Dar es Salaam – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a report condemning the government’s actions, warning that self-censorship is now rampant among media workers who fear for their lives and livelihoods.
The October elections, marred by widespread allegations of fraud and voter suppression, erupted into violence that claimed at least 15 lives, according to human rights monitors. Protests rocked cities like Dar es Salaam and Arusha, with security forces accused of using live ammunition against demonstrators. In the ensuing chaos, at least 200 opposition supporters, including members of the main Chadema party, were detained on charges ranging from “incitement” to “online offenses.”
CPJ’s investigation details pattern of intimidation. “We cannot publish,” one veteran reporter reportedly told the organization anonymously.
Adding: “Every story on the killings or arrests feels like signing our own death warrant.”
Since November, at least five journalists have been briefly detained, their devices seized and notes confiscated during raids on newsrooms and private homes.
On November 5, as clashes unfolded in Zanzibar, Amina Juma, a freelance photographer for The Citizen, captured images of police firing on unarmed protesters. Hours later, plainclothes officers allegedly stormed her apartment, accusing her of “spreading false information.” She was held for 48 hours without charge, her camera smashed, and released only after paying a “caution fee.” “They warned me: next time, it’s not just the equipment,” Juma recounted to CPJ.
Similarly, Elias Mwamba, editor at Swahili Times, vanished for three days after tweeting about election-related abductions. His family received anonymous threats, and upon his return, he found his office ransacked.
“The message is clear: silence or suffer,” Mwamba said.
In a broader sweep, police have monitored social media aggressively, arresting at least a dozen activists for posts echoing journalistic reports on the violence. Angus Thompson, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, decried the tactics as a deliberate assault on press freedom.
“Tanzania’s government is weaponizing fear to erase the truth about these elections,” Thompson stated in the report.
Adding: “Journalists are the eyes and ears of the public; silencing them betrays democracy itself.”
Human Rights Watch echoed the alarm, noting that the crackdown extends beyond media to civil society. “This is not just about elections; it’s about control,” said researcher Oryem Nyeko.
Adding: “Authorities must release detained journalists and end the harassment.”