Tanzania is reeling from one of its most turbulent election days in decades after deadly protests broke out across the country amid an unprecedented nationwide internet shutdown and widespread anger over the government’s decision to exclude the main opposition party from today’s polls.
As Tanzanians went to vote early Wednesday morning, reports emerged from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Mbeya of running battles between protesters and police. The unrest, largely driven by frustrated youth, saw several polling stations vandalized, ballot boxes destroyed, and voting materials set ablaze. Security forces responded with tear gas and live rounds, leaving scores severely injured and several feared dead.
The chaos followed the government’s move to ban the opposition party, CHADEMA, from participating in the election. Authorities accused the party’s top leadership of “treason,” a charge that has been widely condemned by rights groups and opposition supporters as politically motivated. For many citizens, the exclusion of CHADEMA symbolized a deeper erosion of democratic freedoms in Tanzania.
To contain the spreading unrest, President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration imposed a 6 p.m. nationwide curfew and deployed security forces in major cities. The curfew came hours after the government ordered a total internet shutdown, which watchdog group NetBlocks confirmed began shortly before polls opened. The blackout has cut off millions of Tanzanians from vital communication channels, drawing international criticism and raising fears of human rights violations.
Political observers note that the scale and timing of the protests mark a historic moment for Tanzania. It is the first time in the country’s modern history that citizens have taken to the streets in such large numbers on election day to challenge a sitting government.
“This is a major political awakening,” said a political analyst from the University of Dar es Salaam. “What we are witnessing is not just election-related frustration but a broader rejection of political suppression and exclusion that has been building for years in Tanzania.”
Human rights organizations and regional bodies are calling for calm and urging the Tanzanian government to restore communication services and guarantee citizens’ right to peaceful protest.
By the time of publication of this article, much of Tanzania remains under tight security, with soldiers and police patrolling empty streets under curfew orders. What was meant to be a defining moment of democracy has instead left the nation shaken, with questions now looming over the legitimacy of the electoral process and the country’s political future.
Africa Global News publication.
