Dar es Salaam — The Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF) has issued a stinging condemnation of the October 29, 2025, General Election in Tanzania, concluding that the nation currently “lacks a legitimate government” and declaring that only an “honest, inclusive, and sovereign national dialogue” can halt the country’s slide into political instability.
In a statement released on November 23, 2025, the Foundation, dedicated to Africa’s Renaissance, asserted that the Presidential and Parliamentary results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were “not a true reflection of the will of the Tanzanian people.”
This judgment echoes the findings of Election Observer Missions (EOMs) from regional bodies, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU), both of which determined that the election fell short of established democratic principles and international standards.
The TMF statement—released following “deep and pained reflection” —extended condolences to families who lost loved ones during the post-election violence and noted persistent, disturbing reports of systematic violence, including abductions and murders, against opponents of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
The Foundation’s call for dialogue places it in alignment with domestic and international voices seeking a comprehensive resolution, but it highlights a fundamental cleavage between the government and the opposition over the path to reconciliation.
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While President Samia Suluhu Hassan has acknowledged the need for reconciliation and recently launched a domestic Commission of Inquiry on November 20, 2025, to investigate the events, the opposition has categorically rejected the move.
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, rejected the President’s probe team on November 19, 2025, stating they have “no faith in any domestic commission.” Instead, the opposition has demanded an international, independent inquiry involving the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and SADC.
During the launch of the domestic commission, President Samia defended the move on November 20, 2025, saying that the commission’s recommendations would set the agenda for the subsequent Reconciliation Commission.
The internal crisis has prompted swift and severe international reactions. The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, on November 11, 2025, urged a full investigation into the election-related killings and human rights violations.
Türk cited “disturbing reports” that security forces were seen removing bodies from streets and hospitals and taking them to “undisclosed locations in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence.”
READ MORE: Tanzania Police Intensify Crackdown Amidst Calls for Independence Day Protests
Furthermore, committees within the European Parliament registered a formal objection on November 20, 2025, to a European Commission plan to allocate €156 million in development funds to Tanzania for 2026. The committees cited alleged “democratic backsliding” and violent unrest, sending a clear political signal to Dar es Salaam.
Reports from the UN human rights office suggest that hundreds of protesters and others have been killed and detained since the vote, with the opposition alleging widespread torture and abuses in detention. Many of those arrested, including children, have reportedly been charged with treason.
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation emphasised that reconciliation can only follow a truthful accounting of the crisis. Max Boqwana, the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, stated that the dialogue must jointly answer the critical questions: “What went wrong, and what must be done to put the beloved country back on course?”
