Tanzania Police holding 3 for illegal demonstration at S.A High Commission over ATCL plane

Dar es Salaam. Police in Dar es Salaam are holding three people for, allegedly, participating in an illegal demonstration in front of the South African High Commission offices in the city. The demonstrators were demanding for the release of a Tanzania passenger jet withheld in South Africa.

The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Lazaro Mambosasa, told journalists yesterday that police were still looking for other people who participated in the demonstrations. About 100 people, who carried placards with different messages, marched to the South Africa high commission early this week to demand for the release of the plane.

“We (police) received a call yesterday (Wednesday) morning that there were some people, who were matching towards the South African High Commission carrying placards with various messages; we quickly rushed there and disperse them,” said Mr Mambosasa.

The Airbus 220-300 was caught in a legal case that dates back to the 1980s, involving a South African farmer whose farm and other properties were nationalised by the government. The farmer Mr Hermanus P. Steyn is demanding Sh33 million following nationalisation of his properties, which include land and farm equipment back in 1982.