CUF wants talks with Police Force

The Civic United Front (CUF) faction led by secretary general Maalim Seif Shariff Hamad is seeking an audience with the Police Force to deliberate on the state of growing insecurity that impede their political activities.

What you need to know:

  • The Saturday incident that saw masked men storm a press conference held by CUF leaders at a hotel in Kinondoni District and turn the place into a battle field with several people, including journalists, being beaten and injured, has raised fears that acts of violence are becoming a permanent feature when it comes to activities involving Tanzania’s second largest opposition party.

Dar es Salaam. The Civic United Front (CUF) faction led by secretary general Maalim Seif Shariff Hamad is seeking an audience with the Police Force to deliberate on the state of growing insecurity that impede their political activities.

The Saturday incident that saw masked men storm a press conference held by CUF leaders at a hotel in Kinondoni District and turn the place into a battle field with several people, including journalists, being beaten and injured, has raised fears that acts of violence are becoming a permanent feature when it comes to activities involving Tanzania’s second largest opposition party.

On August 21, last year, a national congress meeting convened to deliberate on Prof Lipumba’s resignation ended in total chaos after the arrival of the professor and his supporters who forcibly made their way into the gathering.

Supporters from the two factions have twice confronted each other at the High Court premises after the suspension of constitutional cases which had been filed in the wake of leadership dispute, heightening possibility of peace disruption in the country.

Yesterday, CUF deputy secretary general, Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui told The Citizen in a telephone interview that his faction was considering consulting the police to discuss and resolve security issues facing members and supporters aligned to party’s secretary general, Mr Hamad.

“We will seek an audience with the IGP Ernest Mangu over deteriorating security. While Prof Lipumba and his supporters are allowed to undertake with political activities, we are restricted, this is unfair and unacceptable,” he said.

Without naming the exact date when they would officially submit their request to meet with the IGP office, Mr Mazrui said they were tired at witnessing raids, torture and bloodshed without any intervention from the police or the office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

“The office of Registrar of Political Parties cannot escape blame in the ongoing dispute due to his silence. The matter would have peacefully ended if he strictly followed the laws, rules and regulations governing political parties in the country,” charged the CUF official.

Mr Mazrui joined political and media stakeholders in condemning the Saturday incident, especially the attack to journalists, saying the party was planning visit media houses to console the victims.

The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), Mr Executive Secretary Kajubi Mukajanga, said it was disappointing that journalists, whose only role is to report events, are entangled and made victims when parties’ political are in disputes and competitions.

He called upon the police to ensure security and safety of journalists as they go about performing their duties.

“The police are entrusted to ensure security of citizens and their properties. In implementing this constitutional obligation, they are tasked to ensure journalists, like other citizens, are safe when covering events,” he said.

Mr Mukajanga advised media house managements to establish internal measures that would improve security of their reporters when attending controversial events, suggesting that more than one journalist should be deployed to cover one event.

“And then, journalists should be quick at escaping places where events have degenerated into chaos because there would be story written if a journalist is killed,” he said.

Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) chairman, Mr Theophil Makunga, said TEF had zero tolerance towards incidents prohibiting journalists from executing their duties and strongly condemned the Saturday incident.

According to him, TEF was consulting security organs responsible establish individuals or group of people who were behind the Saturday incident, saying they won’t be quick at blaming CUF.

“Therefore, security organs should immediately investigate the mnatter and inform the public what had really happened, otherwise such incidents builds a state of fear among the citizens,” he said.

Kinondoni Region Police Commander (RPC), Ms Suzan Kaganda, said the police were holding one person in connection with the incident, referring to the individual who was beaten by the wananchi on Saturday as his alleged accomplices vanished.

CUF deputy secretary general (Mainland) who is affiliated to Prof Lipumba, Ms Magdalena Sakaya, accused Mr Hamad and his allies of organising events that are disruptive to peace and security. She added that the party’s destiny rested on mediation among rivals. “The dispute will only be resolved by acknowledging that nobody is perfect and engage in mediation. Unfortunately, Mr Hamad has been rejecting mediation initiatives due to personal interests,” claimed the Kaliua MP.