Another top-ranking leader of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, John Heche was arrested and temporarily detained in Dar-es-salaam before the police ditched him later at an unknown location.
The incident is occurring less than two weeks after the chairperson of the main opposition party in the country, Tundu Antipas Lissu was arrested, while addressing a meeting in Southern Tanzania. The state slammed a treason case on him.
Heche, who is the Vice Chair of the opposition party, CHADEMA was arrested in the central Kariakoo area of Dar-es-salaam city shortly before holding a political rally in the busy business precinct.
One of the opposition party officials, Godbless Jonathan Lema reported that the Vice-Chairperson was picked by the police and whisked off to an unknown destination, with the planned rally being dispersed in the process.
But the Regional Commissioner for Dar-es-salaam, Albert Chalamila later told the media that the politician was arrested because he was conducting a public rally at a prohibited venue, as Kariakoo was supposed to be a trading place not a meeting venue.
Video clips making rounds on social media platforms show people in police uniforms executing the politician’s arrest.
“They bundled us in a police truck, and we were taken around the city before they let us off, possibly after public outcry,” Heche reported later.
John Heche’s arrest comes just two days after religious leaders in the country vehemently spoke against the ongoing wave of arrests targeting members of the opposition parties.
The clerics also warned against series of abductions that has been tainting the country’s image especially now that Tanzania was preparing to conduct the General Elections that are slated for October 2025.
But again, last week, John Heche had posted on his twitter (X) account saying that he had been informed of ongoing plans by state organs to have him arrested.
Heche maintained that his planned arrest was meant to botch the ongoing campaigns to call for reforms in the electoral process before the polls could be held.
The council of bishops through the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) had recently warned the government against the crackdown on strong opposition members and other people who advocate for free and fair elections.
In another development, a private vehicle with registration numbers T-566 CXL believed to belong to Philemon Mung’ong’o who is an official of the ruling party, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in the Mbeya Urban District had been burnt down to ashes by unknown people.
The car, according to the owner, was set ablaze in the middle of the night while he and his family were fast asleep. They were reportedly jerked awake by the raging flames outside the house.