Police arrest 2 Chadema key leaders

Dar/Arusha/Simiyu. Police arrested two top Chadema leaders yesterday. Chadema leaders and supporters were quick to link the arrests with the much-publicised September 1 demonstrations.

Those who were arrested include outspoken Arusha Urban MP Godbless Lema, who was arrested at his home yesterday morning and Chadema deputy secretary general (Zanzibar) Salum Mwalimu who was apprehended by law enforcers in Simiyu.

Social media outlets were awash with Mr Mwalimu’s photo showing him holding a placard outlining his particulars and offence which the police accuse him of. Simiyu regional police commander said Mr Mwalimu was arrested for sedition.

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Onesmo Lyanga said Mr Mwalimu was arrested alongside 17 others for allegedly preparing a meeting while knowing that such events have been banned.

He said the Chadema deputy secretary and the other people were arrested at Mwandoya Village in Meatu District on Thursday evening.

Mr Lyanga said their intelligence reports had it that the accused were arranging holding seditious meetings. “After we received information from various sources on their intention, we went to the scene and arrested them. When we asked them to produce a permit for the meeting, they had none,” he said.

He said they were still interrogating them pending other legal procedures. The 18 were later arraigned at Bariadi District Court but denied the charges of sensitising people to commit an offence.

Resident Magistrate John Mkwabi granted a submission by the public prosecutor Moses Mafuru to deny the accused bail.

The Magistrate adjourned the case until August 30 when the accused will table their objection.

In another development, Mr Godbless Lema was arrested in his home also accused of sedition.

He was arrested in Njiro kwa Msola early yesterday, only a day after the Sombetini Ward Councillor on Chadema ticket, Mr Ally Benanga, was arrested, questioned and charged for sedition before he was bailed. Arusha regional police commander Charles Mkumbo confirmed the arrest noting that investigations were still going on.

According to the RPC, Mr Lema is accused of issuing seditious statements through social media outlets.

In the statements, Mr Lema allegedly insisted that Ukuta demonstration will be conducted come what may.

He also noted that Chadema leaders and supporters in Arusha have already finalised preparations for the demonstrations and he will be among those in the frontline.

However, talking to this paper earlier, Arusha Mayor Calist Lazaro said they were not informed on why Mr Lema was arrested. “We are working on bailing him,” he said.

Mr Lazaro and Chadema lawyer in the region, who also serves as Unga Ltd Councillor James Lyatuu were seen at the Central Police Station in the efforts to bail Mr Lema.

Meanwhile, the Council of Political Parties has rescheduled a meeting for various stakeholders to debate the worsening political situation in the country from August 29 and 30 to September 3 and 4.

According to assistant chairperson of the council, Mr Vuai Ali Vuai, the decision has been reached in order to give the organising committee more time to reach out to as many stakeholders as possible in order to make the meeting inclusive. “Before this press conference, in the morning we sat to discuss and see if we could proceed with the earlier proposed dates of August 29 and 30 and discovered that there was little time to make effective arrangements,” he said when stating why the dates for the crucial meeting have been moved.

According to him, the meeting will bring together various stakeholders who will deliberate a number of issues including the country’s security and political situation to name but a few. Therefore, he said, it requires more time to organise so as to have a fruitful meeting. He said that giving short notice to the participants might affect the meeting by having little attendance of delegations since the aim was to have a big number of people who would be able to talk about several issues. “For the meeting to be productive we expect to have the intended invited to participate the meeting therefore people should not be offended by postponing the meeting,” he said.

The Council of Political Parties is a unit established within the office of the Registrar of Political Parties by the Political Parties Act Chapter 258. It advices the Registrar on the disputes arising among political parties, on matters of national interests with reference to political parties or political situation.

Reported by Hellen Nachilongo (Dar) Mussa Juma, Zulfa Mussa (Arusha) and Faustine Fabian (Simiyu)