The President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced the lifting of a ban on opposition rallies imposed in 2016 by her strongman predecessor, in an overture to political rivals seeking the restoration of democratic traditions.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Hassan has faced pressure to depart from the repressive practises of John Magufuli, who passed away in 2021 after six years of brutal leadership in a nation that was previously regarded as an example of democracy in East Africa.
In spite of being a no-nonsense populist when he assumed office in 2015, Magufuli presided over a systematic crackdown on political freedoms, gaining the moniker “Bulldozer” for his refusal to tolerate any opposition.
Early in his term, he said that it was time for business, not politics, and forbade political rallies.
However, detractors said that the restriction mainly applied to opposition parties, allowing the ruling party to convene without interference while police forcefully dispersed competitor rallies and imprisoned their officials.
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In 2018, police fired live rounds to disperse a rally by the Chadema opposition party, and its leader Freeman Mbowe was later charged with unlawful assembly and inciting violence.
Addressing party leaders invited to State House on Tuesday, Hassan announced that the “ban on political rallies is now lifted”.
“The government will be responsible for ensuring security during rallies, but I urge all politicians to also practise civilised politics,” she said.
“You are all free to criticise the government wherever you see challenges, so that we address them for the benefit of our people.”
Mbowe, who spent seven months in prison under Hassan on terrorism charges, was cautious.
“It is good that the president has allowed political meetings, but we are now waiting to see the implementation by other government officials,” he said.
Zitto Kabwe, another opposition leader, said the decision was a first step towards greater political reforms.
“I am exhilarated! This is the right that was snatched by the state through an illegal presidential decree. President Samia has cleaned up the mess. It is a normal thing but Huge,” he told AFP in a WhatsApp message.
The opposition hoped that Hassan, a ruling party stalwart herself, and deputy president at the time of Magufuli’s sudden death, would turn the page on the autocratic-style rule of her predecessor.
There was early optimism when Hassan, the country’s first female president, reached out to rivals, reopened banned media outlets, and reversed some of Magufuli’s most controversial policies.
Those hopes were dimmed with Mbowe’s arrest in July 2021, and observers say more needs to be done to reform the country’s battered reputation.
“President Suluhu should definitely go beyond this announcement. There has to be concrete action to restore a fair democratic playing field in Tanzania,” said Oryem Nyeko, a researcher on Tanzania for Human Rights Watch.
Hassan said Tuesday she was committed to “reconciliation and reforms” including a long-awaited rewriting of the constitution, a key opposition demand.
“More legal reforms are coming soon to ensure that the rights of all parties are accommodated,” she said.
Hassan has battled division within her Chama Cha Mapinduzi party since taking office, shuffling her cabinet three times in 2022 as internal fissures broke into the open.