Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on October 8, 2025.
Tundu Lissu Turns Tables, Grills Police Witness on Treason Law and Political History
The cross-examination of the first prosecution witness in the treason trial of CHADEMA national chairperson Tundu Lissu entered a second day on Wednesday, transforming from a legal duel into a sweeping political discourse, with the accused meticulously deconstructing the charges and placing his own career as a long-standing government critic on the stand.
Mr Lissu, representing himself, spent the entire session interrogating Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Wilbard Bagyemu, forcing the investigator to concede key weaknesses in the state’s case and launching into a detailed history of his own persecution and Tanzania’s constitutional journey.
Building on the previous day’s tactics, Lissu continued to highlight contradictions between ASP Bagyemu’s courtroom testimony and his initial sworn statements. However, the most striking moments came as Lissu dissected the very language forming the basis of the treason charge.
He zeroed in on the phrase tutakwenda kukinukisha sana sana, which he is accused of uttering. In a dramatic scene, Lissu presented the court with multiple official Swahili dictionaries, compelling the witness to agree that the root verb nuka means “to emit a bad smell” or “to stink.”
Continue reading here
Zanzibar’s Service Receipts Hit USD 1.27 Billion
The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar recorded service receipts of USD 1,267.5 million in the year ending August 2025, representing a 30.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Bank of Tanzania’s September 2025 report.
The strong performance was largely driven by growth in the tourism sector, as tourist arrivals rose by 26.1 percent to 861,962 visitors compared to the previous year.
Improved service receipts contributed to a 42.1 percent rise in the current account surplus, which climbed to USD 673.3 million. During the period, exports totaled USD 1,300.1 million, while imports stood at USD 648.0 million.
Despite the growth in services, Zanzibar, home to about two million people, experienced a decline in its main traditional export, cloves. Clove exports dropped sharply to USD 3.57 million from USD 28.75 million recorded in the same period last year.
The service sector continues to dominate Zanzibar’s economy, accounting for about 70 percent of the archipelago’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
US Visa Bond to Hit Tanzanian Travellers Amid Diplomatic Talks
A new United States government policy requiring visa bonds from Tanzanian citizens travelling for business or tourism is set to impose a significant financial burden on prospective travellers.
The measure, effective October 23, 2025, requires applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas to post a refundable bond of up to US$15,000.
While precise statistics on the number of Tanzanians visiting the U.S. annually on these specific visas are not publicly available, data on visa refusal rates suggest a high volume of applicants.
In the 2023 fiscal year, for instance, the adjusted refusal rate for Tanzanian nationals seeking B-visas was 34.13 per cent, indicating a substantial number of applications. The growing Tanzanian diaspora in the U.S., estimated to be near 100,000, further highlights the strong ties and frequent travel that will be impacted by this new requirement.
The Tanzanian government has formally acknowledged the U.S. decision and has communicated its position to the public.
Continue reading here
Humphrey Polepole: Pressure Mounts on Tanzanian Authorities Over Abduction of Former Ambassador and Critic
International and local pressure is intensifying on the Tanzanian government to locate and ensure the safe return of Humphrey Polepole, a former ambassador and prominent government critic, who was violently abducted from his home just weeks before the country’s general election.
The incident, which occurred on the night of October 6, 2025, has drawn condemnation from human rights organisations and political alliances and sparked a desperate appeal from his family, casting a harsh spotlight on what watchdogs describe as a deepening pattern of political repression in Tanzania.
According to his family, unidentified individuals broke into Polepole’s residence in the Ununio area of Dar es Salaam.
His brother, Godfrey Polepole, reported finding a scene of violent struggle, with a broken door, cut electrical wires, and a significant amount of blood both inside and outside the house. Images and videos corroborating these claims have circulated widely on social media.
In an emotional interview with the BBC, Polepole’s mother, Annamary Polepole, made a desperate appeal: “If he is alive, return him to me. If he is not, bring his body and let me bury my child myself. They should not go and throw him into the sea.”
She revealed that her daughter had also been abducted, beaten, and dumped near her home in July, suggesting a targeted campaign of intimidation against the family.
The abduction of the 55-year-old former diplomat comes at a highly sensitive time, with Tanzania’s general election scheduled for October 29, 2025.
Continue reading here
Second Tanzanian Parliamentary Election Halted Following Candidate’s Death
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday suspended the parliamentary election for the Siha constituency in the Kilimanjaro region following the death of Civic United Front (CUF) candidate, Daud Wilbard Ntuyehabi.
This comes just days after a similar suspension was enacted for the Fuoni constituency in Zanzibar following the passing of its ruling party candidate.
The suspension for Siha was announced on October 8, 2025, after the CUF party formally notified the commission of Ntuyehabi’s death.
The candidate was killed on the evening of October 7 in a mob attack, which the Tanzania Police Force in the Kilimanjaro region confirmed occurred after he allegedly stabbed a man during a dispute at a local liquor store.
According to police reports, Ntuyehabi was arguing with another man, Hamad Issah Mohamed, over an unpaid debt when a third individual, Abdul Issah Mohamed, attempted to mediate.
Continue reading here
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see left), following us on X (Twitter) (here), or you can support us (here). And if you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
