Dar opposition leaders freed
Dar es Salaam, Tuesday
Opposition leaders in Tanzania have accused police of shooting nine people dead during protests against alleged rigging on the eve of elections in which John Magufuli, one of Africa’s most controversial leaders, could win a second term as president.
The unrest broke out overnight in the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar, an important tourist destination.
Trucks loaded with soldiers, police and a militia linked to the ruling party known as “zombies” — clad in black with their faces covered by bandanas — were seen driving throughout Zanzibar City, while witnesses described security forces beating civilians.
High-profile efforts
Millions are due to cast their votes on Wednesday in simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections in Tanzania. Zitto Kabwe, the leader of the opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), said Tanzanians were hoping for change. “Excitement is very high,” Kabwe said.
The ACT Wazalendo, which has repeatedly accused the government of undermining democracy and curtailing fundamental freedoms, also said its leader in Zanzibar, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, had been arrested.
Magufuli, whose forthright style has earned him the nickname “the bulldozer”, won praise when he came to power in 2015 for his high-profile efforts to crack down on corruption and government spending, but he has since been accused of mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic and repression of dissent.
However, analysts say Magufuli’s brand of populist politics and promises of economic development have gained him a solid support base, especially in Tanzania’s vast rural areas, which should win him a second term.
“Effective leadership must plan and prepare well,” the 60-year-old politician told a rally in northern Tanzania last week, reeling off figures on how government revenues had nearly doubled, helping to fund a railway, a dam and a revived national airline.
Widespread abuses
Opposition leaders say there have been widespread human rights abuses and attacks on democratic institutions under Magafuli’s rule.
“Our motto is freedom, freedom, freedom. People want to be free to express themselves; people want their vote to have a meaning. This election is a very important one for our country,” Kabwe said.
The government has denied clamping down on dissent, and its spokesman Hassan Abbasi said elections were held under the supervision of the national electoral commission (NEC), which is supposed to be impartial.
The opposition claims the NEC has systematically supported Magafuli and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party (CCM) by disqualifying its candidates or ordering them to pause campaigning.
NEC officials deny any political agenda. “Why should the commission disqualify you if you meet all the criteria? It is not true,” said Emmanuel Kawishe, the NEC’s legal services director.
Human rights campaigners have raised concerns about restrictions on opposition politicians and the media. Magufuli’s government banned public rallies in 2016, and at least 10 Tanzanian media outlets were banned for periods ranging from one week to indefinitely between January 2016 and July 2020, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Rules introduced in August require foreign journalists to be chaperoned on assignments by a government official, and Tanzanian broadcasters must seek permission to air content produced by foreign media. - Agencies
