On 12 February the opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) politician, Daniel John, was abducted and beaten to death in Dar es Salaam. A friend who was with him and survived, stated that they had both been beaten and tortured and that their torturers had asked them why there were campaigning for CHADEMA’s candidate in the local election campaign.
Also, during a 17 February opposition protest march, one person was killed and several injured by what the police described as ‘stray bullets’. Observers described how the police had used tear gas and live bullets to try to stop the march towards the offices of the Electoral Commission. Faced with widespread outrage over the killing, President John Magufuli ordered an inquiry into the incident.
These are not the first incidents in which the government has been accused of harassing and violently attacking opposition supporters. One high-profile case involved opposition politician Tundu Lissu, an outspoken critic of the president, who was repeatedly shot in September 2017 and left Tanzania for treatment. He has not yet returned and the government has denied any involvement.
The US Embassy issued a recent statement expressing its concern over the rise in political violence. However, it is unlikely that donors will take any decisive action in the short-to-medium term. The US State Department has been understaffed and in disarray, with limited attention to sub-Saharan Africa since President Donald Trump took power. The deterioration in Tanzania’s politics also produces limited international headlines, not least because the dominant Kiswahili language press means that a lot of the critical issues fall below the radar. To date, there is little domestic pressure for donor governments to become more involved.
More domestic pressure has, however, come from the Catholic Church. On 11 February the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Tanzania published a pastoral letter that was highly critical of President Magufuli. It accused him of violations of the constitution and national laws, noting: the instrumentalisation of the police; restrictions of the lawful activities of political parties and citizens; and the closure or suspension of media. The current political atmosphere, they argue, has created ‘division and hatred that could endanger peace, security and the lives of citizens’.
Magufuli already clashed with clerics at the end of December 2017 when the Ministry of Home Affairs threatened to deregister churches that ‘mixed politics and religion’. In principle, Tanzanians enjoy freedom of worship, but religious organisations must register with the Ministry of Home Affairs to obtain a license. It is still unclear whether the churches intend to sustain their political involvement, which could be one avenue to broaden civil society opposition to Magufuli.
This segment is from the Tanzania section of the East Africa Politics & Security report. To receive a free sample, contact our Africa expert.
