By Staff Reporter
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has sharply condemned the conduct of Tanzania’s recent elections, calling out the widespread electoral fraud and demanding the immediate release of the country’s imprisoned opposition leader, Tundu Lissu.
Chamisa’s comments come hot on the heels of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s swearing-in for a controversial second term. Despite winning in a landslide, the election sparked violent protests, with the country’s two main opposition leaders barred from running. Hassan took her oath of office in a low-profile ceremony on Monday, held at a military base in Dodoma, the capital, after the elections were marred by violence.
Lissu, leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested on charges of treason back in April, and remains imprisoned. The charges, along with the election’s numerous irregularities, have sparked widespread criticism.
Chamisa’s remarks echo the findings of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Elections Observer Mission, which labeled the Tanzanian election as deeply flawed, failing to meet the region’s established democratic standards.
“I strongly condemn the manipulation of the electoral process, which began with the removal, imprisonment, and disqualification of credible opposition figures,” Chamisa said. “Reports of forced disappearances, abductions, and violence against civil society are deeply troubling.”
The Zimbabwean opposition leader also pointed to a disturbing trend of discredited elections across Africa—highlighting recent controversial votes in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Tanzania as part of an alarming pattern. According to Chamisa, these tactics include internet shutdowns, candidate disqualifications, ballot tampering, voter intimidation, media suppression, and state resource manipulation to influence results.
“What’s most shocking is the failure of regional and continental bodies to effectively address these issues,” Chamisa added. “The very institutions meant to protect democracy are too often complicit in perpetuating these manipulations.”
Chamisa went on to criticize the Southern African Development Community (SADC), questioning its ability to act as a genuine force for democratic integrity in the region. He pointed to the hypocrisy of Zimbabwe’s former chairmanship under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was elected through a disputed poll that SADC had condemned.
“The current lack of action from regional bodies to resolve these crises is glaring,” Chamisa said. “It’s time for SADC to reform and become equipped to confront today’s challenges. It must deliver on its responsibility to protect democratic processes.”
He also called for the immediate release of Lissu and all political prisoners in Tanzania, stressing the need for a peaceful, political solution to resolve the crisis. Chamisa urged both the East African Community (EAC) and the African Union (AU) to take a more active role in restoring democracy to Tanzania, calling for an end to the “rubber-stamping” of authoritarian rule across the continent.
“We need a new Africa—one where democracy isn’t just a dream, but a reality we can achieve in our lifetime,” Chamisa declared.
His passionate call for action underscores the mounting pressure on regional leaders to take a stronger stand in the face of growing autocracy and election manipulation in Africa.
