{UAH} Ocen//Is Tz assassinating Opposition leaders?

Folks;

Opposition politicians are ever on the lookout for any opportunity to give the government a black eye. In Tz, it seems newly elected president Magufuli was not accorded even a one-day honeymoon.

Pojim

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2015

Former PMs warn of 'apartheid' sin

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Former Prime Ministers Edward Lowassa and Frederick Sumaye pay their last respects to slain Chadema Geita regional leader Alphonce Mawazo at Furahisha grounds in Mwanza yesterday. PHOTO | MICHAEL JAMSON 

In Summary

Former premiers Edward Lowassa and Frederick Sumaye decried what they said was descend into choreographed harassment of Opposition leaders by state security organs on the pretext of enforcing laws.

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By Geofrey Kimani

Mwanza. Chadema leaders and two former prime ministers yesterday said they would resist efforts by government to try and turn the country into a police state by the way it treated the Opposition and activists.

Former premiers Edward Lowassa and Frederick Sumaye decried what they said was descend into choreographed harassment of Opposition leaders by state security organs on the pretext of enforcing laws.

They spoke yesterday in Mwanza during a rally at which thousands of mourners gathered at Furahisha grounds in Ilemela District to pay their last respects to party's Geita regional leader Alphonce Mawazo who was brutally killed over a fortnight ago.

The body arrived at the grounds at 1.45pm from his uncle's home at Nyegezi after a family farewell.

Mawazo, 39, met his death on November 14 at a hospital of excessive bleeding after he was attacked by a group of unknown people at Katoro in Geita.

The prayers were finally held following a court judgment that overruled the police who had banned any open rallies for the farewell service for the deceased.

A sombre mood engulfed local residents, family members and the Ukawa coalition representatives who were comforted by sorrowful gospel songs at the grounds as they paid their last respects.

Chadema national chairman Freemon Mbowe along with the former party's presidential runner Lowassa, former premier Sumaye and the party's deputy secretary (Zanzibar) Salumu Mwalimu lead the mourners.

Mr Lowassa said the country was in grief not only because of Mawazo's death but also the manner in which he died while fighting for democratic rights aimed at improving lives of ordinary people.

He said, Mawazo did not die a natural death but he was killed by people who were well known to the police. "The late Mawazo was attacked and killed mercilessly. The police know the killers but they not take action to bring them to justice," he said. Mr Lowassa reiterated that Chadema by all other possible means would speak for the deceased's rights and that of several others who died in similar incidents.

"The government action and response to problems facing people is similar to what was going on in apartheid South Africa," said the former PM. And former Premier Sumaye said that the government should not turn the country into a police state such as the one that instituted apartheid policy in South Africa.

He said killings such as that of Mawazo contradicted the peace that Tanzania claimed to have.

He said rivals especially in politics should compete on policies and not "drag one another to the slaughter house." "The late Charles Biko of South Africa was killed while fighting for people's rights. First president of free South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was detained for 27 years for his stance to fight against the apartheid system," he said.

Mr Sumaye echoed sentiments raised by Mr Lowassa that those who killed Mr Mawazo were known to the police urging that they should be brought to justice. "If Mr Mawazo's rights would not be achieved peacefully then we will fight for them by all means," he said. "We have evidence that government authorities including the police are hiding the truth behind the cause of Mr Mawazo's death but Tanzanians will not allow this to happen and instead we will seek for our right by other means," said Sumaye.

Mr Mbowe said they were tired of witnessing their party members either dying in the hands of police.

"We are tired of witnessing our people dying in the presence of police, this marks the beginning to an end of such killings," he said.

He mentioned Daudi Mwangosi who died in the presence of the police in Iringa and Msafiri Mbwana who he said was killed while participating in the primary polls in Igunga. He added the killings of four Chadema protestors in Arusha on January 5, 2011 were illegal and police were involved.

Meanwhile, Mbowe vowed to file a petition against the Mwanza regional police commissioner for delaying burial arrangements of Mawazo and for causing the party unnecessary costs for meeting expenses of the two former prime ministers while in Mwanza to press for the release of the body of Mawazo. "Mwanza RPC does not know the amount we have spent on maintenance of the two former premiers in Mwanza following his ban restricting mourners from publically paying their last respects to Mawazo," he said.

The Chadema deputy secretary general (Zanzibar), Mr Mwalimu, reiterated that Mawazo did not die a natural death but he was killed while undertaking his duty to fight for people's rights. "We are ready to die for people's rights across the country," he said.

Mawazo's uncle Charles Lugiko who is also a priest, said it was very agonising for them to have to wait for 10 whole days before they could access the body of their loved one preserved at the morgue because of the police ban.     

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