Another Tanzanian opposition leader taken into custody

Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday detained the deputy leader of the opposition Chadema party, whose top official is already in custody, the party reported.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over a crackdown on opposition voices ahead of this year’s presidential election.

John Heche, the party’s vice-chair and a former member of parliament, was reportedly taken into custody during a political rally in Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.

Earlier this month, Chadema’s party leader, Tundu Lissu, along with several members, was also arrested. Lissu is expected to appear in court on Thursday to face treason charges—a serious offense that could potentially lead to a death sentence.

Heche had organized a protest in solidarity with Lissu, defying prior warnings issued by the police.

Police had requested that Tuesday’s rally be relocated, but according to Chadema, the official notice arrived too late for any adjustments to be made.

Party spokesperson Brenda Rupia stated that efforts to locate the police station where Heche was being held had so far been unsuccessful.

In a statement, Chadema accused the government of orchestrating the arrests to cripple the opposition’s constitutional role, silence public dissent, and shrink democratic space in the lead-up to critical national elections.

A government representative recently declared that Chadema would be barred from participating in the upcoming elections, citing the party’s refusal to sign the electoral code of conduct, a code Chadema insists must first be reformed.

Both Lissu and Heche have accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan of employing authoritarian methods.

Their concerns have been echoed by human rights organizations and some Western governments, who have condemned recent developments, particularly the arrests and reported deaths of opposition activists.