Chadema demands judicial inquiry into abductions, killings

Dar es Salaam.  The main opposition party, Chadema, is calling for a judicial inquiry into alleged abductions and killings that have reportedly gripped Tanzania.

The party’s chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, made this demand during a press conference on August 22, 2024, emphasising the urgency of addressing the escalating situation.

Mr Mbowe highlighted that of all the reported cases of missing persons and abductions across the nation, over 60 percent took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city.

He further claimed that some of the victims were senior leaders of Chadema, raising concerns about targeted political violence.

“These are not isolated incidents,” Mbowe said. “What we’re seeing is a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances, with a significant number occurring right here in Dar es Salaam.”

The Chadema leader went on to accuse state security agencies of involvement in these disappearances.

According to Mr Mbowe, the party’s investigations have uncovered information from various sources, including insiders within the police force.

“What we’ve found is alarming,” he said. “There is a task force initially set up to combat armed robbery that seems to have shifted its focus.

This group now appears to be involved in these abductions, operating outside the formal legal framework.”

He alleged that over 200 people have vanished under suspicious circumstances, many of them reportedly tortured by this security task force.

The implications, he suggested, are grave not only for those directly affected but for the broader Tanzanian society.

“This is not just about the missing individuals,” Mbowe warned. “It’s about the fear and uncertainty that is spreading across the country.

Tanzanians are living in fear, and that is unacceptable.”

The Citizen reached out to the police spokesperson in vain; the phone call could not be accepted until press time.

Given the gravity of the situation, Mbowe insisted that the police cannot be trusted to investigate themselves.

Instead, he called on President Samia Suluhu Hassan to exercise her authority under the Inquest Act to establish a judicial commission of inquiry.

“The police force is compromised,” he said.

“The only way to get to the truth is through an independent judicial commission.

We are urging the President to take this step to restore peace, unity, and stability in our nation.”

Mr Mbowe expressed confidence that a commission, once established, would uphold truth and justice.

He also called on the President to disband the security task force, which he claimed operates based on personal whims rather than the law.

“The President, as Commander-in-Chief, must intervene,” Mr Mbowe stated.

“This task force has overstepped its boundaries and must be held accountable.”

Chadema is also pushing for a repeal of Section 4(iii) of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service Amendment Act of 2023.

This section, they argue, grants excessive power to national intelligence officers, allowing them to arrest individuals without due process.

“This law is being misused,” Mr Mbowe argued. “It’s giving too much power to security officers, and we’ve seen how that power is being abused.”

In the capital, Dodoma, the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance of Tanzania announced it was conducting its own investigation into more than 80 cases of disappearances reported between 2020 and 2024.

Retired Judge Mathew Mwaimu, who chairs the commission, revealed that these cases span 15 regions, with most incidents occurring between 2020 and 2024.

He acknowledged that other disappearances have been reported since 2016 but said the commission’s focus is on the recent cases, given their prevalence and the public anxiety they have caused.

“We are seeing a troubling trend,” Judge Mwaimu said.

“These disappearances are not confined to one area but are happening across the country.

Our investigation aims to uncover the truth behind these incidents.”

The regions under investigation include Dar es Salaam, Singida, Mara, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Kagera, Geita, Kigoma, Tanga, Mbeya, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Ruvuma, and Rukwa.

Judge Mwaimu assured the public that the commission is taking the investigation seriously. He noted that steps have already been taken, including identifying and analysing the incidents based on various sources of information.

“Our work is ongoing,” he said. “We are visiting 30 locations over the next few weeks to gather evidence.

Once we have completed our investigation, we will present our findings to the public.”