President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 election with 98 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission. The opposition, barred from participating, has described the election as a “sham.”
Violent protests erupted across the country on election day, with reports suggesting hundreds, possibly thousands, may have been killed. A multi-day internet shutdown during the unrest hindered independent verification of the figures.
On Friday, hundreds appeared in court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s economic hub. Lawyer Peter Kibatala said, “All of these ladies and gentlemen, numbering more than 250 in total, were arraigned in three separate cases, and they’re all charged with two sets of offences. The first set is conspiracy to commit treason, and the second set is treason itself.” Judicial sources confirmed that at least 240 people had been charged.
The opposition party Chadema claims at least 800 people were killed during the election violence, with diplomatic and security sources suggesting the toll could be even higher. Authorities have not released official figures for deaths or injuries.
On Saturday, Chadema reported that Deputy Secretary General Amani Golugwa had been arrested in Arusha. “The arrest of the Deputy Secretary General means that only three of the party’s six top leaders remain free,” the party said in a statement on X.
Party leader Tundu Lissu has been detained since April facing treason charges. Vice-chairman John Heche was arrested in October and later charged with “terrorism acts.” Chadema said the government intends to charge its leaders to “cripple the party’s leadership and paralyse its operations.”
The arrests follow a police warning late Friday, naming opposition leaders, including Secretary General John Mnyika, Deputy Amani Golugwa, and spokesperson Brenda Rupia, as wanted in connection with the election unrest. “We call on them to surrender to the police immediately,” Tanzania police spokesperson David Misime said in a statement.