Chadema party - The African Mirror

Mar

2022

Tanzania frees opposition leader, drops charges

TANZANIA has freed the leader of the main opposition party, Freeman Mbowe after prosecutors dropped terrorism charges brought against him last year, his party said on Friday. Mbowe, who is the chairman of Chadema party, was detained last July in the lakeside town of Mwanza where he was due to attend a conference on proposals for a new constitution. He was charged in court on July 26, in spite of protests from his party that the charges were politically motivated. "The director of prosecutions has dropped charges of economic crimes and terrorism," Chadema said on its Twitter feed. Three co-accused…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Tanzanian judge recuses self in terrorism case

NEWS

A Tanzanian judge has recused himself from continuing to hear a case involving terrorism charges against the main opposition leader after the defendant expressed a lack of faith in his impartiality. Opposition leader Freeman Mbowe of the Chadema party was detained in July and was subsequently charged with terrorism-related offences stemming from accusations he was plotting terror acts against government officials. The party has said Mbowe's arrest and the charges show the new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is continuing the oppressive policies of her predecessor, John Magufuli, who died in March. Officials deny accusations of rights violations and stifling democracy.…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Opposition leader charged with terrorism-related crimes

NEWS

A court in Tanzania has charged the leader of the main opposition party with terrorism-related crimes, police have said, following his arrest while preparing for a meeting to discuss proposals for a new constitution. Freeman Mbowe, head of the Chadema party, and 10 others were detained in the city of Mwanza on Wednesday, in what the party said was proof that President Samia Suluhu Hassan was continuing with the authoritarianism of her late predecessor John Magufuli. Jumanne Muliro, Dar es Salaam special zone police commander, said Mbowe had been charged at Dar es Salaam's Kisutu Resident Magistrate's court. "It is…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Tanzania arrests leader of main opposition party

NEWS

TANZANIA’S main opposition party has revealed that its leader had been arrested with ten other party figures, in what it called proof that President Samia Suluhu Hassan was persisting with the authoritarianism of her late predecessor John Magufuli. The Chadema party said leader Freeman Mbowe and the others had been detained before dawn at a hotel in the lakeside city of Mwanza, where they had been planning to hold a meeting later on Wednesday to discuss proposals for a new constitution. The arrests followed the detention of dozens of other party members last week for holding a meeting without permission.…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Tanzania opposition leader says facing repression as elections near

NEWS

THREE weeks before elections, the Tanzanian government is getting scared and will do all in its power to stop the opposition, according to Tundu Lissu, a presidential hopeful whose convoy was teargassed by police last week. "It is getting harder. It is getting hotter. We expected this," Lissu, from the main opposition Chadema party, told Reuters on Wednesday. Chadema says its party offices in Arusha in northern Tanzania were firebombed. Meanwhile, dozens of opposition parliamentary candidates were disqualified from running in the elections for president and members of parliament on October 28. "The regime is getting scared and therefore they…