There’re plans to kill me, Seif claims
CUF Secretary General Seif Sharif Hamad cuts the cake in an event to celebrate his 73rd birthday at the opposition party’s offices at Vuga in Zanzibar on Saturday. Right is Deputy CUF secretary General for Zanzibar, Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT
What you need to know:
- He told CUF followers who had gathered at the party offices in Vuga here, that there were plan being hatched to arrest him, take him to Dar es Salaam and get him administered with a “special kind of poison” that would kill him.
Zanzibar. Civic United Front Secretary General Seif Sharif Hamad used his birthday celebration yesterday to tell his fellow party members that his life was in danger.
He told CUF followers who had gathered at the party offices in Vuga here, that there were plan being hatched to arrest him, take him to Dar es Salaam and get him administered with a “special kind of poison” that would kill him.
“However, I am not afraid. Plans to eliminate me have existed for a long time but God who has always protected me,” said Mr Hamad who turned 73 on Saturday. The CUF supremo has been Zanzibar presidential candidate since the re-introduction of multiparty politics. When reached by The Citizen for comment yesterday, senior Zanzibar government seemed surprised by the allegations.
The Minister of State in the Second Vice President Office of Zanzibar Mohamed Abood Mohamed said the government would issue a formal reply in due course.
“Contact the police to see if they have anything to say but the government’s position on Mr Hamad’s allegations will be issued later in the day,” said Mr Mohamed.
Zanzibar Police Commissioner Hamdan Omar Makame said he was not aware of Mr Hamad’s allegations. “I am hearing this from you! I have nothing to say,” he said.
Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation Salum Msangi said he was following up on the matter. “We are still trying to find out if Mr Hamad really made the allegations,” he told The Citizen.
Mr Hamad said he was wondering why those who wanted to kill him were afraid of charging him before the court of law.
“If I have committed any crime, why don’t they just take me to court? Everyone knows where I live. I am not on the run!” the former he said.
His allegations comes in the backdrop of political tensions in Zanzibar following the annulment of the results of the October 25 General Election. CUF boycotted the repeat of the elections that were held earlier this year on the claims that its candidate, Mr Hamad, ahd already won the polls winner.
The CUF itself is in the doldrums in the wake of a leadership crisis caused by former Prof Ibrahim Lipumba’s insistence he is still the party chair much as he had resigned in October last year in protest to the selection of Former PM Edward Lowassa as opposition presidential flag bearer.
