Tanzania’s Rights Centre renews fight for democracy, justice in new strategic plan

Dar es Salaam. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) has unveiled its new six-year strategic plan for the period 2025-2030, focusing on three key areas; strengthening democracy in Tanzania, educating citizens on human rights advocacy, and driving reforms to laws that hinder human rights in the country.

Speaking to The Citizen, LHRC’s Executive Director, Dr Anna Henga, stated that the organisation's efforts to strengthen democracy will prioritise ensuring active citizen participation in the country’s democratic processes during upcoming electoral cycles.

The strategic plan will be implemented in a period when two general elections (2025 and 2030) and the local government elections (2019) will be held.

"In the strategic plan, our focus will be on ensuring that Tanzania's democracy is reinforced, with citizens actively participating and being fully engaged in all democratic processes," she said.

To achieve this, Dr Henga explained that LHRC will provide civic education to Tanzanians so that they understand their crucial role in the country's democratic growth.

On human rights education, Dr Henga highlighted the centre’s intention to expand outreach efforts to educate citizens, especially those in remote areas, on their fundamental rights.

“The goal is to enable citizens to advocate for their own rights as well as support others in need. This approach will empower communities to fight for human rights on their own, while the centre focuses on addressing larger, national issues. By involving communities in this way, we expect significant progress in human rights advocacy across the country," she said.

She continued: “This will also involve continuing to provide legal aid to victims of various forms of abuse to help them regain stability in their lives.

Another key pillar of the strategic plan is advocacy for the review and amendment of laws that restrict human rights.

Dr Henga revealed that LHRC will continue to engage in discussions and offer recommendations on how best to amend such laws to make them more human rights friendly.

"We will continue to champion legal reforms to ensure that laws are aligned with human rights principles and that they support efforts to prevent the violation of these rights in Tanzania," she affirmed.

Reflecting on the achievements of the current strategic plan 2019-2024, which concludes this year, Dr Henga noted several key successes.

“These include supporting legal reforms, contributing to criminal justice reform, enhancing access to justice through legal aid, collaborating with the government on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and aiding in the development of the Legal Aid Act of 2003, among other achievements,” Dr Henga mentioned.

Looking ahead, Dr Henga called for collective action from various stakeholders to ensure the success of the new strategic plan.

“As we move forward with our new six-year plan, we understand that these tasks cannot be accomplished by one organisation alone. Therefore, we look forward to collective efforts involving the government, civil society organisations, the private sector, and, most importantly, the community,” she said.

She went on to appeal to stakeholders: "I encourage all stakeholders to join us in this endeavour. Together, we can build a society where human rights are not just theoretical concepts but a lived reality for all."

The Swedish Ambassador to Tanzania, Charlotta Ozaki Macias, speaking on behalf of LHRC's core development partners—Sweden, Ireland, and Norway—praised Tanzania's stability and peace but noted concerns about human rights violations reported during local elections.

"We have received credible reports of irregularities, disappearances, and violence against citizens and active politicians. We call for transparent, independent investigations into these claims," Ambassador Macias said.

She acknowledged Tanzania’s progress under President Samia Suluhu Hassan's 4Rs initiative—Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms, and Rebuilding—and highlighted its potential to foster a more democratic political system.

"Implementing the 4Rs policy will promote citizen engagement, peaceful dialogue, sustainable development, and economic growth, including a conducive environment for investment. We fully support this initiative," she added.

She urged Tanzania to continue opening up political space ahead of the 2025 general election and to ensure that all stakeholders, including the government, political parties, civil society, and citizens, work collaboratively to strengthen human rights and the rule of law.

The minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, noted that the centre has been instrumental in providing critical input on necessary legal reforms and promoting adherence to human rights principles.

"Institutions like LHRC play a significant role in offering the government valuable perspectives on legal improvements and ensuring that human rights are respected across all sectors of society," she said.