- Author, Abdalla Seif Dzungu
- Nafasi, BBC Swahili
- Akiripoti kutoka, Nairobi
- Iliyochapishwa
- Muda wa kusoma: Dakika 4
Jumuiya ya madola imeitaka serikali ya Tanzania kutafuta ufumbuzi wa kisiasa na kisheria kumaliza kesi inayomkabili kiongozi wa upinzani nchni humo Tundu Lissu
Haya ni kwa mujibu wa mapendekezo yaliowasilishwa kwa jumuiya hiyo na aliyekuwa rais wa zamani wa Malawi na mjumbe maalum wa jumuiya hiyo Lazariaus Chakwera.
Chakwera aliteuliwa kupatanisha mivutano ya kisiasa na kuwezesha mazungumzo ya kitaifa kufuatia uchaguzi mkuu wenye utata wa Oktoba 2025, ambao ulisababisha maandamano makubwa.
Tundu Lissu alikamatwa kufuatia mkutano wa hadhara wa kisiasa huko Mbinga, Tanzania, ambapo alitoa wito wa kufanyika marekebisho makubwa ya uchaguzi na katiba.
Serikali ilimshtaki kwa uhaini na kuchapisha taarifa za uongo mtandaoni, kwa madai kuwa kampeni yake ya "Hakuna Marekebisho, Hakuna Uchaguzi" ilichochea uasi wa umma.
Katika kesi yake inayoendelea ambayo imeahirishwa mara nyingi , Lissu aliomba kujiwakilisha mwenyewe baada ya jopo lake la mawakili kudai kuwa walinyimwa fursa ya kuwasiliana naye kwa faragha na hivyo kujiondoa kwenye kesi hiyo.
Hatahivyo serikali ya Tanzania imekuwa ikisisitiza kuwa kesi inayomkabili lissu haijachochewa kisiasa na mahakama ipo huru katika kuisikiliza.
Waliokamatwa waachiwe huru
Aidha mapendekezo ya Jumuiya hiyo yametoa wito kwa serikiali kuwaachilia wale wote waliokamatwa wakati wa ghasia hizo kwa kupigania haki zao kwa amani.
Mashirika ya kutetea haki za binadamu na wanasheria waliripoti kuwa idadi kubwa ya watu walifikishwa mahakamani mapema mwezi wa Novemba na wakati wa uchaguzi wakikabiliwa na mashtaka mazito.
Vilevile ripoti hiyo ya Chakwera imeitaka serikali ya rais Samia Suluhu Hassan ndani ya siku sitini kurejesha mifumo yote ya kidijitali na kusita kutoa vitisho kwa Watetezi wa vyombo vya habari na uhuru wa kujieleza.
Wakati wa uchaguzi uliopingwa wa Oktoba 2025, serikali ya Tanzania ilituma wanajeshi na polisi kukandamiza maandamano kwa nguvu, kufunga mtandao, na kuweka amri ya kutotoka nje katika miji mikubwa.
Viongozi wa upinzani
Mamlaka iliwakamata mamia ya watu—wakiwemo watu muhimu wa upinzani—wakiwashtaki kwa uhaini, huku uchunguzi rasmi baadaye ukiripoti mamia ya vifo.
Jumuiya ya kimataifa ililaani uchaguzi huo, ikitaja mchakato wa kidemokrasia wenye kasoro na vurugu kali zilizofuatia uchaguzi huo.
Ujumbe wa waangalizi wa uchaguzi wa AU ulitangaza kwamba kura hiyo haikuzingatia viwango vya kidemokrasia, kujazwa kwa kura katika masanduku ya kupigia kura, kuzimwa kwa mtandao, na utekaji nyara uliochochewa kisiasa ambao uliathiri uadilifu wa uchaguzi.
Mabadiliko ya mfumo wa Uchaguzi
Vilevile mapendekezo hayo yameitaka serikali ya Tanzania ndani ya siku tisini kuanzisha jukwaa la vyama vya kisiasa lisilopendelea upande wowote ili kuangazia mabadiliko ya mfumo wa uchaguzi, ushindani wa kisiasa, waliokamatwa na uwajibikaji.
Jumuiya hiyo imeitaka serikali ya Tanzania kuanzisha bila kuchelewa , Uchunguzi huru wa uhalifu uliofanyika kama ilivyopendekezwa na Tume ya uchunguzi , ikiwemo masuala kama vile ulipaji fidia kwa waathiriwa.
Imeongezea kwamba itaitisha kikao kisicho cha kawaida mwezi Septemba 2026 ambapo Tanzania itaalikwa ili kutoa ripoti kuhusu hatua ilizopiga kabla ya mkutano huo kufanyika.
Aidha mapendekezo hayo yanamtaka katibu mkuu kuendelea kuwasiliana na serikali ya Tanzania ili kutoa ripoti za hatua zaidi zilizoafikiwa.
Ghasia wakati wa uchaguzi
Machafuko makali yaliyohusiana na uchaguzi mkuu wa Tanzania wa Oktoba 2025 yalisababishwa hasa na kuondolewa kwa vyama vikuu vya upinzani na wagombea wao kushirki katika uchaguzi huo.
Maandamano yalizuka Dar es Salaam na baadaye yakaenea hadi miji mingine, kufuatia madai ya ukiukwaji wa sheria za uchaguzi, kukandamiza vyama vya upinzani, na vitisho vya polisi.
Vikosi vya usalama vilijibu kwa risasi, gesi ya machozi, na amri ya kutotoka nje, pamoja na mauaji yaliyolenga watu, na kusababisha wasiwasi wa kimataifa na maonyo ya usafiri kutoka kwa serikali kadhaa za kigeni.
Facts Only
* Jumuiya ya Madola recommended the Tanzanian government seek political and legal solutions to end the case against Tundu Lissu within 30 days.
* Lazariaus Chakwera, former President of Malawi and a group member, was tasked with mediating political tensions after the October 2025 general elections.
* Tundu Lissu was arrested after a public political meeting in Mbinga, Tanzania, where he called for constitutional amendments.
* The government charged Lissu with treason and posting false information online regarding his campaign.
* Lissu requested self-representation after his lawyers alleged denial of private communication.
* The Tanzanian government insisted the case was not politically motivated and that the judiciary was independent.
* Recommendations included releasing those arrested during riots to pursue their rights peacefully.
* Human rights organizations reported many people were courted in November and during the election period facing serious charges.
* The group requested the government restore digital systems within sixty days and cease threats against press freedom.
* Security forces used force, tear gas, and detention orders during protests related to the October 2025 election.
* The state arrested hundreds of people, including opposition figures, and pursued charges of treason.
* The AU observers stated the October 2025 election did not meet democratic standards due to flawed processes, ballot stuffing, and politically motivated violence.
* Recommendations included establishing a non-partisan political party platform and initiating an independent criminal investigation.
Executive Summary
The civil society group Jumuiya ya Madola has called on the Tanzanian government to pursue political and legal solutions to conclude the case against opposition leader Tundu Lissu within 30 days. This recommendation was put forward by Lazariaus Chakwera, former President of Malawi and a special member of the group, who was tasked with mediating political tensions following the contentious October 2025 general elections that led to large demonstrations.
Lissu was arrested following a public political meeting in Mbinga, Tanzania, where he called for major amendments to the elections and the constitution. The government subsequently charged him with treason and posting false information online, alleging his campaign "No Amendments, No Elections" incited public unrest. Lissu requested self-representation after his legal team claimed he was denied private communication opportunities.
The government maintained that the case against Lissu was not politically motivated and that the judiciary was independent. The group also recommended releasing those arrested during the riots to pursue justice peacefully. Human rights organizations reported that many people were brought before courts in November and during the election period facing serious charges. Furthermore, the group requested the government to restore digital systems within sixty days and refrain from threatening journalists or freedom of expression.
Full Take
The narrative frames a conflict where a specific political figure is detained, actions are taken by the state citing security concerns, and international bodies have noted systemic flaws in the electoral process that fed into subsequent violence. The core tension lies between the state's assertion of legal authority and the civil society group’s demand for due process and judicial review.
The pattern observed is the mobilization of institutional mechanisms—legal systems, executive action, and international observation—to manage and potentially suppress political dissent following contentious elections. The simultaneous demands for accountability (releasing detainees, independent investigation) and structural reform (electoral system changes, digital governance) suggest an attempt to force a reckoning beyond the immediate legal case against Lissu.
The push for a non-partisan political platform and an independent investigation reflects an underlying assumption that the crisis is not isolated but stems from systemic failures within the electoral framework itself. The focus on restoring digital systems alongside addressing human rights implies an understanding that control over information and communication is central to democratic integrity. The threat of a special session in September 2026 suggests a planned pressure point for accountability.
What are the unseen costs of prioritizing swift legal closure versus systemic reform? Who benefits from maintaining the current structure of accountability rather than pursuing broad-based institutional change? If reforms are enacted, how will the existing state apparatus be compelled to change its operational parameters concerning public assembly and media freedom?
Sentinel — Human
The text presents a narrative based on reported demands and historical context regarding the 2025 elections in Tanzania, structured around the recommendations of an international civil society group.