Angry mob beats up Necta boss at accident scene In Tabora

Dar es Salaam. Eyewitnesses yesterday narrated how National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) executive secretary Charles Msonde came close to being lynched by an angry mob in Tabora.

The incident took place in the municipality’s Ndevelwa Ward after Dr Msonde’s car was involved in an accident, which killed a bodaboda rider, Mr Ramadhan Salum, 23.

Dr Msonde’s driver fled from the scene after reportedly hitting the motorcycle taxi driven by Said from behind, killing him on the spot.

An eyewitness, Mr Ibrahim Said, said with the driver nowhere to be seen, the mob that had gathered at the scene vented its anger on Dr Msonde.

Rowdy youths pulled the Necta chief from his car, and started to rain kicks and blows on him. Apparently, those who were beating him did not know that they were attacking the boss of the country’s examinations council. “What fuelled the mob’s anger was the fact that the driver ran away after hitting and killing the motorcyclist,” Mr Said added.

Satisfied that sufficient “punishment” had been meted out, the mob began to disperse before police arrived. Dr Msonde was later admitted to Kidete Regional Hospital.

Another eyewitness who declined to identify himself said Dr Msonde’s car was travelling at high speed when it hit the motorcycle.

Tabora Regional Police Commander Wilbroad Mutafungwa confirmed the accident, but said he was in a meeting, and could not therefore provide details. The area councillor, Mr Seleman Maganga, said available information was still sketchy.

“People are not readily volunteering information, apparently for fear of being arrested for taking the law into their own hands, but I’m confident that we will know exactly what happened in the next few hours,” he said.

It could not be immediately established where Dr Msonde was coming from or where he was going, although some reports said he was travelling from Kaliua District.

Earlier yesterday, Dr Msonde told The Citizen from hospital that he was doing well. “My body is still aching as a result of people taking the law into their own hands, otherwise I’m doing well,” he said.

Necta communications officer John Nchimbi told The Citizen last night that Dr Msonde had been discharged from hospital.