Supporters of Tanzania's opposition party Chadema celebrate outside a
polling station in Dar es Salaam on October 27, 2015. Six Chadema
leaders have arrested and charged in court with sedition, incitement to
violence and unlawful assembly. FILE PHOTO | NATION
The woes of Tanzania’s opposition continued last week, with six
Chadema leaders, among them ...
chairman Freeman Mbowe, sitting in jail over the East holiday after they were charged with sedition, incitement to violence and unlawful assembly.
chairman Freeman Mbowe, sitting in jail over the East holiday after they were charged with sedition, incitement to violence and unlawful assembly.
The move by President
John Magufuli administration against the opposition, dissenting civil
society and media has been roundly condemned, with the church taking a
leading role.
On March 27, Mr Mbowe, Chadema’s
secretary-general Vincent Mashinji, deputy secretaries-general John
Mnyika and Salum Mwalimu and MPs Peter Msigwa and Esther Matiko were
charged before Willbard Mashauri at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s
court before being sent to Segerea Remand Prison.
They
did not, however, appear in court two days later for the bail hearing
with the remand boss claiming that all prison vehicles that could have
ferried them to court were faulty.
Nonetheless, the
judge granted them Tsh20 million ($8,800) bail each with at least two
guarantors. They are also required to report to the Central Police
Station in Dar es Salaam every Thursday. The judge ordered that they be
produced in court on April 3 for signing of their bail papers.
External intervention
As the strong arm of the law continued to be wielded over
demonstrations in February and other civil defiance, some opposition
members sought external intervention in pushing for democratic space,
marching to the offices of the European Union Delegation in Dar es
Salaam to seek the support.
The opposition, civil
society and church have criticised increased violation of democratic
rights and freedoms since President Magufuli took office in November
2015.
Two major churches, the Catholics and Lutherans,
have recently condemned the government’s actions against the opposition,
and sought to conduct civil education.
In February,
the Catholic church in a letter titled “The Church and Developing
Society of Tanzania” highlighted key values the society should emphasise
in the civic education.
The episcopal document listed
social, political and economic challenges facing the Tanzania and called
on the faithful to reflect on them. The bishops criticised the ban on
political activities, demonstrations and political parties’ internal
meetings, terming them unconstitutional.
Dwindling freedom of expression
The
Lutheran Church has also issued a letter reiterating most of the
issues cited by the Catholic bishops, in its Easter message titled “Our
Nation, Our Peace.” It was issued nearly two weeks after its pastor,
Fred Njama was arrested in Moshi for incitement.
Pastor
Njama had read a report he had prepared for a church service that
detailed some challenges facing the nation, which included unemployment,
growing poverty and suppression of freedom of expression.
The
government confiscated all the publications from the church’s printing
press and ordered those who had collected copies to surrender them.
The
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania listed concerns about the state
of the nation — abduction, torture, politically motivated murder and
abuse of security organs against the people.
“There are
signs of dwindling freedom of expression, assembly and right to
information… There is a fear that even the right to worship is in
danger,” it said.
The document signed by 27 Lutheran Bishops said the government has a duty of protecting the lives of its people.
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