Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on October 2, 2025.
TRA Surpasses First Quarter Revenue Collection Target for 2025/26, Collects TSh 8.97 Trillion
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has set a new record in tax collection, announcing revenues of TSh 8.97 trillion for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, covering July to September.
The amount represents a performance rate of 106.3 percent, exceeding the set target of TSh 8.44 trillion for the period. It also marks a 15.1 percent increase compared to the TSh 7.79 trillion collected during the same quarter in 2024.
According to a statement released on October 2, 2025 by the Commissioner General of TRA Yusuph Mwenda, the strong performance is attributed to improvements in revenue collection systems and greater compliance among taxpayers.
The statement further highlighted that in July TRA collected TSh 2.68 trillion, in August TSh 2.82 trillion, while September led with TSh 3.47 trillion — the highest monthly collection ever recorded in the authority’s history.
The Commissioner General emphasized that the success also reflects the implementation of directives from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has consistently stressed the importance of efficient tax administration, integrity in collections, and encouraging voluntary tax compliance among citizens.
For the 2025/26 fiscal year, the Government of Tanzania has projected total domestic revenue of TSh 40.5 trillion, with TSh 34.1 trillion expected to come from tax collections.
CCM Cadres Urge Youth to Shun Calls for Election-Day Protests
Ruling party cadres of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) have intensified their criticism of activists and social media influencers calling for nationwide protests on October 29, 2025 the country’s election day, urging young people to ignore the campaign and instead safeguard peace and stability.
The online protest campaign, spearheaded by Tanzanian social media personality on Instagram Mange Kimambi and supported by other activists, has gained traction on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Proponents argue that demonstrations are necessary due to what they describe as shortcomings in the state of democracy and the electoral system.
Speaking at a CCM presidential campaign rally in Arusha on October 2, 2025, the party’s Ideology, Publicity, and Training Secretary, Kenani Kihongosi, warned young people against being swayed by calls to unrest.
“We must never allow anyone to lure the youth of this nation into violence on our soil,” Kihongosi said. “Those who incite chaos have places to run to — their families are abroad, their children study abroad. If they destroy things here, they simply escape there.”
Godson Mollel, another CCM cadre and chairperson of the Tanzania Albino Society, echoed the warning, stressing that vulnerable groups would suffer most in the event of violence.
“For people with disabilities, how would we even manage in a protest? I can’t run; how do I escape if chaos breaks out?” Mollel said. “We must reject such incitement. Let’s instead pray for those encouraging demonstrations without considering the elderly and others who cannot flee in times of trouble.”
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Financial Hurdles, Deep-Seated Sexism Stifle Aspirations of Women in Zanzibar’s Politics
In the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, a region steeped in unique cultural and political traditions, women aspiring to political office find themselves confronting a formidable wall of challenges.
Despite constitutional guarantees of gender equality within Tanzania’s multi-party system, a pervasive combination of financial barriers, sexual bribery, and deep-seated gender discrimination is stifling the political ambitions of countless women, an investigation has revealed.
Tanzania, which transitioned from a single-party state under the long-dominant Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) to a multi-party democracy in 1992, has on paper committed to gender equality.
The nation’s constitution explicitly states that all persons are equal before the law, and the government has publicly endorsed a “50-50” policy, aiming for equal gender representation in political leadership by 2030. However, the reality on the ground, particularly in culturally conservative areas like Pemba Island, tells a different story.
For many women, the political journey ends before it even begins, stalled by the high cost of nomination forms. This initial financial hurdle is often just the first of many, as the immense financial burden of campaigning forces many capable women to abandon their ambitions.
The economic barrier is a significant one in a country where the average income can make political aspirations seem like an unaffordable luxury.
“If you don’t have money to give to delegates for empty promises of words, you will not be considered,” revealed Mwamize Mohammed, a parliamentary aspirant from the ruling CCM party. She also shared her harrowing experience with sexual extortion, a grim reality for many women in politics.
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