Chadema seeks support from outside

Dar es Salaam. Chadema has called off its countrywide ‘defiance’ protests that were planned for Saturday October 1.

The opposition party’s national chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, announced on Friday they would pursue other avenues in order to be heard.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Mr Mbowe said Chadema had decided not to go ahead with the demonstrations, popularised as Ukuta, due to safety concerns.

This is the second time the party has called off the protests. Chadema had initially planned to mobilise its supporters to demonstrate on September 1 this year, against what it says are President John Magufuli’s dictatorial tendencies.

It pushed back the protests to October 1 after religious leaders requested for time to meet the President and mediate.

The police had also repeatedly issued stern warnings against the demonstrations.

Mr Mbowe told reporters Friday that his party was yet to hear from the religious leaders.

A committee of the clerics has since requested a meeting with President Magufuli. The State House said last week it was yet to respond to the request.

Chadema said by calling off the demonstrations it was paving the way for other methods to ensure its demands were met.

According to Mr Mbowe, the party would visit various European Union member states, Nordic nations, the US and Canada, “To tell these nations how President Magufuli is mismanaging the country, politically.”

He said his party had noted the benefits of diplomacy to further their political agenda from the recent tour to German and Denmark by their secretary general, Dr Vincent Mashinji. A schedule for the international trips is expected to be made public once preparations were complete.