TANZANIA COURT JAILS EIGHT OPPOSITION LEADERS FOR SEDITION

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

A court in Tanzania convicted nine opposition leaders and legislators on Tuesday of making seditious statements and imposed five-month jail terms or a fine, which could heighten activists' fears that democratic dissent is being stifled.

Freeman Mbowe (C), chairman of Chadema, Tanzanian main opposition party arrives at Kisutu Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania March 10, 2020.

The defendants were all from Chadema, the leading opposition party and included Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe, the Secretary General, John Mnyika, the deputy secretary general, Salum Mwalimu, Chairperson of the women's wing, Halima Mdee and four other legislators; John Heche (Tarime Rural), Ester Matiko ( Tarime urban), Rev. Peter Msigwa (Iringa urban), Ester Bulaya (Chief Whip/ Bunda Rural).

Other is Vincent Mashinji who defected recently to join ruling party.

The accused were fined a total of 350 million Tanzanian shillings ($151,974) or serve jail term of five months each.

The leaders have been taken to prison after failing to pay the fine. The opposition party has initiated mobilization of local citizens to contribute the required amount to pay for their leaders immediately.

The campaign to raise the money is going on this night, and possibly the target may be reached tomorrow morning.

The nine had been charged with various offences that included unlawful assembly, rioting, and making seditious statements on Feb. 16, 2018 during a by-election campaign in Kinondoni constituency in Dar es Salaam city.

They had denied the charges.

Opposition leaders lined in the front bench, shortly before the judgement at Kisutu Court in Dar es Salaam

"I have been satisfied with the evidence...in video tapes. I have seen their faces and I know their faces, the evidence is enough to confirm that there was unlawful assembly," Principal Resident Magistrate of Kisutu court, Thomas Simba said.

During the judgement, the Magistrate was flanked by three police officers.

Last year, President John Magufuli's government passed legislation that gave powers to a government-appointed registrar over political parties. 

Magufuli's government has also banned newspapers, restricted opposition rallies and detained dozens of opposition politicians.

Tanzania, a nation with a population of 57 million people, has long been regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies. 

The ruling CCM party, and its predecessor TANU, have governed since independence from Britain in 1961.

 Sen. Jim Risch

Magufuli, nicknamed "the Bulldozer", swept to power in 2015 promising an end to corruption. 

But repeated state intervention in sectors like mining and agriculture, have dimmed investment.

His government’s curbs on freedom of expression have drawn criticism from Western donors who provide hundreds of millions of dollars annually for development projects. 

Some like World Bank have suspended loans or aid.

The United States has criticized the conviction of Chadema leaders.

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Sen. Jim Risch has said that the conviction on spurious charges, is more evidence of deteriorating political space and freedoms in Tanzania.

In his twitter page, Senator Risch said the Tanzania government’s efforts to criminalize the opposition further undermines the possibility of democratic polls later this year. - Africa