Chadema’s Tundu Lissu charged with treason, publishing false information

Dar es Salaam. The drama surrounding the arrest of Chadema’s national chairman, Mr Tundu Lissu, in Ruvuma Region culminated yesterday at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, where he faced several charges, including treason.

According to the charge sheet presented in court, Mr Lissu is accused of one count of inciting the public to obstruct the 2025 General Election, allegedly made during a speech in Dar es Salaam on April 3.

The charge sheet states that Mr Lissu incited the public by threatening the government, saying, “...walisema msimamo huu unaashiria uasi, ni kweli,…kwa sababu tunasema tutazuia uchaguzi tutahamasisha uasi, hiyo ndiyo namna ya kupata mabadiliko…kwa hiyo tunaenda kukinukisha…sanasana huu uchaguzi tutaenda kuuvuruga kwelikweli…Tunakwenda kukinukisha vibaya sana…” This could be literally translated as they said this position signifies rebellion, and indeed it does… because we say we will block the election, we will incite rebellion, that’s how to bring about change... so we are going to sabotage it... especially this election, we are really going to mess it up... We are going to sabotage it very badly...”

While the incitement charge is non-bailable, the other three charges Mr Lissu faces under Section 16 of the Cyber Crimes Act No 14 of 2015 are bailable. These include publishing false information on the social media platform YouTube, with the intent to mislead the public.

The first count alleges that on April 3, 2025, Mr Lissu spread misleading information regarding the exclusion of Chadema candidates in the 2024 Local Government Elections, attributing this to instructions from the President.

In the second count, Mr Lissu is accused of stating that “...Mapolisi wanatumika kuiba kura wakiwa na vibegi...(“...Police officers are being used to steal votes while carrying bags…”),” falsely claiming that police officers were involved in vote rigging. The third count accuses him of publishing false information about Tanzanian judges, stating that they are aligned with the ruling party and biased in their decisions.

Due to the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court lacking jurisdiction to handle treason charges, Mr Lissu, who appeared before Principal Resident Magistrate Franco Kiswaga, was not allowed to enter any plea. The case will come up for mention on April 24.

In a dramatic twist, Mr Lissu was arrested on Wednesday following a public rally in Mbinga, Ruvuma Region, where he was promoting his party’s “No Reform No Election” agenda. He was then transported to Dar es Salaam’s Central Police Station to face the charges.

Chadema’s Deputy Secretary General (Mainland), Mr Aman Golugwa, confirmed the charges against Mr Lissu in a phone interview with Mwananchi Digital yesterday. Mr Golugwa, who had just met with Mr Lissu at the Central Police Station after arriving from Ruvuma, revealed that Mr Lissu was being accused of treason and disseminating false information, and was expected to appear in court soon.

As of 2pm yesterday, Mr Lissu remained at the Central Police Station, undergoing interrogation.

Legal insights into treason

Lawyer Jebra Kambole provided clarification on treason, as defined under Section 39 of the Penal Code. He explained that treason includes acts such as plotting to kill the President or initiating war against Tanzania. He also noted that treason could be committed by assisting foreign forces or taking steps to overthrow the government, parliament, or judiciary, and is a non-bailable offence.

Support for Mr Lissu

In a related development, Mr Golugwa condemned what he described as political interference designed to weaken Chadema, calling for political disputes to be settled through debate and not by police action.

Over 200 lawyers have been assembled to defend Mr Lissu, including prominent international lawyers such as Robert Amsterdam. The legal team will be led by Dr Rugemeleza Nshala, Chadema’s legal director, to ensure that justice is served.