In a shocking and brutal crackdown, the streets of Tanzania have been transformed into a scene of chaos and bloodshed, with the main opposition party reporting that around 700 people have been killed in just three days of post-election violence.
The nation is reeling under an information blackout, with the government accused of silencing dissent in a virtually uncontested poll.
A Nation Silenced
The crisis erupted after Wednesday’s general election, which critics decry as anything but free and fair. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took power in 2021 following the death of her iron-fisted predecessor John Magufuli, sought an emphatic victory to cement her authority. In the lead-up to the vote, her government banned the main opposition party, Chadema, and put its leader on trial for treason, effectively clearing the field.
The move sparked fury. Huge crowds poured into the streets of Dar es Salaam and other major cities, tearing down presidential posters and attacking police and polling stations. The response was swift and severe: an internet blackout was imposed, a curfew enforced, and security forces unleashed.
Counting the Dead in the Dark
With foreign journalists banned and a communications blockade entering its third day, information is scarce and fear is rampant. But the opposition is piecing together a grim tally.
“As we speak the figure for deaths in Dar es Salaam is around 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Added to figures from other places around the country, the overall figure is around 700,” Chadema spokesman John Kitoka told AFP from the shadows.
He warned the true toll could be “much higher,” with killings potentially continuing under the cover of the nighttime curfew.
These claims find support from a security source, who told AFP they were hearing reports of “more than 500 dead, maybe 700-800 in the whole country.” Amnesty International said it had received information of at least 100 fatalities. Multiple hospitals, too afraid to speak on the record, have refused to comment.
Zanzibar “Robbed” of its Voice
The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, a tourist hotspot, has its own story of electoral injustice. President Hassan’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), was swiftly declared the winner of the local vote.
The opposition ACT-Wazalendo party flatly rejected the result, declaring, “They have robbed the people of Zanzibar of their voice.” A senior official alleged rampant ballot-box stuffing, multiple voting without ID, and their election observers being kicked out of counting rooms. The only solution, they say, is a fresh election.
At a secret meeting place for opposition supporters on the islands, the mood was one of dismay and terror. “There has never been a credible election since 1995,” said a 70-year-old man, too fearful to give his name. Another whispered, “We are afraid of speaking because they might come to our houses and pick us up.”
A Leader Under Pressure
Analysts suggest President Hassan is walking a political tightrope, facing opposition not just from the public but from within—from parts of the army and allies of her more authoritarian predecessor.
Public anger has also been directed at her son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who is accused of overseeing the violent crackdown.
As the nation holds its breath, the only official statement has come from army chief Jacob Mkunda, who late on Thursday referred to the protesters simply as “criminals.” President Hassan has remained silent, leaving a nation to mourn its dead in the dark and wonder when the violence will end.
