Tanzanian police have apprehended a prominent politician, Tundu Lissu along with two other opposition officials, according to a report by the Chadema party.
It further revealed that the three were detained on Sunday in Mbeya, on the eve of their scheduled rally to mark the World Youth Day.
The alleged arrests had been conducted a year after President Samia Hassan lifted a ban on opposition gatherings and made a pledge to bring back competitive politics.
However, the police on Sunday, banned the Chadema rally saying it was an avenue to incite violence.
At press time, the police have not officially spoken about the arrests and a Chadema official had told the BBC that they had no clue as to where the detained leaders were being held.
About 10,000 young people were set to meet in Mbeya to celebrate youth day, with the slogan, “Take charge of your future”, according to a statement from the party’s youth wing but the police outlawed such meetings, saying that they would not be permitted in the city or elsewhere in the country.
The detained Lissu had survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot 16 times, and had only just returned to Tanzania in 2023 after a two-year exile in Belgium.
He had returned after President Samia lifted a ban on the political rallies imposed by former President, John Magufuli in 2016.
The ban had barred political parties from holding rallies and even engaging in internal political activities.
The incumbent President Samia, who came to power in 2021 following Magufuli’s sudden death, was praised for moving away from many of her predecessor’s policies.
In the wake of these arrests, some opposition politicians have criticised her, alleging that she was not ready for political reconciliation.
