Tanzania’s political climate has grown increasingly fraught as opposition figure Tundu Lissu faced a court appearance on sedition charges under heavy security measures in Dar es Salaam.
The hearing, held on Monday, April 28, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, was effectively closed to the public, with armed police barring journalists and supporters from entering the premises.
These actions, coupled with recent overnight raids on the homes of senior opposition figures, have sparked national and international alarm over what critics describe as a deepening clampdown on dissent ahead of upcoming local elections.
Lissu, a prominent critic of the government and former presidential contender, has been held for nearly a month and faces charges ranging from treason to the dissemination of false information—allegations his party, Chadema, insists are politically engineered. Chadema has condemned the authorities for conducting what it describes as an unlawful and intimidating search of Lissu’s residence, reportedly without a warrant or independent oversight. Defence teams have also decried a lack of transparency, citing rejected procedural objections and restricted access to their client. International lawyer Robert Amsterdam has labelled the court’s handling of the case as biased and opaque, warning that the erosion of due process threatens the legitimacy of the justice system.
The case unfolds at a critical juncture, with local government elections looming and general elections set for 2025. Civil society groups and legal observers have voiced concern that these developments point to a regression in democratic norms under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration. Reports of protestors being beaten and arrested have only intensified scrutiny. For supporters like Joseph Mussa, who travelled from Morogoro only to be blocked from attending the hearing, the incident underscores what many see as a broader assault on constitutional freedoms and public accountability. The court’s forthcoming rulings are now being watched closely as a litmus test for the independence of Tanzania’s judiciary.