IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF TANZANIA ON THE CONTINUED CRACKDOWN ON DISSENT AND STILFING OF PUBLIC FREEDOMS IN TANZANIA
The government of the United Republic of Tanzania (GoT) issued a response to the statement made by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) regarding the continued crackdown on dissent and stifling of public freedoms in Tanzania as signalled by the recent court ruling on Chadema top leaders.
As the GoT response contains nothing more than a pack of lies aiming at garbling the reality on the actual state of political affairs in Tanzania, Chadema issue the following;
The GoT contends that Chadema leaders were convicted for breaching statutory law and that independent court issued the judgement after due process. Chadema find this to be a cover-up statement as the case was purely a political trial originating from the Kinondoni mismanaged by-election of February 2018. The acts for which Chadema leaders were convicted rested on the political denunciation of and protest against the infraction of electoral laws and regulations by the electoral returning officer who refused to swear-in polling agents for Chadema’s candidate.
Clearly, this politically motivated trial signalled a tactical implementation of President Magufuli’s ill-project of killing opposition parties in Tanzania before 2020. The case grounds, process and the verdict pinpoint the effectuation of President Magufuli’s threat to Chadema leaders that they should either stop criticising his lawlessness administration or end up in prison.
The GoT also refutes that there is no ban on political parties’ activities and that political parties have been conducting meetings in the legitimate areas of representation as by the law. Chadema would like put it clear that, in his quest to expunge opposition in Tanzania and in breach of the 1992 Political Parties Act and its 2007 regulations, President Magufuli banned political parties’ rallies and activities. The ban has been exclusively for opposition parties, Chadema in particular. It is out of this illegal and discriminatory ban that scores of Chadema leaders, members and supporters across Tanzania have been persecuted and prosecuted on trumped-up political charges. Even Chadema MPs and ward councillors have been at times blocked from holding meetings with their electorates.
The GoT goes on to deny its nonchalance over the death of Aquilina Akwilini; a 21-year-old student who was shot dead by a police officer in Kinondoni Constituency during Chadema’s demonstrations of February 2018. The GoT argues that there was no evidence to lead to the arrest of the police officer. This is absolutely incomprehensible and unjust to the deceased and her entire family. This also evidences a shambolic and broken justice system in the country. Condemning the killing and covering the funeral expenses is not what Aquilina’s family and the public of expected. The expectation was to see the known police officer who shot dead the student is brought to justice by the government that purports to respect human rights and the rule of law.
In summary, Tanzania opposition politicians and critics have never been safe under President Magufuli’s tyrannical regime. The inaction of GoT on the rising wave of abductions, forced disappearances, killings, torture and assassination attempt of opposition politicians and critics is a further revelation of the crackdown on dissent, stifling of public freedoms and significant collapse of rule of law in Tanzania. Chadema can and is ready to provide the evidence or more details at any time if demanded or need be.
Released on 10 April 2020
Deogratias Munishi
Head of Foreign Affairs
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