. They stress the need for thorough investigations, accountability for perpetrators, and greater protection for all citizens, particularly women and those who express dissenting views.
