Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on November 19, 2025
Tanzania Opposition Rejects President’s Probe Team into Election Unrest, Demands International Inquiry
Tanzania’s deepening political crisis took a sharp turn this week as the two main opposition parties, CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, flatly rejected a presidential commission appointed to investigate the violent unrest, which coincided with the disputed general elections of October 29, 2025.
In a coordinated pushback, opposition leaders dismissed the eight-member team—composed largely of retired senior government and security officials—as an attempt by the state to “investigate itself.”
The rejection creates an immediate impasse for President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, which had framed the inquiry as a step towards national healing following a week of protests, a lockdown, an internet shutdown, and allegations of heavy-handed police crackdowns.
The commission, announced on November 18, 2025, by Chief Secretary Dr Moses Kusiluka, is chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman.
However, the credibility of the panel was immediately challenged on Wednesday, November 19, by CHADEMA, which argued that a government accused of electoral fraud and human rights abuses lacks the moral and legal authority to appoint its own investigators.
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Joshua Mollel: Remains of Tanzanian Student Killed by Hamas Arrive Home for Burial
The body of Joshua Mollel, a Tanzanian student killed during the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October, has been repatriated for burial in his home country.
The remains of the young Tanzanian arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) near Hai, Kilimanjaro region, on Wednesday, November 19, at approximately 1:45 PM.
The repatriation flight was met by a delegation that included the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Said Shaib Musa, alongside Ambassador Silima Haji, and the District Commissioner for Simanjiro, Fakii Lulandala, as well as family members.
Mollel was in Israel as part of an agricultural internship programme, a cooperation initiative between Tanzania and Israel, when he was killed at the training school site.
The Tanzanian government confirmed his death on December 14, 2023, and began the process of repatriating his body while offering condolences to his family and pledging to monitor the safety of other Tanzanian nationals remaining in Israel.
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Villagers Protest Public Meeting in Nanjirinji A, Kilwa Over Alleged Corruption by Village Leaders
Villagers of Nanjirinji A in Kilwa walked out of a public meeting and staged a demonstration, demanding the closure of several public facilities, including the village office.
Their main concern centers on allegations of corruption involving members of the village leadership. Several videos showing residents walking out of the meeting circulated widely, prompting the police to issue a clarification.
“Today, on 19 November 2025, in Nanjirinji “A” Village, Kilwa District, Lindi Region, a village meeting was supposed to take place in which the income and expenditures would be presented,” Lindi police reported in their statement.
“Before the meeting began, the villagers refused for it to start because those accused of mismanaging the village’s funds are the Village Chairperson and the Executive Officer. Due to this situation, the meeting did not take place,” the statement from the police continued.
According to the police, district leaders have directed that the meeting be convened tomorrow under their supervision, so that the income and expenditure report can be presented and residents allowed to raise any additional concerns.
Police Confirm the Arrest of Medical Doctor Kibaba Furaha Michel, Who Was Feared Abducted
Police in the Geita region have confirmed the arrest of Doctor Kibaba Furaha Michael, a medical doctor who was also introduced as an admin of a WhatsApp group of doctors in the country.
Earlier reports had circulated that on November 17, 2025, armed men in two cars, a white Land Cruiser and a Toyota Premio-took Kibaba from the Aziboni area, where he ran a side business. It was also reported that his laptop and phones were taken. In the statement issued late evening of November 19, 2025, the Police said they were questioning him for further legal processes.
“The Geita Regional Police Force has arrested and is continuing to question Dr. Kibaba Furaha Michael, a resident of Geita Municipality. The reasons for his arrest are based on the evidence that had been collected in relation to various criminal allegations he is accused of,” police said in their statement.
It is not yet clear whether the reason for his arrest is related to his role as a medical doctor at the Geita Referral Hospital.
Op-Ed: On the Eight-Member Team to Investigate the Events of October 29, 2025: The Government Should Avoid the Temptation to Cover Itself and Instead Focus on Healing the Nation
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to establish an Inquiry Commission is a positive step and could help heal the nation from the pain experienced since October 29, 2025. However, the structure of the commission has problems, first because it lacks proper balance in representation based on the nature of the crisis itself.
The terms of reference are another separate issue; it is better to wait. There is also the question of whether the report will be kept secret or made public for everyone to read and analyze.
The decision to form the commission signifies that action has begun, as the President promised when she addressed Parliament in Dodoma on November 15, 2025. But more importantly, the names of the members, their professions, and the positions they previously held in Government create a conflicting picture when compared to the idea of forming an Inquiry Commission.
When a nation faces a major crisis like this one, citizens expect a truth-seeking body, one that reflects the feelings and interests of all sides involved in the conflict, especially those directly affected, or even neutral individuals capable of questioning wrongdoing by any party, or challenging the Government’s official position.
To the surprise of observers, instead, the appointments are filled almost entirely with retired senior Government officials: judges, ambassadors, military officers—including the former Minister of Defense, Stergomena Tax, who was in office when the crisis occurred.
The fact that the appointment press release avoided mentioning her recent ministerial role, instead only noting her former position as SADC Secretary-General, suggests even the author of the press release was uncomfortable stating that just last week she was still the Minister of Defense of the United Republic of Tanzania!
For most of their lives, these commission members served in Government and were even appointed by Presidents at different times. How can they be separated from the leadership system that is being blamed for repression?
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