DST News: A senior official of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, has been taken into custody, the group confirmed on Saturday, amid a widening crackdown following last month’s disputed general election.
Chadema said its deputy secretary-general, Amani Golugwa, was detained in the early hours of the morning. His arrest makes him the third high-ranking party member to be held, following the earlier detention of party leader Tundu Lissu and deputy leader John Heche ahead of the October 29 vote.
The development comes only a day after authorities charged more than 200 people with treason for allegedly taking part in post-election demonstrations. According to lawyer Peter Kibatala, more than 250 defendants appeared in court across three cases, each accused of conspiring to commit treason and treason itself.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the election with 98 percent of the vote, according to official results. Chadema rejected the outcome, calling the election fraudulent. In a statement posted on X, the party accused the government of attempting to dismantle its leadership and intimidate members at all levels, claiming that some supporters were being pressured to admit involvement in organising protests.
Police confirmed Golugwa’s arrest alongside nine others, saying they are being investigated in connection with recent unrest. The force added that Chadema’s secretary-general, John Mnyika, and communications chief, Brenda Rupia, are also being sought.
Demonstrations broke out in Dar-es-Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya and several other regions on October 29. Authorities have not released an official number of casualties, but rights groups and religious organisations have reported high fatalities.
The Catholic Church in Tanzania has said hundreds of people lost their lives, while Chadema claims the number exceeds 1,000 and alleges that security forces hid bodies to suppress the scale of the crackdown. The Kenya Human Rights Commission stated that about 3,000 people were killed and thousands remain unaccounted for. The group said photographic evidence shows gunshot wounds to the head and chest, indicating deliberate killings rather than crowd control.
The African Union has also raised concerns, saying the election did not align with the organisation’s standards for democratic processes. AU observers reported instances of ballot stuffing and voters being issued multiple ballots.
Although Tanzania has allowed multiparty politics since 1992, analysts and activists say political space has continued to shrink. President Hassan’s government is now under growing scrutiny, both domestically and abroad, over its handling of dissent and its approach to political competition.
Surce: Aljazeera News
