Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema condemned Tanzania’s government on Friday for violent suppression and electoral manipulation that opposition groups claim left hundreds dead following contested elections earlier this week.
The South African opposition party issued a statement calling the October 29 polls “a violent consolidation of power” by President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. The elections saw main opposition leaders jailed or disqualified from participating.
“The process has been disturbed by intimidation, the exclusion of opposition parties, and the use of state violence to crush public protest,” the EFF said in its statement.
Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party claims around 700 people died in post-election violence, though these figures remain unverified. The government imposed nationwide curfews and shut down internet access after protests erupted in Dar es Salaam and other cities.
“Over 30 people are feared dead, while hundreds have been injured or arrested after armed forces were deployed,” the EFF statement said. “The shutting down of the internet is particularly sinister as it shows that state forces want to make sure any atrocities they perform on citizens remain undocumented.”
Opposition leader Tundu Lissu faces treason charges while ACT-Wazalendo candidate Luhaga Mpina was disqualified on technicalities. The EFF said this removed “any meaningful competition” for Hassan.
The party called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to “intervene decisively and hold the Tanzanian government accountable for the violence, electoral manipulation, and systematic denial of political freedoms.”
“The EFF further stands in solidarity with the people of Tanzania as they resist tyranny and demand their right to genuine freedom and multiparty democracy,” the statement said.
SADC deployed election observation missions to Tanzania before the polls. Amnesty International warned the elections risked becoming “a procedural affair devoid of legitimacy.”
The Tanzanian government has not responded to requests for comment. The National Electoral Commission said preliminary results would be announced within three days of voting.
