Trader: How Sh761m capital went up in flames during October 29 riots

“We hadn’t opened that day. I rushed there to see what was happening, but when I arrived, the situation was already out of control,” he recalled.

With the shop built entirely of glass walls that displayed its merchandise to passersby, he said it was easy for rioters to break in and loot everything inside.

He said he called his employee, who had the office keys, so they could try to move some items from the shop.

“While waiting for him, things got worse. My staff member couldn’t reach the area. He told me, ‘Brother, I can hear gunshots, I’ve run away.’ I couldn’t take anything out because I didn’t have the keys.

“The only sounds in Magomeni were gunfire and tear gas explosions. I had to leave for my safety, though I left behind our guards,” he said.

Moments later, the businessman received another call from his guards informing him that the shop had been attacked.

“They said they had tried firing warning shots to scare off the looters, but it didn’t help. I took a motorcycle taxi to rush back, but it was very difficult to reach the area due to the chaos. Some riders warned me that I couldn’t get through and advised me to turn back,” he said.

He said that he climbed onto a nearby building to see what was happening at his premises.

“It was one of the hardest moments of my life. I saw people walking out of my shop carrying boxes of cameras, laptops and even the sofa that was inside,” he said.

He said he could do nothing but watch as people looted his and neighbouring shops amid the sound of gunfire, tear gas and stones being thrown.

“I spent seven years building this business. It wasn’t easy. I took loans from different places to realise my dream. But my capital has melted away like ice,” he said.

According to him, earlier that month he had just returned from Dubai with new stock worth Sh300 million, which he had not yet started selling when the violence broke out.

“Everything was taken. Nothing was left. The total capital recorded was over Sh761 million,” he said.

The shop sold all kinds of cameras, including drones, live-streaming equipment, laptops, and other accessories.

“Sometimes you hear someone say there’s a person selling an item, and when you look closely, you can tell it’s yours. But it’s too late. There’s nothing you can do.

“Those who stole my equipment are likely selling it cheaply because they don’t know its real value. In photography, nothing is cheap,” he lamented.

He said life had been difficult since the incident and that without faith and resilience, he might have suffered a mental breakdown.

“We had invested borrowed money, and some loans haven’t been repaid. Now everything is gone. It’s heartbreaking.

“Zagamba Camera Shop was our main branch. It employed eight people directly and also engaged others informally, such as motorcycle taxi operators who we gave small delivery jobs. This has really set me back,” he said.

He appealed to the government to consider the plight of affected businesspeople and help them recover.

“We know the government also suffered losses, but what happened was completely unexpected. That morning everything was calm, and we had been assured of safety before things suddenly turned tragic,” he said.

Eyewitnesses speak out

Some witnesses who spoke to The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi said that when the violence began in Magomeni, some people started throwing stones at glass-fronted shops in the area.

A three-wheeler driver, Nasyo Joshua, said he was at his regular spot when the chaos erupted and had to move his vehicle to the roadside.

“From where I was, I could see what was happening on the other side. The shop’s glass windows were shattered by stones.

“I saw people walking out with large cameras, which I don’t know the prices of, but surely none could be worth less than Sh3 million each. Others walked away with drones. It was heartbreaking,” he said.

Another resident, Samwel Mussa, confirmed that neighbouring shops were also attacked.

“Next to the camera shop, there was a mobile money agent and a stationery store, both with glass doors. They were also stoned, broken into, and looted,” he said.

How the day unfolded

At around 10 a.m. on October 29, while Tanzanians elsewhere were casting their votes, a group of people in the Kibo area blocked roads with stones, preventing vehicles from passing.

Anti-riot police (FFU) tried to disperse them using tear gas, but the protesters retaliated by throwing stones. The violence later spread to various parts of Dar es Salaam, leading to widespread looting, destruction of property and loss of lives.

A curfew was later announced and the city was under heightened security for almost five days until Tuesday, November 4, following an announcement on Monday, November 3 by President Samia Suluhu Hassan regarding the return to normalcy.