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Tue, Apr 3rd, 2012
Tanzania | Mon, April 2nd 2012
CHADEMA legislator for Ilemela constituency, Highness Kiwia(left) and CHADEMA's Ukerewe legislator Salvatory Machemli (right) while undergoing treatment at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). (Photo by Robert Okanda).
A CHADEMA legislator for Ilemela constituency, Mr Highness Kiwia, on Monday accused his political rivals of plotting to kill him. He is one of several people who were injured in Mwanza Region on Saturday after campaigns for Kirumba ward councillor seat.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News' in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Mr Kiwia said he was attacked by a group of people, who told him that it was final day for him and appeared determined to finish him off."It was a very frightening moment: "My car was surrounded by the group of people armed with ‘pangas' and other traditional weapons," said Mr Kiwia while in his bed in Kibasila ward number 16 in Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) where he has been admitted.
Narrating the ordeal, Mr Kiwia said on that day he got a call from unidentified person informing him that there were some CCM members who were giving bribe to the residents along Ibanda Kabuholo Street in Kirumba ward."I took our candidate in my car to the area since he is the one who knows the location, but as we approached the place two vehicles make of Land Cruiser blocked us," he explained.
Mr Kiwia said that suddenly a group of about 200 people some from the two vehicles surrounded his car and ordered him to surrender his pistol to them."During the fracas that ensued,I managed to call Mr Salvatory Machemli (CHADEMA's Ukerewe legislator) for help and also called the police who assured me they would arrive at the scene shortly," he said.
The Ilemela MP said Mr Machemli immediately headed to the scene expecting to find police already there only to be proved otherwise and he too ended up being ‘kidnapped' by the group. He stated that after 40 minutes of being attacked by pangas and other weapons, four police officers arrived in their vehicle.
"But instead of helping us the police just watched us while the kidnappers beat us up and slashed us with the ‘pangas,'" he said.Mr Kiwia, however, noted that he knows the people who attacked them since they were on CCM side campaigning for the ruling party candidate for councillor and that he had handed the names of the suspects to the police.
The Ukerewe MP, who is among the injured, said if the police had rushed to the scene immediately, the injuries the legislators suffered would not have been serious."It seems their main goal was to kill Mr Kiwia because upon reaching the scene they demanded to know why I had gone there," said Mr Machemli who has been admitted to the same ward with Mr Kiwia.
Efforts to get comment from Mwanza Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Liberatus Barlow, were fruitless as the RPC could not pick up his phone.
LUDOVICK KAZOKA, Tanzania Daily News
Tanzania | Mon, April 2nd 2012
CHADEMA legislator for Ilemela constituency, Highness Kiwia(left) and CHADEMA's Ukerewe legislator Salvatory Machemli (right) while undergoing treatment at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). (Photo by Robert Okanda).
A CHADEMA legislator for Ilemela constituency, Mr Highness Kiwia, on Monday accused his political rivals of plotting to kill him. He is one of several people who were injured in Mwanza Region on Saturday after campaigns for Kirumba ward councillor seat.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News' in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Mr Kiwia said he was attacked by a group of people, who told him that it was final day for him and appeared determined to finish him off."It was a very frightening moment: "My car was surrounded by the group of people armed with ‘pangas' and other traditional weapons," said Mr Kiwia while in his bed in Kibasila ward number 16 in Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) where he has been admitted.
Narrating the ordeal, Mr Kiwia said on that day he got a call from unidentified person informing him that there were some CCM members who were giving bribe to the residents along Ibanda Kabuholo Street in Kirumba ward."I took our candidate in my car to the area since he is the one who knows the location, but as we approached the place two vehicles make of Land Cruiser blocked us," he explained.
Mr Kiwia said that suddenly a group of about 200 people some from the two vehicles surrounded his car and ordered him to surrender his pistol to them."During the fracas that ensued,I managed to call Mr Salvatory Machemli (CHADEMA's Ukerewe legislator) for help and also called the police who assured me they would arrive at the scene shortly," he said.
The Ilemela MP said Mr Machemli immediately headed to the scene expecting to find police already there only to be proved otherwise and he too ended up being ‘kidnapped' by the group. He stated that after 40 minutes of being attacked by pangas and other weapons, four police officers arrived in their vehicle.
"But instead of helping us the police just watched us while the kidnappers beat us up and slashed us with the ‘pangas,'" he said.Mr Kiwia, however, noted that he knows the people who attacked them since they were on CCM side campaigning for the ruling party candidate for councillor and that he had handed the names of the suspects to the police.
The Ukerewe MP, who is among the injured, said if the police had rushed to the scene immediately, the injuries the legislators suffered would not have been serious."It seems their main goal was to kill Mr Kiwia because upon reaching the scene they demanded to know why I had gone there," said Mr Machemli who has been admitted to the same ward with Mr Kiwia.
Efforts to get comment from Mwanza Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Liberatus Barlow, were fruitless as the RPC could not pick up his phone.
LUDOVICK KAZOKA, Tanzania Daily News