Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday slammed Tanzania over arrests of opposition party members in that country.
In a strongly worded statement, the DA spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation Emma Louise Powell called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners arrested by Tanzanian police in recent days”.
The DA MP added: “In the past 24 hours, opposition party CHADEMA’s Chairman, Freeman Mbowe, Vice Chairman and former Presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu, youth wing leader, John Pambalu, and scores of party members have been arrested.
“These arrests come mere hours after police banned CHADEMA’s Youth Day celebration rally, scheduled to take place at the Ruanda Nzovwe grounds, stating that the event was ‘intended to incite public demonstrations”.
Powell said the arrests took place despite President Samia Hassan having lifted a ban on opposition party gatherings in January 2023.
Tanzania is a founding member State of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose founding treaty mandates all member states to observe the principles of “human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
Seemingly spooked by youth uprisings in Kenya, the police in Tanzania said the move to arrest the opposition party’s youth leaders was prompted by information about possible protests in Mbeya.
“This blatant suppression of democratic freedoms, occurring in the same week that Heads of State and Government will convene at the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit, underscores the political impunity that persists unabated in many parts of the region,” the DA MP said.
“South Africa can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the flagrant suppression of human rights and democratic freedoms in our backyard.”
Powers said Section 11.9 of the Government of National Unity’s Statement of Intent states clearly that South Africa’s foreign policy will now be based on “human rights, constitutionalism, the national interest, solidarity, peaceful resolution of conflicts, to achieve the African Agenda 2063, South-South, North-South and African cooperation, multilateralism, and a just, peaceful and equitable world”.
She said the DA was “urgently calling” on International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola to “publicly condemn these arbitrary political arrests”, and to use every available avenue at the upcoming SADC Summit to advance the restoration of democratic freedoms in Tanzania and the wider region.
However, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) issued a statement saying people should be free to demonstrate at the SADC Summit.
The ZCBC said it notes with deep concern the prevailing situation in the country.
“We all are conscious of the SADC Heads of States meeting that is to take place beginning on the 17th of August 2024,” the ZCBC said.
“It is in preparation for this important meeting that we are seeing the resurgence of some ugly vices.”
