Police: Chadema has declared war on us

[BAK]

08.10.2008 @01:39 EAT

Police: Chadema has declared war on us
By Mussa Juma, Tarime
THE CITIZEN

Police in Tarime yesterday defended the use of rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse supporters of the opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), saying they had declared a war against the force.

But Chadema condemned the attacks, calling them part of a wider plan by the police and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi to help the party win this weekend�s parliamentary and civic by-elections in Tarime.

The head of police special operations, Mr Venance Tossi, and Mara Regional Police Commander Liberatus Barlow described Monday�s disturbances as �war�, adding that this explained why many people were injured.

�What happened yesterday (Monday) was war and in a war anything can happen. Chadema supporters decided to pelt us with stones and attack two of our vehicles. We had to respond accordingly,� Mr Tossi said.

Police also arrested top Chadema officials, including the party�s candidate in the parliamentary by-election, Mr Charles Mwera, and the aspirant for the Tarime Ward civic seat, Mr Peter Eche.

Others were national youth director John Mnyika and party officials Chacha Kapwani and Werema Mwita.

Mr Barlow said the officials, who were among 29 people arrested during the disturbances, had been released on police bond but would be charged with illegal assembly and malicious damage to property.

Three Chadema supporters were injured and admitted to Mara Regional Hospital.

In Dar es Salaam, Chadema director of legal affairs Tundu Lissu yesterday condemned police �brutality� against Chadema supporters, saying police were engaging in partisan politics ahead of the by-election.

�Hundreds of our supporters, particularly youths, have been arrested and are facing trumped up charges. This is part of a campaign of intimidation being carried out by the police on behalf of CCM�they want to scare Chadema supporters into staying away from polling centres on Sunday,� the advocate said.

Mr Lissu added that police had devised different sets of rules for supporters of CCM and those of Chadema in the run-up to the election.

�CCM officials and supporters have been openly breaking the law, but police have been turning a blind eye. They are only concentrating on Chadema supporters.�

He added that CCM was using the death of former area MP Chacha Wangwe to win support, adding that this was threatening peace and worsening tensions.

Mr Lissu said police were solely to blame for what was happening in Tarime, and cited the example of the police officer who was caught buying voters� cards but was not prosecuted as required by law.

The party�s director of elections and campaigns, Mr Msafiri Mtemelwa, said police were being used by CCM to further the ruling party�s ambitions.

�We know that the police are being used by CCM to help it win the election. We want Tanzanians to know that police are the source of violence in Tarime,� he said.

At the same time, CCM and the opposition Democratic Party (DP) yesterday commended police for �preserving peace� in Tarime.

DP chairman Christopher Mtikila and CCM�s acting director of propaganda, Mr Tambwe Hizza, said on separate occasions that police did a �good job� on Monday.

Meanwhile, thousands of Tarime residents yesterday received Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe when he arrived in the constituency.

Mr Mbowe was received at Komaswa Village from where he was escorted to Tarime Town by hundred of chanting supporters. He later addressed a campaign rally which observers said was the biggest since the start of campaigns three weeks ago.

Additional reporting by Mkinga Mkinga in Dar es Salaam.

 

[Selous]

Wanatarime waambieni CCM kuwa tumewachoka kwa vitendo. Naamini tunaanzia hapa.

Thanks

 

[BAK]

Tarime sasa ni vita - Tossi

2008-10-08 14:45:30
Na Mashaka Mgeta, Tarime

Wakati Jeshi la Polisi limesema kwamba hali ya vurugu zilizopo katika jimbo la Tarime mkoani Mara kwa sasa ni kuwa ni sawa uwanja wa vita, Mwenyekiti wa Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, (Chadema), Freeman Mbowe jana alitua mjini hapa na kulakiwa na umati wa watu ukijumisha pikipiki na magari kadhaa.

Akiwa mjini Tarime, maduka na biashara nyingine zilisimama kwa muda ili kumlaki kiongozi huyo ambaye kumekuwa na hisia tofauti kuwa asingefika Tarime katika kipindi cha kampeni kutokana na propaganda kwamba alihusika na kifo cha aliyekuwa Mbunge wa Tarime, Marehemu Chacha Wangwe.

Wakati Mbowe akiiteka Tarime katika hali ya utulivu, Polisi mkoani hapa jana kwa nyakati tofauti, kwanza Kamanda wa Kikosi Maalumu, Venance Tossi, na kuungwa mkono na Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Mara, Liberatus Barlow, walisema kwamba hali inavyoelekea kwa sasa jimbo hilo limegeuka kuwa uwanja wa vita.

Wakizungumza na waandishi wa habari mjini hapa jana juu ya hatua ya Jeshi la Polisi kutumia mabomu ya machozi kuwatawanya wafuasi wa Chadema juzi jioni na kukamatwa kwa baadhi ya viongozi wa ngazi za taifa, mkoa na wilaya, viongozi hao wa polisi walisema polisi walilazimishwa kuchukua hatua hiyo kutokana na uchokozi wa wafuasi wa Chadema.

Tossi alisema hatua ya kuwatawanya wafuasi wa Chadema kwa kutumia mabomu ya machozi, ilitokana na vitendo vyao vya uharibifu wa mali.

Alisema wafuasi hao walianza kufanya vurugu baada ya kupita eneo la Darajani, kuekelea maeneo ya katikati ya mji wa Tarime.

Hii ni kama vita, kwa maana unapodhibiti vitendo hivyo, ni dhahiri kwamba utaawaathiri waliomo na wasiokuwepo...hivyo njia pekee ilikuwa kusafisha njia, alisema.

Kwa upande wake, Barlow alisema tukio lililofanywa na wafuasi hao, lilikuwa katika muonekano wa vurugu zilizoushirikisha umma, hivyo kuwa kielelezo kwao (wananchi), kutangaza vita dhidi ya serikali.

Panapotokea vurugu na uharibifu wa mali, kisha polisi kuingilia kati kwa lengo la kudhibiti, hiyo ni kama vita, hivyo njia pekee ya kuepuka hali hiyo ni Chadema kufuata sheria na kanuni za uchaguzi, alisema.

Aliongeza:
Wananchi wanaposhiriki tukio kama hilo, na sisi tunapojibu mapigo, haiwezekani pasitokee majeruhi hata kama tutajihidi kuepuka.

Hatua ya polisi kuwasambaratisha wafuasi hao wa Chadema, ilifikiwa bila kutolewa ilani ya kuwataka watawanyike kabla ya kufanya `shambulizi`, kama inavyotambulika kisheria.

Barlow, alikiri polisi kutotoa ilani hiyo ya kuwataka watu kutawanyika, kabla ya kuanza kuwatawanya kwa nguvu kwa mabomu ya machozi.

Alisema hali hiyo ilitokana na mazingira yaliyokuwepo, ambayo hata hivyo hakufafanua.

Barlow alisema katika vurugu za jana, wafuasi wa Chadema walishambulia kwa mawe magari mawili ya polisi, yenye namba PT 0901, PT 1509 na gari jingine la kiraia lenye namba T 548 AGN, ambalo hakumtaja mmiliki wake.

Madai hayo yamepingwa na Mkurugenzi wa Vijana wa Chadema, John Mnyika, na kusema madai hayo \'yamepikwa\' ili kukichafulia jina chama hicho.

Mnyika alisema askari walioshiriki kuwapiga na kuwakamata viongozi, wanachama na wafuasi wa Chadema jana, waliwapekua kwa nguvu na kuwapora fedha, simu na vitu vingine ambavyo jumla ya thamani yake haijajulikana.

Alidai kuwa miongoni mwa watu walioibiwa ni Mwenyekiti wa Chadema Mkoa wa Iringa, Dk. Kigitu Kapwani, aliyechaniwa mifuko yake na polisi hao, kisha wakapora Sh 240,000.

Tunawaomba polisi watuombe radhi, kwa maana hatukuhusika katika kuchochea ama kuwapiga mawe polisi, Mnyika alisema katika mkutano wake na waandishi wake jana.

Mnyika alitoa wito kwa taasisi za kutetea haki za binadamu, kufuatilia kwa karibu matukio yanayotokea Tarime katika kipindi hiki cha kuekelea kwenye uchaguzi mdogo.

Kwa upande wake, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) kimelipongeza jeshi la polisi, kuwadhibiti kwa kutumia mabomu ya machozi, wafuasi wa Chadema jana.

Kaimu Mkuu wa Kitengo cha Propaganda cha CCM, Hiza Tambwe, alisema jana kuwa hatua hiyo inastahili kupongezwa, kwa vile ina lengo la kuweka mazingira ya amani katika kipindi hiki cha kuekelea uchaguzi mdogo wa Oktoba 12, mwaka huu.

Katika tukio hilo polisi waliwatawanya viongozi, wanachama na wafuasi wa Chadema wakati wakitoka kwenye mkutano wa hadhara wa kumnadi mgombea udiwani wa kata ya Tarime Mjini, John Heche.

Mkutano huo ulifanyika katika stendi ya Buhemba, mahali ambapo Mwenyekiti wa DP, Christopher Mtikila, alinusurika kupigwa jiwe kwa mara ya pili, baada ya kudai kuwa Chadema ilihusika kupanga na hatimaye kumuua aliyekuwa mbunge wa Tarime, Marehemu Chacha Wangwe.

Naye Mbowe akihutubia mkutano katika mkutano wa kampeni kuwanadi wagombewa ubunge na udiwani katika uwanja wa Starehe mjini Tarime, aliishutumu CCM kwa kutumia kifo cha Wangwe ili kummaliza kisiasa, lakini wameshindwa.

Alisema umati uliojitokea kumlaki jana pamoja na utulivu walioonyesha ni kielelezo tosha kwamba mbinu ya CCM kutumia kifo cha wangwe, imekwama.

Kadhalika, alilitaka Jeshi la Polisi kuongeza askari na magari kwa kuwa walioko ni wachache kwani leo watashuhudia umati ambao hawajawahi kuuona pale atakapoanza kupasua anga kwa kutumia helikopta.

Mbowe alipowasilia katika kijiji cha Komaswa km 23 kutoka Tarime mjini, alipokelewa na msururu wa pikipiki zinazokadiriwa kuwa zaidi ya 100 na msururu wa magari. Km tatu kabla ya kufika Tarime mjini, Mbowe alilakiwa na umati wa watu hali iliyomlazimu ashuke na kuanza kutembea kwenda mjini.

Katika harakati zote za mapokezi, hakukuwa na uvunjifu wowote wa amani, na polisi walikuwa wakiwa kwenye magari yao wakifuatilia kwa karibu mapokezi hayo.

Baada ya kumalizika mkutano wa jana, wafuasi wa Chadema waliondoka kwa maandamano hadi ofisi za chama hicho wilaya ya Tarime, tofauti na juzi hakuna bomu lolote lililorushwa dhidi ya watu hao.

Polisi yadaiwa kutaka kuigeuza Tarime kuwa Pemba

Naye Simon Mhina anaripoti kuwa Chadema kimesema kuna njama zinafanywa na CCM kwa kuwatumia Polisi kuigeuza Tarime iwe na fujo na mauaji kama ya Pemba, kwa lengo la kuwatisha wapigakura pamoja na kuishawishi Tume ya Taifa ya Uchaguzi iahirishe uchaguzi mdogo wa Jimbo hilo unaotarajiwa kufanyika Jumapili.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari katika Ofisi za Makao makuu ya Chama hicho, Kinondoni jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Sheria ya chama hicho, Tundu Lissu, alisema katika kufanikisha lengo hilo, Mkuu wa Operesheni wa Jeshi hilo Venance Tossi amekuwa akipokea maelekezo moja kwa moja toka kwa Viongozi wa CCM kutokana na kile alichokiita �umbumbumbu wakekisheria.

CCM tumeshawabana kila pembe, hata akina NCCR na DP waliowaita ili wawasaidie, imeshindikana, hawana mashiko ya kisiasa kwa vile hoja waliyoitegemea ya kupakaza kwamba Chadema wamemuua mbunge Chacha Wangwe, wananchi wameipuuza, alisema.

Alisema katika kutimiza lengo hilo, Polisi wamekusudia kuendeleza kazi ya kuwakamata Viongozi wa Chadema na hasa madiwani na kuwabambikia kesi za hujuma, ambazo hazina dhamana kwa mujibu wa sheria kwa lengo la kukivunja nguvu chama hicho.

Hatuoni sababu ya kumpeleka Tossi na vijana wake Tarime, lengo lao ni vitisho na mabavu, wanawatisha watu ili hata siku ya kupiga kura wasitoke, wanatamani Tarime igeuke Pemba ya mauaji ya kutisha, alisema.

SOURCE: Nipashe