Tanzania Drops Independence Day Festivities Amid Growing Protest Calls Over Election Violence

Tanzania has announced the cancellation of its upcoming Independence Day celebrations, following increasing public pressure and calls for nationwide protests over deadly violence linked to last month’s disputed general elections.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba confirmed on Monday that the annual celebrations, scheduled for 9 December, will not take place. He said that the budget allocated for the event would instead be redirected toward repairing infrastructure destroyed during the post-election unrest.

The decision comes at a tense moment, as opposition leaders and civil society groups have urged citizens to use Independence Day as an opportunity to demonstrate against what they describe as mass killings and human rights abuses. The outcry stems from the October 29 general election, which was marred by allegations of fraud, intimidation, and excessive force by state authorities.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with an overwhelming 98% of the vote results the opposition has dismissed as manufactured and lacking legitimacy.

Key opposition figures were sidelined ahead of the polls. Chadema’s Tundu Lissu has been detained since April on treason charges, while ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina was blocked from running due to technical hurdles.

Thousands of Tanzanians flooded the streets after the election results were announced, protesting what they called an assault on democracy. Security forces responded with a heavy hand, a crackdown that human rights organisations have labelled violent and repressive.

Opposition leaders claim that the death toll from the unrest could reach into the hundreds. The government has not released official figures but has established a commission of inquiry raising concerns among critics who fear the body will lack independence.

In his announcement, Prime Minister Nchemba urged citizens to choose peace and engage in constructive political discussions rather than resorting to unrest.

“I call on Tanzanians to sit together and address the issues before us. We should not go back to what we experienced its consequences are irreversible,” he said.

As the nation approaches what would have been its 62nd Independence Day, Tanzania remains on edge, with rising demands for accountability and clarity over the violence that has shaken the country.

Source: Africanews