Dar es Salaam – Businesswoman and social media influencer Jennifer Jovin, popularly known as ‘Niffer,’ broke down in tears during a press conference on Wednesday, her first public address since being released from a month-long detention.
The emotional moment came when a journalist asked for her thoughts on her arrest and incarceration on treason charges, which have since been dropped.
Overwhelmed, Niffer, 26, buried her head in the hands of her mother, Mwanaisha Isack, who sat beside her, and began to cry loudly. It was her mother who then addressed the question, explaining that her daughter’s tears were a result of the shock and regret she felt over the events that had transpired.
“The reason she is crying is that she didn’t expect that what she was doing would’ve caused everything that transpired,” Ms Isack explained to the assembled media.
Ms Isack herself had led a determined campaign for her daughter’s release. On November 7, 2025, for instance, she made a passionate and tearful appeal to President Samia Suluhu Hassan in a video recording, pleading for mercy on behalf of her daughter.
READ MORE: Treason Charges Dropped Against Influencer Niffer and Activist Chavala in Tanzania Mass Release
“Mama, I have come before you to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes my daughter has made,” she said in the video, her voice thick with emotion. “I personally did not like them, Mama, and that is why I have come before you to ask for her forgiveness. But I also ask for forgiveness for myself and the entire family.
“I have been sent by the whole family to come and ask for your forgiveness, Mama. My child is someone we depend on in our family, Mama. We have no one to depend on more than Niffer, my dear mother. Niffer is a good person, many of you know her. Tanzanians, I beg you to ask for my daughter’s forgiveness.”
Niffer was arrested on October 28, 2025, and charged with treason, a crime that carries a potential death penalty in Tanzania. Her arrest followed her participation in a viral social media challenge that used a beat made from President Samia’s words dismissing the possibility of demonstrations.
She was released on Wednesday after the Director of Public Prosecutions informed the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court that the state would not be proceeding with the case against her and activist Mika Chavala.
Their release is part of a wider amnesty for hundreds of youths detained following large-scale protests on the day of the country’s general election, October 29, 2025. The protests were driven largely by a range of public grievances, including political exclusion and harsh living conditions.
READ MORE: 607 Freed: Tanzania Drops Charges for Youths in Post-Election Unrest, Targeting 1,736 Total
President Samia ordered a review of the cases, stating that many of the arrested youths may have simply “followed the crowd” without fully understanding their actions.
During the press conference, Niffer thanked her family, friends, and all Tanzanians who had supported her. She also used the platform to appeal for aid for those still in prison.
“When we give aid, we usually just give it to orphans. But aid can even be taken to prisons,” she urged. “For those of you who get the chance, take aid to the prisons. Diapers for children. Pads for mothers. Milk, there are infants there. Take aid there.”
