Tanzanian police have released top leaders of the opposition party Chadema, who had been detained for several hours to prevent a planned rally in Mbeya.
The event, organised to mark International Youth Day, was banned by the police, who deemed it an illegal assembly.
Chadema’s chairman, Freeman Mbowe, vice-chairperson, Tundu Lissu, and secretary-general, John Mnyika, were among those released Monday night.
The opposition leaders were arrested upon arriving in Mbeya, where the event was scheduled for Monday, August 12.
Commissioner Awadh Haji, head of the Tanzania police force’s operations and training unit, confirmed that all Chadema members detained in Mbeya over the past two days had been granted bail and were being transported back to their homes under police escort.
“This includes the party leaders who travelled here from outside the region, most of them from Dar es Salaam. They have been granted police bail and are now in the process of being transported back under tight police escort,” he said.
Lissu, Mnyika, and other party members were arrested shortly after arriving in Mbeya. They joined others who had been detained earlier, including Mbowe and the party’s youth wing chairman John Pambalu.
This incident occurred ahead of the upcoming local government elections, set for late October or early November.
The police crackdown followed a similar event by the ruling CCM party’s youth wing in Zanzibar. However, Chadema’s assembly was banned due to fears it could spark widespread anti-government protests similar to those seen in Kenya.
Both the police and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties issued formal bans on the Mbeya event, citing concerns over social media posts by Chadema’s youth leaders that were considered incendiary. The posts encouraged youths to attend the gathering to challenge state control.
Commissioner Haji reported that up to 520 Chadema members were arrested, most of whom were detained on their way to Mbeya or already in the city.
Those who met bail conditions were released, while others remained in custody. The police warned that further action would be taken against anyone attempting to violate national laws, regardless of their political status.