Two senior members of the CHADEMA opposition party in Tanzania were arrested on Thursday, April 24, while heading to a court hearing for their party’s leader, Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.
John Heche, CHADEMA’s Deputy Chairman, and John Mnyika, the Secretary General, were taken by police in Dar es Salaam while on their way to Kisutu Magistrate Court where Lissu was expected.
CHADEMA spokesperson Brenda Rupia confirmed the arrests but said no official reason had been given. The police have yet to respond to questions from the media.
“Our leaders were simply on their way to court to support Lissu,” she said. “We don’t understand why they were detained.”
The arrests have made observers worry more about how Tanzania is treating opposition leaders in the build-up to the next election.
Tundu Lissu and the Treason Charge
Tundu Lissu, who was shot 16 times in 2017 but survived and later ran against former President John Magufuli in 2020, is once again in the government’s crosshairs.
He has been charged with treason for a speech he allegedly gave asking citizens to rise up and resist the electoral process during the last election cycle.
Authorities say this incited rebellion. But his supporters say Lissu was only expressing his right to free speech.
“They say I called for an uprising,” Lissu said earlier. “But what I did was call for fair and credible elections.”
So far, the court has not allowed him to plead to the charge. This delay has added to fears of political manipulation of the judiciary.
Mounting Pressure on President Hassan
The case is attracting both local and international attention. Many critics now question President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her promise to uphold human rights and open democratic space.
Since taking office in 2021, President Hassan has tried to present a softer image than her predecessor, Magufuli, who was known for silencing critics.
But critics say recent actions—including the harassment of opposition members and limiting political gatherings—show she may be continuing those same repressive tactics.
In 2022, Hassan lifted a six-year ban on political rallies and released some political prisoners. But the CHADEMA party says these were only surface changes.
“You cannot say you’re reforming democracy and at the same time arrest people going to court,” one opposition member told the press. “It doesn’t add up.”
Several international groups and human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have expressed concern about the rising tension and arrests in Tanzania.
As the 2025 elections approach, citizens and the world are watching to see if true political reforms will happen—or if this is just more of the same.
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