- Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. He raises concerns about Tanzania's recent disputed elections that claimed many youthful lives. He asks why Tanzania President Suluhu Hassan was invited to the recent SADC summit in spite of the events in Tanzania. Ndlozi argues that democratic principles must apply regardless of political affiliations.
View: https://youtu.be/VH8KemqTLQA?is=5XBa34jREg45mSIz
ASI - Artificial SuperInteligence translated
24 August 2026
High Court of Tanzania
Kivukoni Front
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Treason Trial No. 19605 / 2025 against the Chairman of the Party for Democracy and Development (CHADEMA) Tundu Lissu, continues today, August 24, 2026
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y4uSuQA4XAE
At the High Court of Tanzania, Dar Es Salaam Kivukoni Front right in the heart of City Business district , at the stage of presentation of the accused's evidence before a panel of three Judges led by Justice Dunstan Ndunguru.
It should be noted that on August 21, 2026, Tundu Lissu was found guilty to have case to answer by the bench of three judges of the high court of Tanzania , and Tundu Lissu was given the opportunity to defend himself and used the opportunity to name his witnesses.
Tundu Lissu is expected to continue giving his statement while awaiting the Court's decision on some of the witnesses he proposed whom the prosecution has objected to, the witnesses including President Samia Suluhu Hassan, former vice president Dr Philip Mpango .
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The trial has begun.
Chairman Hon. Lissu enters the court chambers.
The judges also enter at the same time.
Chairman Hon. Lissu is wearing a white T Shirt with depicting a party slogan Stronger Together, No Reforms, No Election and Dark Blue Jeans as usual, and his dreadlocks are growing very fast sending defiance message .
The judges deliberate a little bit among themselves and prepare to listen to trial .
The clerk turns on the MIC and reads the case number, stating Republic vs Tundu Lissu.
The republic side comprise of the State Attorneys Ajuyaye Zengeli, Nasoro Katuga, Job Mrema, Ignas Mwinuka, Thawabu Issa, Winiwa Kasawa, And proclaim they are ready for the court proceedinds.
Judge Ndunguru: Now, witness, should I continue or should I remind you where you left off?
Lissu: My lord Please remind me .
Judge Ndunguru says you ended up where you said that from year 2020 you have conducted research on electoral issues since colonial times.
Lissu: Thank you my lord , now I would like to continue.
Honorable Judges, on the first day I said this is a political case and said that various institutions have condemned this case, including the European Union, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the Commonwealth.
All of these are international institutions and there are still other regional institutions and institutions for our fellow Africans, not just europeans .
When the case was opened last year 2025, the Legal Institutions in our own country and neighboring countries issued public statements condemning these charges, calling them charges of oppression and abuse of the criminal justice system.
These institutions include that raised doubts about this case are -;
1. East African Law Society EALS
2. SADC Bar Association
3. Pan African Lawyers Union PALU
4. Zambia Bar Association
5. Kenya Bar Association
6. The Tanganyika Law Society TLS, of which I was President in 2017 for a short period.
Other institutions that made statements about me being harassed and placed in detention are
1. International Commission of Juris Kenyan Chapter
2. Amnesty International Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
3. Ugandan Law Society
Your Honor, statements condemning these charges have also been issued by
1. Democratic Union of Africa DUA, which includes parties in Africa with a political ideology similar to CHADEMA.
2. Platform of African Democracy (PAD) which is a platform of democratic parties from 17 countries in Africa.
Honorable judges, and the following is very special and interesting to mention :.
Date 30/07/2025 The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, which is the African Union's human rights monitoring body based in Arusha, Tanzania. (ACHPR)
Which is a specialized body held an emergency session to discuss these allegations and in its session adopted a resolution called RESOLUTION ON THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA.
Resolution HACHPR / RES.640 (LXXXIV) 84th Session of the Commission / 2025. The resolution expresses deep regret at the opening of this case and my arrest.
The African Union Commission said the Tanzanian government has a duty to comply with the human rights requirements as ratified in 1984. (Bill of Rights). Now I wanted to add this about who I am? And why this case has been brought.
Now, today, I would like to begin by talking about my contribution as a Human Rights and Democracy Activist to this country (Tanzania).
And that evidence will prove that this case is because of my long-standing position and the work I have done for many years.
So it is Political Persecution because of my stance on issues of justice and good governance. Not because I am a TRAITOR, but because of the work I have done and will continue to do.
Tundu Antipas Lissu continues to defend himself.
I have spent almost my entire adult life fighting for the rights of citizens. I didn't start yesterday, I certainly didn't start on 03/04 last year 2025.
I started when I was in secondary school in 1988 and was almost expelled from school because I defended students in form 4 and I am in form 6. There are judges from the Court of Appeal and the high Court of Tanzania who know because I was with them at the Ilboru Secondary School in Arusha Tanzania, so I won't mention them.
I was asked school by the then authorities why you are defending these Form 4 students when you are Form 6 senior pupil ?
Honorable Judges, in 1989 / 1990, while I was in the national service doing a compulsory army stint of 12 months , I don't know if they go to do compulsory army service these days, so while I was in the army, the multi-party debate began.
Our forces, the Police, the Prisons, the TPDF Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces , all of them were forced to be party members of CCM ruling party , I believe that to this day they have not discaded their political membership cards nor their party affilliation , they have remained in CCM machinery.
So the Army's position was NO to multi-party politics, and I was serving at 841 camp Itende, Mbeya. I did argued a lot with the army bosses who were saying we don't want multi-party politics.
I told the Omary Mahita the Inspector General of the Police at that time, Mwalimu Nyerere said that those who don't want change are fools. Haven't you heard this statement?? As a National Service Man in compulsory army , I fought for this country to be democratic. The one-party system was not democratic.
When President Ali Hassan Mwinyi appointed his Multi party Commission to ask the citizens whether they wanted a one-party system or multi-party system.
When the Presidential Commission on Multi-Party Politics in Tanzania, popularly known as the Judge Francis Lucas Nyalali Commission, was formed in February 1991, I was one of the Tanzanians who went to give testimony about the need for Tanzania to return to being a multi-party country like we were when we gained independence.
Prof. Haroub Othman led the panel where I went to give my opinion and the Secretary of the Commission was January Msofe who later became a Judge of the Court of Appeal.
So I demanded change and went to testify before the Presidential Commission. I fought for Democracy in that way.
And in the first multi-party General Election, I contested and made an quick returned from England because I was concerned about that issue.
Honorable Judges, for all the years that followed until today 26 August 2026. I have fought for Democracy, a New Constitution, a Free and Fair Electoral System. I have never rested from this apostolic work.
Apart from fighting for Democracy, I have fought for the rights of ordinary citizens for many years. In 1997, the Government of President Benjamin Mkapa allocated almost the entire Rufiji River Delta to an Irish investor to farm Prawns, the marine delicacy creature to be farmed by this Mr. Reginald an Irishman.
Now Benjamin Mkapa and his government have allocated 120 hectares of the Rufiji mangrove forest to him to do industrial scale farming. Had That project been successful would have affected 120,000 people in the Rufiji river delta basin.
My colleagues from the LEAT Environmental Lawyers Association and I, Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala, are here.
My colleagues and I went in to defend the matter before, president Benjamin Mkapa himself and his Minister Omary Juma, we were branded as Environmental Warriors.
We succeeded in saving the Rufiji basin mangrove forest in Tanzania and the Irish man Mr. Reginald hand to pack and go . He left the country, That was in 1997/1998.
Honorable Judges, it is not just Rufiji basin delta that I have been on the front lines, I was enganged in fighting for the land rights of pastoralists and citizens living in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Arusha region in Tanzania, where you hear they are being forced to relocate to districts of Handeni. I fought for People of Loliondo, Tarime, Meatu, East Maswa, East Bariadi . I have been everywhere in Tanzania and fought for the rights of the citizens.
3 years ago in 2023, I was arrested so that I wouldn't go to Ngorongoro to see the Maasai people I had fought for since 1996.
I have brought the news to the public of terrible events in the Lake Tanganyika region, other areas of Nkasi and the coastal region of Kigoma Region all in Tanzania.
In people in fishing areas from the Lake Victoria region on the border with Uganda up to the border with Kenya, there have been violations of the rights of fishermen and they are being killed by the so-called Security forces in this country of Tanzania. IT IS SCARY.
Tundu Antipas Lissu continues to defend himself.
But Your Honors, I am uniquely known within and outside this country Tanzania and I am known for fighting for the citizens who had pieces of land with precious minerals. That is GOLD within this Nation.
For about 10 years starting in 1999, I was the one who was talking about mining issues in this country and how the Benjamin Mkapa government was oppressing them. The third largest mine in Africa, GGM Geita Gold Mining, in Geita, where thousands of people were evicted without consultation. Bulyanhulu, where in July and August 1996, there were mass killings of small-scale miners when Benjamin Mkapa sent security troops to the people to hand over the mine to Canada.
Bulyanhulu was what gave Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala and I cut out our first criminal case in 2002, we conducted an independent investigation campaign in Tanzania, the United States and all over the world and finally we got a criminal case.
In the area of Nzega, Tabora region of Tanzania there was a mine called Golden Prime Mine. Thousands of local people were expelled before handing the area to Australians who owned that mine, but my colleagues and I fought back.
Tarime - Nyamongo, in Mara region Tanzania my Honorable Judges, Tarime is important not only because it is home to my inlaws (parents) and for 3 years we lead a legal battle I released 466 people from Tarime District Prison and Butimba Prison in Mwanza both in Tanzania. They were imprisoned on false charges only to be given to white people to mine gold. For 3 years I released 466 people including the late Chacha Wangwe when he was a Member of Parliament.
Even in Tarime we filed a criminal case against the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete government.
I have fought for the rights of the people of Buhemba, which is now called Butiama District and there was a mine there.
Even in Mererani, Simanjiro district, Mang'onyi Ikungi East, in my constituency, gold has been a disaster for the people instead of a blessing and for a long time we have been a voice for the people who have been subjected to these disasters.
I want to end by saying this: in that area, where there has been oppression in this nation, I have striven to be part of the struggle to oppose that oppression.
My motto has become RESISTANCE AGAINST OPPRESSION IS GLORY TO GOD.
Now, Honorable Judges, this kind of life and this kind of stance has come at a great burden to you and I would like to address that.
Honourable Judges, this case is a case of Treason and as I have said many times before you. Treason as defined in the Penal Code is the most serious offense in the United Republic. Article 28(4) of the Constitution.
This is the most serious offense of than all of offenses in the United Republic of Tanzania. If you are tempted by the only punishment you have the power to inflict is DEATH, It doesn't get more serious than this.
Now, honorable judges, what I want to say today is that I am facing the biggest case in Tanzania, but this is a continuation of the many criminal cases that I have been given by the Government of this country and the Police and its lawyers.
Honorable Judges, I am not sure about other people outside my party, but I can say that within CHADEMA, I am a Member and Leader and have been accused more times than any other leader.
And all the cases that have been opened against me by the Government and its prosecutors lawyers and police are political cases and were based on my political positions and actions.
Honorable Judges.
Let's start with the administration of President Benjamin Mkapa.
Last year at Christmas time, my wife sent me a message, "Daddy, you're in prison. Christmas reminds us of the first Christmas of our lives, you were in prison during Benjamin Mkapa's regime."
I was arrested on 23/12/2002. Two days before Christmas, for the crime of incitement, these people really like that crime because they led a campaign demanding that the Bulyanhulu murder be investigated.
More than 60 people died, not accidental deaths, I demanded that they be investigated properly. I was charged with incitement.
The Central Police Headquarters is called Shimoni (dungeon) , there is a prison right below surface level (underground) where people squizzed up like sardines in a can , some of whom stay there for months.
I was locked up in that jail pit for 2 days and the noise became so loud then I was taken to court on Christmas Day. I don't know where they found Judge Lugulu and haunted with the case for 6 years. They don't bring any witnesses. Every day we investigate, the investigation continues.
My co-defendants are Agustino Lyatonga Mrema leader of NCCR Mageuzi, Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala, we were charged with demanding an investigation into the murders. After 6 years, the Kisutu magistrate Court closed the case due to prosecutor failure to bring witnesses . That was during Benjamin Mkapa's time.
President Benjamin Mkapa left in 2005 and was replaced by Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
July 2011, when I was a Member of Parliament, the police carried out a massacre in the Nyamongo Mine area and killed people. While I was in Parliament, the people of Nyamongo called me and said, "You have to come. Come and help us." I left Parliament and went to Tarime to stand with the people. Demanding an investigation into the killings.
When I arrived in Tarime, the police wanted to go and break into the morgue so they could steal the bodies and go and bury them. We camped at the morgue. We were attacked by the police and beaten badly, there is the famous photo of me with my combat shirt torn. We were arrested and lockup in police remand iafter being beaten badly.
The next day, I and others were charged with the crime of Criminal Trespass and spent 4 days in Tarime jail where I used to release prisoners, now I became a prisoner myself. After that, the case. Many months passed until the Tarime district judge dismissed it. They did not bring any witnesses.
In 2012, the Police killed several citizens in Arusha City during a protest. The laws of this country allow protests. We have held protests and people have been killed. We went to demand for justice. I, Dr. Wilbroad Peter Slaa CHADEMA secretary general, was arrested other people. We were humiliated and taken to court for holding an illegal assembly.
That case was also delayed without witnesses being brought forward until it was dismissed.
In 2013 there were by-elections for councillors in Different areas of the country including Arusha. The then party chairman at the time, Freeman Aikaeli Mbowe, had his meeting attacked with hand grenades and several people died.
We returned to protest again demanding justice. We were arrested again. Me, Dr. Wilbrod Peter Slaa and others.
I had never seen my CHADEMA Chairman so angry, I saw him that day. We were again accused of an illegal assembly.
The police, as usual, threw away the files and continued with other activities. The case was dismissed. So those are the three cases brought up by president Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
John Pombe Joseph Magufuli and Samia Hassan entered into the mix now.
John Pombe Josrph Magufuli and Samia Hassan also won the 2015 union presidency while the General Election in Zanzibar, Maalim Seif won and Jecha Zanzibar Electoral Commission boss annulled the results. Jecha Salim Jecha said that in March 2016, the election would be repeated. I was asked by reporters what do you think? I said they want to bring disaster.
On 29/06/2016, I was arrested and charged with incitement. The person who arrested me is called Ramadhani Kingai, he was the police Deputy ZCO zonal criminal officer and today is the DCI.
They took me to Central police station Dar es Salaam before they took me to the dungeon and took me to ZCO Camilius Wambura, who is today the IGP, the Chief of Police, to try to intimidate me.
I told them, and Camillius Wambura, we will meet in Court.
I was taken to court only once, they brought witnesses and one of those witnesses was Ramadhani Kingai and I really wished he would come to this case but he didn't.
When I just cross-examined the ZCO Ramadhani Kingai, the Republic never brought another witness.
Three days later, on 29/06, when it became 01/07, I was arrested again in Ikungi for the crime of calling John Pombe Joseph Magufuli a petit DICTATOR that every sane citizen should confront.
I was arrested three days later. I was transported overnight to Dodoma , I was detained at Chamwino Police Station near the State House in Dodoma where there are a lot of mosquitoes, and later I was charged with incitement.
Around September 2016, I was arrested in the Parliament area and brought back to Dar es Salaam.
In 2016, I was arrested 4 times by John Magufuli's police and their courts are only in Kisutu. Within that year, I had four cases.
The fourth case was around December, Your Honors, and began in 2017, and I was arrested in Dodoma, February, and brought to Dar es Salaam.
In April 2017, there was a TLS election and I became a candidate, Dr. Mwakyembe the minister for justice and John Magufuli said I could not run, four or five days before the election I was arrested and brought to Dar es Salaam.
I remanded in Segerea maximum prison for four days, one day before the election I remember it was a Friday and I was taken to the Kisutu Resident Magistrate. Hon. Mwijage was taller than all the Judges and Magistrates in the country and he said go and contest for the TLS Presidency against Hon. Lissu. I went and won.
Between April to August 2017 I was arrested twice, in April and August.
They arrested me and wanted to take sample from me a urine test. I said, "Come on, what do urine and provocation have to do with each other?"
The reason I was arrested for saying Bombadier was arrested in Canada was because Magufuli caused losses to the country when he was a Minister.
When I said those words, it became a crime, so between June 2016 and August 2017 I was arrested 8 times and 6 cases were opened at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court.
After that they said he was bothering us, we can't go to court, they sent people called UNKNOWN people to kill me, it was on 07/09/2017
Now, Honorable Judges of the Tar. 07/09/2017 matters, I need to give them a little Contest.
As I said, I was the leader of the official Opposition camp in Parliament lead by CHADEMA and I was staying with minister Dr. Merdadi Kalemani, brother, of Magufuli. Where we lived was a gated residence of Government Leaders and my other neighbor was deputy speaker Tulia Ackson.
State Attorney Katuga stands up and says it's not right for the public to give evidence........
Mr. Lissu, please dear learned brother state attornet Katuga allow me to continue.
State Attorney Katuga is very worried and chatty cant hold his feeling
Now the Dodoma gated community for government leader is guarded by armed guards at all times 24/7.
The day I was attacked, all the guards were not there as usual and the gates were ajar open, and I had just left Parliament. Those people followed me from the time I left Parliament until I got home in the gated area.
While I was in the parking lot, they shot me 16 times. Those 16 shots resulted in 25 operations, and I walk around with 1 bullet in my spine. Doctors have said it's dangerous to remove it, so I'm living with it.
To date year 2026 No one has been arrested or charged and to this day I have never been called by the Police for any questioning regarding the incident.
I was a mortal.
Now, Your Honors, God is not Athuman. I AM NOT DEAD.
Instead of me, Magufuli DIED, and when Magufuli died, the 6 cases that were opened that I mentioned earlier here were also dismissed. When John Magufuli died 6 months later, they were also dismissed.
He entered SAMIA Hassan with those slogans of 4Rs.
In implementing these 4Rs, on 12/08/2024 I was invited as Vice Chairman by the CHADEMA Youth Council BAVICHA.
The Police Force banned the celebrations World's Youth Day , and we said it was impossible.
I flew to Mbeya. On 11/08, when I arrived in the evening and went to the Mbeya CHADEMA Party offices in the city, I was attacked by a large group of police officers led by AWADHI JUMA, who is now the Chief of Police Operations.
My fellow leaders and I were severely beaten and arrested, and I was taken by the police that night and taken to Vwawa in Songwe Region, where I was imprisoned.
The next day I was loaded into a car and transported back to Dar es Salaam. I was brought back to Central Police Station at dawn the next day, handed over to the Central Police officers and asked them what was wrong?
They told me we were taking you to your home, so I was taken to Tegeta, my home, and they started knocking on people's doors, and I was not charged with anything.
That's the first time Samia Hassan has sent his police to me.
Lissu continues to defend himself.
The following month, September 07, 2024, the Director of Propaganda and Ideology for CHADEMA Headquarters, Mohamed Ally Kibao, while travelling by a coach bus that was carring more than 50 passegers, was abducted in from of tens of eye witnesses on bus at the Tegeta suburban area of Dar es Salaam by people who had firearms that are normal used by state security apparatus and Mohamed Ally Kibao bundled in police cars with tinted windows. And the guns that the police use, if not issued by the police, then it is the Tanzanian Intelligence Security Services TISS.
The next day, Elder Mohamed Ally Kibao was found in a ditch by the beach at Ununio area , having been doused by sulphuric acid and long dead.
Honorable Judges, when the late Mzee Mohamed Ally Kibao was being kidnapped and killed, there were many incidents of CHADEMA leaders being kidnapped and disappeared. That is the year 2024, if we as CHADEMA party say that if we do not take action, it will be very dangerous for all of us.
We started a protest against the kidnappings because it is a constitutional right to protest in this country. In that Declaration, we decided that we would begin the protest on September 23rd.
I was attacked by the police very early that morning on 23/09 and arrested. I thought I was being taken to the central station opposite the Dar es Salaam main SGR Central train station , but I was taken around town and taken to Mbweni Police Station. For the first time, I was not taken to the police central station.
I stayed at Mbweni Police Station until night and later they took me back to my home.
😂😂😂 These police officers them remember for a while, I think they then come to pick me up, have a story with him and then let me go, he's really lying 😂😂😂
He continues.
Around March 2023, I was arrested by Samia in Karatu so that I could not go and meet the people of Ngorongoro crater. And I was to be detained at the Monduli Juu Police Station there.
I was held in Monduli and in the evening they called my Elder brother Alute Lissu and said come and take your little one here as long as they don't disrupt my schedule.
Date 09/04/2025 is the fourth time I have been arrested by SAMIA and her Police. This time they have opened a case of Treason against me the next day on Date 10/04/2025 and I have already spent 16 months in prison and am heading towards the 17th month, which is one year and 5 months.
Honorable Judges, this is the longest I have stayed in prison in my entire life and it is the longest period that a CHADEMA leader has spent in prison, and I believe no reformist leader in the country has spent a longer period than this.
And this case is the biggest of them all, no leader has been charged with this type of case and detained for as long as I have.
Now, Honorable Judges, this has only happened to me. I believe that there is no senior leader of CHADEMA who has not been passed through the valley of the shadow of death, and many of those with whom I have worked today have passed away since 2015. Others have disappeared and their whereabouts are unknown.
Even the Party has been taken to hell and returned. We have been taken to hell and returned.
We have been sued by the Police and prosecution Lawyers of all kinds of false accusation by government criminal justice system apoaratus.
Hon. Lissu now bends down and reach to picks up a large blue book.
He says, Honorable Judges, the Presidential Commission to Look into How to Improve Criminal Justice Institutions, popularly known as the Judge Mohamed Chande Commission here, recommends that the Police Force and other institutions be dissolved because they are so oppressive to the people.
It's not the Police who open cases alone, it's the Police and they ones here. He points a finger at the state attorney Katuga.
Hon. Lissu has been facing persecution for three years, I have been traumatised and It does hurt very much and ..
Here stands state attorney Katuga.....looking at the jury bench of three
Honourable Judges, our request is either for directions from your Honorable Court or to remind Tundu Lissu, that it is evidence in chief , is evidence in chief and this is in accordance with section 156(2) which makes it clear that evidence in chief must relate to relevant facts.
The first time we decided to stayed silent because the witness wanted to bring evidence of good character, now we are not going to a trial because people are dying and it is not the right things that are needed here today.
Attorney Katunga says, "Is that a good character for him? Is it part of this case? We can stay for up to two weeks, there are 9 cases here, let him bring things that are fact in issue. Otherwise You will be bring a lot that are not related to evidence in chief facts."
Hon. Lissu stands up: Honorable Judges, my defense is that this case is a political case and it has been fabricated on the basis of lies. It is a political case.
My case proves what we say, they abuse their power, and that is my defense.
When (he) state attorney Nasoro says we can use two weeks, it surprises me a little, we've been here a whole year, and now they want to say they love keeping time. If they see no relevance, what are they worried about? I'm defending myself in a treason case, let me say it. Where did this love of saving time come from?
The judges are conversing a little up there.
Judge Ndunguru says I ask that we continue, that we be guided by what is available.
Hon. Lissu says I'm finishing this but just be patient, I haven't started on facts about general election yet.
We are still very much here, let's be patient with each other.
Long Statement sent to the Attorney General
State attorney Job Mrema stands up, he says section 177 of the Evidence Act, he says the witness Tundu Lissu has papers, he reads this section. If he sits there, this section guides him on what to do.
Hon. Lissu responds by saying that I am not studying, if I want to study we will stay for the whole year.
People are laughing 😂😂
Judge Ndunguru: Let's continue, please.
Hon. Lissu says
Now, Your Honors, this case is essentially a political dispute concerning elections in this country, so that is the essence of this case.
The information available in court accuses me of having created the intention to incite people to threaten the Government by disrupting the election.
The words I am alleged to have said, just by looking at them, are about the election, that we will prevent it, we will mobilize people to prevent the election. All 17 witnesses for the prosecution have each spoken in connection with my statements regarding the general election.
Jambo TV Documentary evidence which has been tendered all has a bearing on the general election.
Let me now talk about the Tanzanian elections.
PW 1, PW 2, PW 3, PW 16 and PW 17 to some extent said that the statement which they claim I have posted on JAMBO TV Youtube is five hours long.
PW 16 and PW 17 say it is two and a half hours. All of them have generally said that the montion picture (video) is long. What they brought to the Court are words that if you read them, you will not get to one minute. If you read the statements that I am alleged to have said.
Those other three hours they say I talked about, what did I talk about?
Let's ask ourselves.
I will talk about what I talked about during those three hours, but in order for you to understand what I said, you must understand the problems of this country's generql elections.
Without understanding the context you will not understand what my words mean? Now you will understand what the date 03/04/2025 meant?
We have been holding General Elections in this country since 1957. Three-ballot elections. The second election on August 1, 1960 gave birth to the Madaraka (Self governing) Government and a year later we got an independent Government.
From 1960 to today, we have conducted general elections every 5 years consecutively before 1965 between 1965 and 1995 before that.
There is a picture of ballot paper where Julius Nyerere is alone competing against dark symbol in a ballot paper , basically you are told to choose the person you love.
In 1992, the next General Election was a multi-party election, there was no darkness and no one's image. Many parties started. When we entered the multi-party system, President Mwinyi formed the Nyalali Commission.
What did it recommend regarding the electoral system?
This commission set a timetable and recommended that by September 1993, which was 17/02/1992, we should have a new constitution and that in the new constitution we should have an independent electoral commission. This was stated in the Nyalali report and it said that our current constitution is a one-party constitution and is not suitable for multi-party systems.
The Electoral Commission is a CCM commission and is not suitable for a multi-party democracy system.
Tundu Lissu continues to defend himself
He says the Francis Lucas Nyalali Commission also said there should be Independent Candidates.
The Ali Hassan Mwinyi president government and its party rejected Judge Nyalali's proposals, they rejected the New Constitution and the Independent Commission and Private Candidates, they rejected everything.
The late Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi wrote a book before he died, he said we *CCM rejected Judge Nyalali's recommendations to save the PARTY and as CCM people would flee in droves from the CCM PARTY.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCiEJhmZbek
And he said that news caused a major conflict with Mwalimu Juliys Nyerere, so we did not get a New Constitution, an Independent Commission, and an Independent Candidate.
What happened in the 1992 Constitutional Amendment Act made the Electoral Commission more CCM-affiliated and made all members of the Commission directly appointed by the President who is also a national chairman of CCM. Before that, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission was the Speaker of Parliament.
They made the Chairman a Judge who is a presidential appointee, and the changes made the Director of Elections also a presidential appointee.
And all Presidents are CCM Chairman for all these years and always appoint an Election Commission based on loyality to CCM.
The 1985 Electoral Act, which was repealed by the 2024 Act, made the Directors of Councils, constituencies administrators, all of whom are employees of the President. And these Directors appoint subordinates to oversee elections there, so the entire electoral system belongs to CCM.
What I am saying is that the entire electoral system became a CCM system, are the words contained in Judge Warioba's commission, which conducted research on various constitutional issues.
From Top - Bottom is the Presidential appointees, which means that former Director of Elections Wilson Mahera is currently a CCM Member of Parliament for Butiama constituency.
The Electoral Commission had its headquarters here in Dar es Salaam, but during the 1995 general elections, election materials were not sent to the polling stations. They were afraid of Mrema to disrupt the elections in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
The killings started in Zanzibar and have now spread to every region and I have been doing research for several years. And election observers have been saying a lot since 1995 that constitutional changes should be made to make the Electoral Commission independent.
These pro-CCM elements have the potential to disrupt peace, but the Mkapa and CCM government rejected them.
In 1998, the Judge Kisanga Commission recommended that we have a better electoral system in the country and Mkapa and his government rejected it. In the end, disaster struck Pemba, people were killed, and we found refugees in Tanzania and some fled to Mombasa because Mkapa rejected the independent Electoral Commission. I remember the New Constitution.
An International Commission came to Zanzibar and later the Commission of Judge Mark Bomani also proposed a New Constitution and changes to the New Constitution system. That is in 2003 they rejected him.
Judge Mark Bomani was appointed to the Electoral Commission and in 2005 he wanted to run for President through CCM.
Thus, the problems continued to grow day by day. International observers again recommended in 2000 and 2005 that this country should have a change in the electoral system.
Mkapa has left and Kikwete has come.
We went to the 2010 elections with this same Commission and this same election, disaster struck again in Zanzibar and when he came back in, he said we must have a new constitution to end this constitutional issue.
We fought to facilitate the Constitutional Amendment Commission, all the members we recommended and we forced us to have a balanced Commission.
In our entire history, we have never had a Warioba-type commission, which is why they don't like the Elder.
We went to the debate in 2014, we are heading towards the end, CCM disrupted the referendum question that had already been prepared, we went to the general election in 2015 with this same Commission and this same Constitution, and we got Magufuli and Samia.
Lissu continues to defend himself
He says that after Magufuli and Samia entered office in 2015, the work they did brought us here today, to the point where I have been charged with treason.
I didn't say on Friday that in 2020 I returned from exile in Belgium to confront Magufuli. Obviously I wasn't elected, but if I had been elected, I wouldn't be here.
After the election results, the Commission will have to publish the results constituency by constituency.
If you look at the pre-2020 elections, the Commission has gazetted all the results constiruency by constituency and ward by ward across the country.
The parliamentary elections are held constituency by constituency across the country, but you can't see the presidential elections results or tallies anywhere.
The results were never gazetted and the law says that after 6 months they will be burned. We will not know how many votes Magufuli got? Why? Because the Commission is from under the wings of CCM.
Since 1995, opposition candidates have been eliminated every year
The 2020 General Election was a entrenched with mass disqualification of opposition candidates. 832 councilors were strike off the election race and once again there was widespread killing.
Now, Honorable Judges, if you read the reports of international election observers, they said that the elections were not free and fair and that CCM was favored. The elections were chaotic and we are being beaten by the ...
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