Good morning!The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on August 13, 2024.
CHADEMA says its leaders were beaten by the police during the crackdown
The opposition party Chadema has reported that some of its senior leaders were assaulted while being detained by the police in Mbeya. According to the party, those affected include Chadema Secretary General John Mnyika, Vice Chairman (Mainland) Tundu Lissu, and Joseph Mbilinyi, known as Sugu, who is the Chairman of Chadema’s Nyasa Region.
This was reported by Chadema’s Deputy Secretary General (Mainland), Benson Kigaila, on August 13, 2024, during a press briefing in Dar es Salaam. The briefing followed the release of the party’s chairman, Freeman Mbowe, and other members by the police.
Kigaila claimed that Mnyika, Lissu, and Sugu were beaten during their arrest at Chadema’s Nyasa regional office. “They started by dragging Lissu and throwing him into a vehicle, after which Mnyika questioned why they were dragging the vice chairman,” he said. Kigaila added that Mnyika was called by one of the police officers who then broke his glasses and assaulted him along with Sugu. “They are currently in the hospital receiving treatment,” he added.
The report of assaults has also been reported by detained CHADEMA members and lawyers with some reporting that electric shock devices were used to injure them.
“They used their electric devices to torture us. They applied them to my neck, ribs, and legs while the beatings continued from a group of police officers,” said Alphonce Lusako, lawyer and CHADEMA member who was called in by party leader to support arrested members. “Even after forcing me into their vehicle, they continued to beat me. We do not deserve this cruelty, truly.”
Kigaila also reported that three cameras from Chadema Media, Jambo TV, and Mwanzo TV were confiscated and called for their return without any conditions.
CHADEMA Chairperson Freeman Mbowe, Vice Chairperson Tundu Lissu, party secretary John Mnyika, and other 520 Chadema members were detained and later released by the police for allegedly violating a ban on holding a celebration for International Youth Day, which is observed annually on August 12. Mbowe is expected to speak about the incident today.
US Embassy weighs in on the arrest of Tanzania opposition leaders and members, netizens criticize the timing and ‘mildness’ of the statement
In a statement issued on August 13, 2024, the US Embassy in Tanzania said that it welcomed the news regarding the release of political party leaders, youth, journalists, and lawyers who were detained by the police. The embassy emphasized that the US strongly supports fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for all.
” The United States of America strongly supports the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for all as enshrined in both of our countries’ constitutions and which are vital for all democracies,” the statement read.
“We call on the government, all political parties, civil society, and citizens to uphold and respect these rights, and to work together to ensure a free, fair, peaceful, inclusive, and transparent electoral process that reflects the will of the Tanzanian people.”
The statement comes at a time when there is a huge debate in Tanzania regarding the country’s democratic direction, with many citizens sharing concerns about the future following the massive arrest over the weekend.
Police arrested about 520 CHADEMA party members on August 11, in the largest police crackdown against the planned Youth Day celebration on August 12, 2024. Police said CHADEMA was planning to emulate Kenya’s Gen Z protest at their celebration, a claim that has left many Tanzanians unconvinced.
Following the release of the US Embassy statement, many people on various platforms such as X and WhatsApp showed that they were not impressed by the statement due to the timing of its release and the language of the statement.
“You are failing, showing up late with a bite-and-sip melody. You should have just stayed quiet,” commented lawyer Tito Magoti. “Too late, if it were a killing, we would be saying goodbye to the bodies by now,” said Onesmo Mushi.
“You’re messing around, by the way… it’s been like 72 hours, and you’re coming with some half-baked statement,” said another X user with the user name Kingston_Kappa.
Frustration shared by netizens on the US Embassy post was earlier shared by journalist Erick Kabendera who believed that the international community had a role in spearheading tangible democratic reforms in Tanzania but fell short.
“My problem is that as long as diplomats have access to government officials, they have limited interest in supporting reforms that prioritize the needs of the citizens,” argued Kabendera. However, other analysts have a different perspective and believe that Tanzanians were failing themselves and it was up to them to change their country’s direction.
The statement from the US Embassy follows a day after Amnesty International condemned the arrest of CHADEMA supporters. Various civil society and human rights organizations including LHRC, TLS, and THRDC have denounced the action by authorities in Tanzania.
Tanzanians are more satisfied with their country’s direction than their neighbors, new polls reveal
Perhaps police in Tanzania should just put their swords back in their sheaths and avoid using brutal means to prevent what they fear to be the replication of youth-led anti-government protests, as new polls released Tuesday show that most people in the country are satisfied with its direction, unlike their colleagues in the East African region.
The non-governmental organization Twaweza East Africa published the latest edition of its Sauti za Wananchi opinion polls on Tuesday titled A Compendium of Ten Years of Sauti za Wananchi: The Opinions and Experiences of Citizens of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Presentations and panel discussions accompanied the launching event in Dar es Salaam.
The polls, which involved five baseline surveys and 126 mobile phone survey rounds between 2013 and 2023, reveal that, unlike their colleagues in Kenya and Uganda, many Tanzanians express a higher level of satisfaction on matters such as unemployment and inflation, which are credited with causing ongoing protests in Kenya.
The polls, representing an estimated 74,000 hours of interviews, also show that Tanzanians are more likely than Kenyans or Ugandans to agree that their country has a stable political environment conducive to business prosperity, that their country’s current economic conditions are favourable for business, and that their government is creating exciting opportunities for small businesses.
While most Kenyans and Ugandans feel that their countries are heading in the wrong direction, 69 per cent of Tanzanians expressed feelings that their country was going in the right direction, according to data Twaweza collected in the country two months ago and revealed during Tuesday’s event.
Read the full article here
Two people killed by locals in Dodoma for fear of child kidnapping, they were in the area for a betting business
Two individuals have been killed in Dodoma under accusations of being child kidnappers. The incident occurred on August 10, 2024, around 4:00 PM in Juhudi Ward, Ibihwa Village, Bahi District, where Franco Filbert Mtasoka (29) and Ramadhan Abeid (27) were attacked by locals and then burned alive inside a Toyota Cresta.
According to a statement from the Dodoma Regional Police, released on August 13, 2024, the victims had arrived in the village from Dodoma City, heading to Ilindi Village to distribute raffle tickets for a lottery event. However, the locals grew suspicious when they saw the vehicle parked in an open area at night with unfamiliar people inside for an extended period.
“Some locals began to gather and attack these individuals after suspecting them due to recent reports of child abductions in other areas,” the police statement read. The bodies of the deceased have been stored at Bahi Health Center awaiting a medical examination.
Recently, there have been various incidents of child abductions across the country, causing parents to live in fear and remain vigilant. For example, in Dar es Salaam and Pwani regions, parents have been visiting schools at different times to pick up their children following reports of suspicious vehicles believed to be attempting to abduct children.
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