Tanzania's Main Opposition Leader And Five Others In Police Custody. Move To Eliminate Opposition

Commentary | Tanzania March 29, 2018

The leader of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, Mr Freeman Mbowe, and five senior members of the party are reported to be in police custody after a court in Dar es Salaam denied them bail. They were brought to the court on March 28, 2018 over charges connected to a peaceful demonstration held in the city in February 2018. More specifically, they are been charged for allegedly inciting hatred and rebellion against the state. During the peaceful demonstration in question, police unjustifiably fired live bullets into the demonstrators, killing an innocent young college female student. Instead of the government and police taking responsibility for the unnecessary brutal act, they turned on the opposition, blaming them for the incident! The same police force has so far failed to make an arrest following the almost fatal shooting of a democratically elected opposition member of parliament in the capital Dodoma in September 2017. The MP, Lissu Tundu, is now in a hospital in Belgium. East African political analysts, think that the now perpetual disrespect and harassment of the opposition in Tanzania by the government there is a deliberate move aimed at eliminating opposition parties in the East African state. They also believe that the refusal of bail to the leader of the main opposition Mr Mbowe, and his five colleagues hence their detention by police, is orchestrated by the government because at the moment there is no distinction between the Judiciary and the Executive. As such, the government often tells the Judiciary through instructions and orders, what to do! All in all, the lack of recognition by the government of Tanzania, of the important role of the opposition, is likely to have very serious political repercussions to the government itself in the long run, no matter the milestones it may make in some other aspects of society. That is because, it is very unlikely majority of Tanzanians especially the youth will support politicians who want or have ambitions to take the country back to the dark ages of one party dictatorial rule! ___________________ © 2015 - 2021 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved