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President John Magufuli (C) formally accepts the Presidential Winner Certificate after winning another 5-year term after recent elections, Dodoam, Tanzania, November 1, 2020. In-Office President John Magufuli won in a crowded field of 15 contenders. He is a candidate of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party (CCM) that has led Tanzania since independence in 1961. EPA-EFE / ANTHONY SIAME
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday congratulated Tanzania’s ruling CCM party and its leader John Magufuli on their declared electoral victory, and praised “the people of Tanzania for upholding democratic principles and holding peaceful elections.”
Ramaphosa said that he “ looks forward to working with Dr. Magufuli to strengthen the strong and cordial bilateral relations that exist between South Africa and Tanzania, as well as on matters of mutual concern in the Southern African Development Community region, the African continent and the world ”. . The experience of the Tanzanian opposition would suggest that this is a very limited vision of democracy.
The 2020 elections in Tanzania were a sham.
There is no other accurate way to describe an event that lacked transparency, respect for human rights, sound procedures, integrity, and honesty.
From gerrymandering and a flawed voter registration process to the campaign phase and the announcement of the results and subsequent crackdown, the elections have confirmed our worst suspicions regarding the regime of President John Pombe Magufuli. It does not take into account the well-being of the citizens of Tanzania and Zanzibar, and does not respect democratic values and human rights. It is clear that he is not interested in power for the good of Tanzania and Zanzibar, but only for power.
After the polls, democracy can no longer be considered an appropriate label for the United Republic of Tanzania. We have returned to a one-party state in all but name, and one that is defined today by brutality, not by the common quest for unity and humanity as during the presidency. Julius It was from Nyerere.
Tanzania’s reputation as a beacon of peace and stability in the region, which has steadily eroded during President Magufuli’s first term, is now in tatters.
Elections held on October 28, 2020 cannot be described as free, fair or credible. The campaign period was marred by interruption, sabotage and physical intimidation with the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the police, all complicit in preventing the effective participation of the parties of the opposition.
Magufuli seems to have taken seriously the saying attributed to Stalin that ‘It’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes’.
On election day, the ballot boxes were rigged and opposition agents were prevented from entering the polling stations. Meanwhile, ACT Wazalendo party workers uncovered piles of ballots and statements of results from numerous tellers that appear to have been completed before the polls. Video evidence and photographs of pre-marked ballots abound both on the mainland and in Zanzibar.
Of course, elections are not just rigged on the day. A substantial part of the preliminary manipulation work took place before Election Day. Members and leaders of the opposition have been arbitrarily arrested, interrogated and detained by the police. We have been routinely intimidated and harassed as we tried to exercise our democratic right to campaign. In Zanzibar, police shootings on the eve of the elections resulted in several deaths and dozens of injuries.
The captured NEC and ZEC have been instrumental in manipulating the elections, so we have little faith in their ability to address our concerns. As in last year’s Civic Elections, the disqualification of opposition candidates was again deployed as a key tool by the authorities to limit participation and thwart the democratic will of the electorate.
In Zanzibar, 11 ACT Wazalendo candidates were disqualified from running for the House of Representatives, while on the mainland only 104 of our 169 nominees were confirmed by the NEC. Chadema suffered a similar fate, with 53 of its 244 parliamentary candidates disqualified. Between the two parties, thousands of local government candidates were disqualified.
Still, we participate. On Election Day we went to the polls because we believe in the democratic process and in the importance of generating change through the polls. The result, unsurprisingly, was a fraudulent election that did not meet democratic standards and cannot be said to confer any real legitimacy on the current regime.
In our response, we use all legitimate means at our disposal, including massive public action. We are also working closely with other opposition parties and active civil society to coordinate our plans in the fight to return democracy to our country.
Together with Chadema, ACT Wazalendo has called for supporters to come out in large numbers to peacefully protest the fraudulent nature of the elections. We have demanded new surveys. The response from the authorities says it all. Arrests left, right and center, with the police threatening the use of force to arrest protesters and security forces deployed to block our path. In Zanzibar, ACT Wazalendo party leaders arrested on Thursday for “illegal assembly” were brutally beaten in police custody. Our party’s Deputy Secretary General for Zanzibar was forcibly kidnapped last Wednesday night and has yet to be charged or allowed to speak to a lawyer.
While there are limits to what the international community can do in such cases, at the very least it can stop funding and recognize this abusive regime. After last week’s election, there are no excuses to hide. Continued support simply allows the authorities to maintain their abuse of power.
We will continue to protest the elections and express our calls for a return to democracy. No choice. Yet our voices are drowned out. The increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and the shrinking space for free media in Tanzania have been recognized internationally in recent times. On Election Day, sites like WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and Google were subject to blackouts and strangulation. As we face arrest and ongoing harassment, we need outside help; the help of those who understand the importance of democracy for development, the upliftment of people and the long-term prospects for peace and stability in Tanzania, the region and beyond.
Tanzania’s election offered a dark day for the Democrats but a playbook for the autocrats.
In October 2020, the international community can be forgiven for turning its attention elsewhere, concerned about the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to rage. You may have been prevented from deploying observers to the field in the usual way to witness the election first-hand. However, the international community knows enough about the preparation of the elections and the tendencies of the Magufuli government to evaluate our concerns as credible and legitimate.
The elections have not passed without comment. Some have expressed reservations through carefully worded statements, and the United States has raised concerns about “reports of systematic interference in the democratic process” and allegations of wrongdoing that included the use of force against unarmed citizens. However, words will not be enough this time. After last week’s polls we are beyond that point.
We passed the fork in the road.
As a first step, international governments must not recognize the illegitimate governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar. Second, if donors care about the people of the United Republic of Tanzania and the country’s long-term prospects for democratic renewal and stability, now is the time to say “enough is enough” and withdraw support from a regime that has no interest in the will of its people.
While there are limits to what the international community can do in such cases, at the very least it can stop funding and recognize this abusive regime. After last week’s elections, there are no excuses to hide. Continued support simply allows the authorities to maintain their abuse of power.
Instead, funds should be directed to countries and governments that seek inclusive development and progress for their citizens; for those who promote democratic standards and values to ensure that it is the people who have the last word. I am saddened to say that Tanzania no longer meets those criteria.
The 2020 elections in Tanzania were a sham. It was undemocratic from any significant point of view and, as a result, the government of President John Magufuli lacks legitimacy. The ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi party (CCM) seized almost all key opposition strongholds, including those that have consistently held an opposition majority since 1995; Magufuli’s rival, opposition leader Tundu Lissu, is said to have won only 13% of the commission’s votes, and was then immediately arrested by the state. Yesterday I was arrested after trying to visit Chadema colleagues currently detained for “terrorism”.
As the opposition, we will not give up on our mission to restore democracy and freedom to the United Republic. We will continue to tell the truth as long as we are free to do so.
We call on donors to listen to our concerns and withdraw all support from President Magufuli’s regime until new elections are held under international supervision. DM
Zitto Kabwe is the leader of ACT Wazalendo.
