Demos: UN handed key Chadema grievances

Police were on their guard all over Dar es Salaam city and on the sidelines of the march as the party held three different demonstrations converging on the same spot – the UN country mission head offices in Upanga suburb in the city centre’s government buildings zone.

Observers said that for the police to have allowed demonstrations by the opposition yesterday was a sign of implementing the 4-Rs philosophy of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which has strengthened democracy and unity in the country.

Chadema planned its demonstration to demand the rewriting of electoral law as well as the writing of a new Constitution for the country.

Before President Samia came into office in March 2021, demonstrations by opposition parties as well public meetings were curbed by the police.

However, in a turn that many did not expect, police this time allowed Chadema to hold a peaceful demonstration – and cooperated with the party on the holding of the event.

The most that police did was to give Chadema four conditions to ensure that the demonstrations were peaceful, including ensuring that the demonstrators did not lead to breaches of the peace or cause loss or  destruction of property by looters.

Leaders and supporters of the opposition party were also cautioned against making seditious pronouncements or contemptuous utterances which could lead to breaches of the peace or criminal actions.

The demonstrators were also ordered to follow prescribed routes to avoid causing traffic jams or chaos on major roads.

Joseph Mbilinyi, a Chadema central committee member and ex-Mbeya Urban constituency legislator, praised President Samia for her leadership’s reconciliation vision and allowing the holding of demonstrations.

Sounding a ‘Big Up’ to police, he stated that the party was determined to see to it that the demonstrations were peaceful earlier pledged from start to finish, also saluting President Samia for having given the green light to the Chadema march.

Popularly known by his music nickname of Sugu, he said the president had shown that she doesn’t have the habit of using state security organs to suppress democracy.

Chadema chairman Mbowe also commended the police under President Samia for their cooperation with the party.

“I congratulate the police for having moved wisely,” he stated, welcoming the public to join the peaceful demonstration.

Most observers meanwhile said that the 4Rs (Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms and Rebuilding) philosophy had remarkably changed the country’s political winds and it was not the first time the (Samia) government has allowed opposition demonstrations.

They said President Samia has enhanced democracy by allowing demonstrations, permitting opposition parties to hold rallies across the county and strengthening the sense of security, enabling opposition politicians who had sought asylum outside the country to return home.

The president has also broadened public freedom of opinion, media freedom and in operations of civic organisations, they added.

Those who aired their views on social media termed President Samia ‘mother of democracy’ for Tanzania with her reconciliation-bent leadership.

Apart from the rather low-key demonstration by Chadema women last year, yesterday’s march was the first mass protest permitted since the holding of the General Election in late 2015, after which opposition political activity was put on ice until the 2020 General Election, with a thaw after President Samia took office in the wake of her predecessor’s (Dr John Magufuli) passing.

In the demonstrations, participants were seen riding through the streets on motorcycles, while others walked, waving flags bearing the party’s colours. Police officers on the scene walked alongside the protesters.

There were throngs of demonstrators as police officers escorted the demonstrators to ensure peace prevailed and there were few disruptions to the flow of traffic in the bustling capital.

The turnout was modest as flag-waving supporters of the opposition party took to the streets. Curious onlookers lined the streets to watch supporters of the opposition party marching, with the party chairman Mbowe leading the key route march, his three children – Dennis, Aishi and Nicole – in tow.

Chadema deputy chairman (Mainland) Tundu Lissu led a march from the western outskirts of the city at Mbezi, accompanied by secretary general John Mnyika.

They marched along the busy Morogoro Road right to the Shekilango Road junction, where they met the main group led by Mbowe, Mbilinyi and northern zone chairman and ex-Arusha Urban legislator Godbless Lema.

The two groups marched along Shekilango Road, which passes on the outlying Sinza suburb, onward to the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) commercial complex along Sam Nujoma Road – where the UN resident coordinator’s offices are located.

Boniface Mwabukusi, a political activist and practising advocate, described the demonstrations as a reminder to the country’s leaders of their role, asserting that demonstrations play a decisive role in promoting democracy.

Upon reaching the UN offices, the demonstrators presented their petitions to the UN system coordinator, with chairman Mbowe saying that the party would keep communicating with the UN and keep the public posted as to what would follow after the party’s grievances were presented.

Meanwhile, Lissu said the demand for an independent electoral commission has not been initiated by Chadema but was raised in the 1991 report by the (late) Judge Francis Nyalali commission.

Dar es Salaam special police zone commander Jumanne Muliro said at the UN offices that the police was there to oversee security during the demonstrations, thus in part ensuring that the right of demonstrating was not violated.