WITH a wave of kidnapping people on the rise in Tanzania, the opposition has issued a strong statement calling on the government to put a halt to acts of arbitrary killings and tortures currently gripping the nation.
In his statement before the media today, opposition leader Freeman Mbowe directly implicated rogue elements in the state organs, and called out some names of police officers allegedly involved in these heinous acts.
Mbowe further took on President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zonal Crimes Officer for Dar es Salaam, Faustine Mafwere, tasking them to put their house in order before the situation escalates further.
He said:
“As a party, we have conducted an investigation through our internal sources and others within the Police Force and other security agencies. I will briefly explain what we have discovered and the individuals we are pointing fingers at, so that the Police and others can challenge us and tell us, ‘Mbowe, you’re lying.’ Where is our investigation leading us? First, there is something within the Dar es Salaam Special Zone called the Security Task Force.
“This Task Force was formed with stakeholders from the Police Force, the National Security Service, and even the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF). However, at a later stage, the TPDF withdrew from this operation. When this Task Force was first established, it was formed as a special unit to combat theft, which is overseen by the Zonal Crime Officer (ZCO). Currently, this office is led by ASP Faustin Mafwele, who is the head of the Criminal Investigations Unit for the Dar es Salaam Special Zone, and he is the one in charge of this unit.
“The operation center for this unit is located behind the Chang’ombe Police Station, and be aware that this unit operates independently from the regular police administrative system, so it does not operate within the Police Stations. Behind the Chang’ombe Police Station, there is a camp for this unit, and it is surrounded by a wooden fence. Inside, people are tortured, people are harmed, and people are squeezed. This is where the suffering of Tanzanians takes place.
“According to the information we have, more than 200 Tanzanians have gone missing this year and part of last year, and these incidents are a continuation of directives from government leaders who previously instructed, ‘deal with them.’
“As a party, we have decided to speak out loudly so that these issues are heard more widely. These abductions have been accompanied by killings. Initially, those who were killed were taken to the mortuary, while others, like Sativa, were taken to the Katavi wilderness to be eaten by hyenas because it is said that Katavi is the wilderness with fierce hyenas that even chew bones like biscuits. God did not allow it, and He saved him. Sativa was captured by this unit, and Mafwele knows it. This unit is the same one that captured Soka, Mlay, and Mbise.”
Some relatives of the victims attended the press conference and gave a testimony. Frank Mbise’s wife said:
“My husband has left me with a young child, and I have no help. My child has been sick for three days, and I haven’t been able to get any medicine. I’m struggling on my own, and I don’t know how to reach my husband. I’ve searched everywhere, but I haven’t found him. Journalists, President Samia, Chadema, please help me find my husband.”
The government spokesman refrained from making ‘a quick rebuttal.’
