Tanzania’s unemployed teachers’ union leader arrested
The Chairman of the Non-Employed Teachers Organization (Neto), Joseph Kaheza, has been arrested in Geita.
What you need to know:
- Kaheza was arrested on Monday evening at his home in Geita and is currently being held at Geita Town Police Station.
Dar es Salaam. The Chairman of the Non-Employed Teachers Organization (Neto), Joseph Kaheza, has been arrested in Geita, reportedly in connection with his advocacy efforts pushing the government to provide employment opportunities for unemployed teachers.
Neto’s Secretary, Mr Daniel Edgar, confirmed the arrest, saying that he received information from Kaheza’s uncle, Mr Barnabas Daud, who was with him at the time of his detention.
According to Edgar, Kaheza was arrested on Monday evening at his home in Geita and is currently being held at Geita Town Police Station.
“His arrest comes at a time when we were finalizing preparations to travel to Dodoma for discussions with the government regarding our employment status,” said Edgar.
Mr Daud, who witnessed the incident, said Kaheza was taken while conducting his business activities by a large group of plainclothes officers armed with firearms.
“I recognized some of the officers because I had previously worked with them at Geita Gold Mine (GGM). They arrived in two civilian taxis with tinted windows,” he said.
When contacted on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Geita District Commissioner Mr Hashim Komba declined to comment, stating, “I am not the spokesperson for the police.”
Efforts to obtain an official statement from Geita Regional Police since Monday have been unsuccessful. However, sources within the police indicated that a statement would be issued later. The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi also attempted to reach Geita Regional Police Commander (RPC) Safia Jongo, who answered the call but disconnected after the reporter introduced himself. Calls to Police Spokesperson David Msime and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Ramadhan Kingai went unanswered.
Neto’s Secretary Edgar linked Kaheza’s arrest to a meeting held on February 21, 2025, at Landmark Hotel in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam. During the meeting, unemployed teachers demanded that the government provide jobs without requiring them to undergo interviews.
“In 2015, when the government halted hiring, we were promised that recruitment would resume after the issue of ghost workers was addressed, but nothing has happened since,” Edgar said.
He criticized the recent government job openings, arguing that they imposed unfair conditions, including age restrictions that disadvantaged many job seekers. He also claimed that the recruitment exams contained questions unrelated to the teaching profession.
Following the press conference, the government invited the union for discussions in Dodoma. However, just before their planned departure, Kaheza was arrested.
“We have informed the government that we will not engage in any talks until our leader is released,” Edgar stated.
As of Tuesday morning, family members visiting the police station with food for Kaheza were denied access to see him and were told to wait for further instructions.
