'You can fool some of the people some times but you can not fool all the people all the time'.
About two weeks ago CHADEMA UK drafted and distributed letters to various national and international bodies and institutions objectively to appeal to the international community about the political situation on the ground. The party believes this is the right time to lay bare all of the appalling and dirty tricks by Tanzanian government against CHADEMA.
The letter which was sent to UN, commonwealth offices on human rights, USA embassy in th UK, EU, UK Government, and East African countries' embassies in the UK and the international media, has since received a lot of attention and sparked a great deal of reaction from many sources around the world. It was a wake up call in many respect. There are now many voices that are working on facilitating the message to the right channels. We have now seen the stories featuring on mainstream media such as:
The New York Times;
USA Today; KAS in German; and others. The Tanzania Human Rights Watch have also published and warn the Government on this very issue -
Tamko.
It is a great victory for CHADEMA and it is just the beginning. We would like to take this opportunity to warn the Government that the world is now watching. It would be helpful for the people involved to understand that the world and indeed Tanzania as a country have changed. The people of Tanzania are speaking out and the Government must listen. Let the political process takes its cause, do not try to stop and oppress it because you will regret.
Copy of the letter has been attached here.
Im writing on behalf of CHADEMA UK to put to your attentions the Human right abuses against the oppositions political party in Tanzania.
In recognition of these gross violation of human rights and international law, CHADEMA UK call on your organization to pressure the Tanzanian government to fully respects its constitution, Human Rights charters and International agreements.
We strongly condemn the widespread human rights atrocities against the members of CHADEMA Party and the Tanzanian government failure of protecting, upholding and promoting the right to freedom of expression and media freedom.
These abuses by Tanzanian government using its security forces especially the Police force violates nearly every article of the Human Rights charters and International agreements on Human Rights, to which Tanzania is a signatory. Additionally, though these acts have been carried out by the Police , there has been an alarming increase in the use of Tanzanian Intelligence and Security Services in carrying out these sophiscated violations which pose a greater risk for human right protections.
As part of action plan towards our request, we urge that your body to ensure that these issues are included in your reports that is published regularly and that all donor countries are informed through your appropriate communications channels.
Specific concerns identified with this appeal:
CHADEMA Party have always worked hard to exhausted all means at their disposal to prevent further breach of human rights committed by the police force in Tanzania in a peaceful manner, hence, bring the matter to your urgent attention with compelling evidence of how Tanzania government, Police and security services conduct blatantly violates international human rights law, as detailed below.
For the past 3 years, there have been a number of incidences including deaths through torture and serious fabricated cases against the opposition which is in violation of human rights laws and aimed at oppressing democracy.
Deaths
On 2 September 2012, Chanel Ten television journalist, Daudi Mwangosi had gone to cover the opening of a Chama chama Democrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) party office in Nyololo village, Mufindi South, when the police tried to use teargas canisters to forcefully disperse the partys supporters who had gathered to witness the ceremony.
Daudi Mwangosi died instantly after one of the
teargas canisters that had been fired into the crowd exploded against him, ripping through his stomach.
Daudis death comes barely a week after another protester, Ally Zona died from injuries sustained during a confrontation between the police and supporters of CHADEMA in a demonstration on 27 August 2012.
The police had put a temporary ban on rallies and demonstrations to ostensibly allow the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to conduct the countrys census peacefully. The ban expired on 1 September but it was extended without prior notice after the NBS announced an extension to the census exercise.
The continuous use of excessive force by the police to disperse peaceful demonstrations and assemblies must be strongly discouraged, and the people be allowed to enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The indefinite ban on rallies and demonstrations by the authorities in Tanzania is a disproportionate restriction on freedom of expression and assembly.
As recently as 15 June 2013, four people died and more than 30 seriously injured when an explosion (bombs) rocked a CHADEMA rally in Soweto section of Kaloleni in Arusha. The incident occurred when CHADEMAs National Chairman, Freeman Mbowe was disembarking from the platform after addressing a rally in the last minutes to woo voters to vote for CHADEMA candidate in the councillors election which was to be held on 16 June 2013 (
video evidence).
The statements by Government officials and leaders of the ruling party (CCM) were a mere poisonous blaming CHADEMA Party for the blast. It was a disturbing moment to see the Tanzania Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda addressing the Parliament encouraging Police to beat CHADEMA supporters without fear (
Video evidence).
Images
Video evidence
Video evidence
See more
Torture:
Kidnapping and torture against innocent citizens have been the techniques used to intimidate people. The people who have been targeted include journalists fighting for press freedom, opposition activists, and government critics.
On June 26 2012 Dr Steven Ulimboka was kidnapped by unknown people who tortured and beat him before dumping him at Pande area on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
Dr Ulimboka is the chairman of the steering committee of the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) which at the time was spearheading the doctors' demands from the government. He was also the spokesperson for the striking doctors and had addressed the media on several occasions. Earlier, Dr Ulimboka had vowed that the doctors' strike would continue after what he had described as Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda's continued blockage of communication.
It was alleged that an official from Presidents Office secret service was involved in the attack. This official had called Dr Ulimboka and arranged to meet him in a Dar es Salaam bar. Recorded from his hospital bed Dr Ulimboka himself said he had been called for a late night meeting in a bar by a government official, whereupon he was attacked (
See video evidence). In this video evidence he said that he knew the attacker personally because he works in states house and had been in contact with him for some time before the attack.
Image:
See More:
On March 06 2013 The Chairman of Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) and Managing Editor of New Habari (2006) Corporation, Mr Absalom Kibanda (47) was attacked by unknown people a few metres from his residence in Mbezi Beach. He was pulled out of his car by the assailants at the gate of his house and beaten up. He was attacked few minutes after midnight by people as he was waiting for a guard to open the gate to his home. He was then pulled out of the car by the attackers who proceeded to beat him on his head with what is believed to be a metal bar. The guard, who was a few metres away, ran to nearby houses to alert neighbours who turned up a few minutes later only to find Mr Kibanda in bad shape and bleeding from various parts of his body.
See More:
Fabricated Court Cases:
To make matters worse, there has been attempt by the ruling party CCM and the Government to fabricate evidence in order to prosecute CHADEMA officials. The motive seems to be either to implicate the party as a not for purpose which will see its registration revoked or to imprison top CHADEMA officials to weaken the opposition.
On 08 March 2013 the case of conspiracy facing CHADEMA Defence and Security director Wilfred Lwakatare was opened at the Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court. According to the prosecution, the accused conspired to maliciously administer poison with intent to harm Mr Msacky on December 28, last year, at Kingongo, Kimara Stop Over in Kinondoni Municipality in the city.
Lwakatare who was facing four counts, three of them falling under the terrorism Act, an offence which is not bailable has since been released on bail after the Tanzania High Court dropped three of the original terrorism charges.
Although we have entrusted the government to investigate the circumstances under which these disturbing incidences have occurred, there has never been any prosecution aimed at addressing these issues. Despite the governments claims of official tolerance on press freedom, democracy and other related human rights, there is compelling evidence that the Government is involved or rather doing nothing to stop these terrible incidences from happening. We are convinced the authorities in Tanzania do not respect its Constitution and international human rights obligations. For that reason we are presenting this letter to you and believe that you will take necessary actions. The evidence presented here are just few among many incidences that have taken place in the country in the past three years.
The report by United States Department of State on 2012 Tanzania Human Rights Practices have mentioned and analysed a number of issues that we have raised in this letter. The report can be found
here:
In conclusions, CHADEMA UK, is appealing to human rights bodies and its representatives to ask hard questions of the Tanzania Government, whose records on multiparty, democracy, press freedom, right to peaceful protest and related human rights are profoundly troubling. We urge the UN and its bodies to take the lead in raising these important issues immediately, as well as encouraging likeminded donor countries to put pressure on the Tanzanian Government. Doing so would privately and publicly reaffirm that the observation of human rights remains a cornerstone of the donor countries foreign policy and a concern to the international community.
