Kijana wa Ifoza
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2025
- 1,180
- 2,302
"To my learned friend and compatriot, the Hon. Tundu Lissu…
..
There was a season, not so distant in memory, when I myself stood in the storm; and in that season you were among those who took up my cause, lending your learning and your labour to my defence when such service carried neither profit nor ease. A debt of that character is not discharged by the passage of years; it is merely held in trust, awaiting its proper occasion
..
I write, therefore, neither in the spirit of faction nor upon any public question whatsoever, but in simple repayment of fellowship; that fellowship which one man owes another who once bore his burdens, and who now bears burdens of his own with uncommon constancy
..
It has ever been observed that fortitude, howsoever sorely tried, is not diminished by adversity but refined by it, as gold is refined in the crucible. The dignity of a man resideth not in the ease of his circumstances, but in the temper of his spirit; and by that measure, learned friend, you instructed me long before this hour, and you instruct us all still
..
May Providence grant you strength of body, serenity of mind, and the certain knowledge that those you once defended have not forgotten."
My Take
I am deeply moved by this message from Maxence Melo to Hon. Tundu Antipas Lissu. It is a powerful reminder that the bonds formed in the struggle for truth, justice, and free speech cannot be broken by the passage of time or the intimidation of rulers.
To truly understand the weight of Melo's words about "standing in the storm," we must recall the direct history connecting these two men and why their battles represent the same continuous fight for our fundamental rights:
History has proven time and again that no matter how entrenched, authoritarian, or powerful a repressive regime appears, none are permanent. Every hard regime that once held absolute power eventually fell. The current storm may be harsh, but it cannot extinguish the citizens' desire for true freedom and justice.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we believe that one day it will be seen.
Kiswahili Waraka wa Maxence Melo
"Kwa rafiki yangu msomi na mzalendo mwenzangu, Mheshimiwa Tundu Lissu…
..
Kulikuwa na majira, yasiyo ya mbali sana katika kumbukumbu, ambapo mimi mwenyewe nilisimama katikati ya dhoruba; na katika majira hayo ulikuwa miongoni mwa wale waliochukua jukumu la kunitetea, wakitoa elimu na nguvu zenu katika utetezi wangu wakati ambapo huduma hiyo haikuleta faida wala urahisi. Deni la namna hiyo halifutwi na kupita kwa miaka; huwekwa tu kama amana, ikisubiri wakati wake sahihi.
..
Kwa hiyo, mwandishi haandiki kwa roho ya mrengo fulani wala kwa swali lolote la kijamii, bali ni kwa ajili ya kurudisha ushirika wa dhati; ule ushirika ambao mtu mmoja anapaswa kumpa mwingine ambaye aliwahi kubeba mizigo yake, na ambaye sasa anabeba mizigo yake mwenyewe kwa ustahimilivu usio wa kawaida.
..
Imekuwa ikizingatiwa siku zote kwamba ushujaa, hata unapojaribiwa vikali kiasi gani, haupunguzwi na dhiki bali husafishwa nayo, kama dhahabu inavyosafishwa kwenye kalavati (crucible). Utu wa mwanadamu haupo kwenye urahisi wa mazingira yake, bali kwenye uimara wa roho yake; na kwa kipimo hicho, rafiki yangu msomi, ulinifunza muda mrefu kabla ya saa hii, na bado unatufunza sote mpaka sasa.
..
Mwenyezi Mungu akupe nguvu ya mwili, utulivu wa akili, na uhakika thabiti kwamba wale uliowatetea zamani hawajakusahau."
Maoni Yangu
Nimeguswa sana na ujumbe huu wa Maxence Melo kwenda kwa Mh. Tundu Antipas Lissu. Ni ukumbusho tosha kwamba vifungo vinavyotengenezwa wakati wa mapambano ya ukweli, haki, na uhuru wa kujieleza haviwezi kuvunjwa kirahisi na kupita kwa miaka wala vitisho vya watawala.
Ili kuelewa uzito wa maneno ya Melo kuhusu "kusimama kwenye dhoruba," ni lazima tukumbuke historia ya moja kwa moja inayowaunganisha watu hawa wawili na kwa nini mapambano yao yanawakilisha vita ile ile inayoendelea ya kutetea haki zetu za msingi:
Historia imethibitisha mara kwa mara: haijalishi utawala dhalimu, wa kimabavu, au wenye kujivunia nguvu za dola unajichimbia kiasi gani, hakuna uliodumu milele. Kila utawala mgumu uliowahi kushika madaraka kamili hatimaye ulianguka. Dhoruba ya sasa inaweza kuwa kali, lakini haiwezi kuzima kiu ya wananchi ya kupata uhuru wa kweli na haki.
Mwisho wa handaki kuna mwanga, na tunaamini siku moja utaonekana.
Kijana Wa Ifoza
..
There was a season, not so distant in memory, when I myself stood in the storm; and in that season you were among those who took up my cause, lending your learning and your labour to my defence when such service carried neither profit nor ease. A debt of that character is not discharged by the passage of years; it is merely held in trust, awaiting its proper occasion
..
I write, therefore, neither in the spirit of faction nor upon any public question whatsoever, but in simple repayment of fellowship; that fellowship which one man owes another who once bore his burdens, and who now bears burdens of his own with uncommon constancy
..
It has ever been observed that fortitude, howsoever sorely tried, is not diminished by adversity but refined by it, as gold is refined in the crucible. The dignity of a man resideth not in the ease of his circumstances, but in the temper of his spirit; and by that measure, learned friend, you instructed me long before this hour, and you instruct us all still
..
May Providence grant you strength of body, serenity of mind, and the certain knowledge that those you once defended have not forgotten."
My Take
I am deeply moved by this message from Maxence Melo to Hon. Tundu Antipas Lissu. It is a powerful reminder that the bonds formed in the struggle for truth, justice, and free speech cannot be broken by the passage of time or the intimidation of rulers.
To truly understand the weight of Melo's words about "standing in the storm," we must recall the direct history connecting these two men and why their battles represent the same continuous fight for our fundamental rights:
- The Attack on Maxence Melo (2016): When Tanzanian security forces raided Jamii Media and arrested Maxence Melo, they demanded the IP addresses of anonymous whistleblowers exposing state corruption. Melo chose jail over betrayal to protect user privacy, winning the CPJ International Press Freedom Award. During that relentless judicial harassment, it was Hon. Tundu Lissu who stepped up as his fearless legal defender. Melo was fighting for our right to privacy and free expression.
- The Attack on Tundu Lissu (Criminal Session No. 19605/2025): Today, the state has turned its weaponized machinery against Lissu. Arrested in April 2025 during CHADEMA’s "No Reforms, No Election" campaign, Lissu has been slammed with bogus treason charges for speeches demanding basic constitutional amendments. Because treason is non-bailable, he has spent hundreds of days in Ukonga Prison while the state continuously postpones and extends the trial. By targeting Lissu, the state is attacking our right to political opposition and democracy.
- The Playbook of Oppressive Regimes: Fabricating non-bailable capital offences that carry a mandatory death penalty is a classic autocratic tactic. These heavy-handed, politically motivated charges are engineered to remove key challengers, silence powerful voices, and instill deep fear in the public. The state's recent attempts to force additional evidence into the appellate record only highlights their desperation to justify a manufactured case.
History has proven time and again that no matter how entrenched, authoritarian, or powerful a repressive regime appears, none are permanent. Every hard regime that once held absolute power eventually fell. The current storm may be harsh, but it cannot extinguish the citizens' desire for true freedom and justice.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we believe that one day it will be seen.
Kiswahili Waraka wa Maxence Melo
"Kwa rafiki yangu msomi na mzalendo mwenzangu, Mheshimiwa Tundu Lissu…
..
Kulikuwa na majira, yasiyo ya mbali sana katika kumbukumbu, ambapo mimi mwenyewe nilisimama katikati ya dhoruba; na katika majira hayo ulikuwa miongoni mwa wale waliochukua jukumu la kunitetea, wakitoa elimu na nguvu zenu katika utetezi wangu wakati ambapo huduma hiyo haikuleta faida wala urahisi. Deni la namna hiyo halifutwi na kupita kwa miaka; huwekwa tu kama amana, ikisubiri wakati wake sahihi.
..
Kwa hiyo, mwandishi haandiki kwa roho ya mrengo fulani wala kwa swali lolote la kijamii, bali ni kwa ajili ya kurudisha ushirika wa dhati; ule ushirika ambao mtu mmoja anapaswa kumpa mwingine ambaye aliwahi kubeba mizigo yake, na ambaye sasa anabeba mizigo yake mwenyewe kwa ustahimilivu usio wa kawaida.
..
Imekuwa ikizingatiwa siku zote kwamba ushujaa, hata unapojaribiwa vikali kiasi gani, haupunguzwi na dhiki bali husafishwa nayo, kama dhahabu inavyosafishwa kwenye kalavati (crucible). Utu wa mwanadamu haupo kwenye urahisi wa mazingira yake, bali kwenye uimara wa roho yake; na kwa kipimo hicho, rafiki yangu msomi, ulinifunza muda mrefu kabla ya saa hii, na bado unatufunza sote mpaka sasa.
..
Mwenyezi Mungu akupe nguvu ya mwili, utulivu wa akili, na uhakika thabiti kwamba wale uliowatetea zamani hawajakusahau."
Maoni Yangu
Nimeguswa sana na ujumbe huu wa Maxence Melo kwenda kwa Mh. Tundu Antipas Lissu. Ni ukumbusho tosha kwamba vifungo vinavyotengenezwa wakati wa mapambano ya ukweli, haki, na uhuru wa kujieleza haviwezi kuvunjwa kirahisi na kupita kwa miaka wala vitisho vya watawala.
Ili kuelewa uzito wa maneno ya Melo kuhusu "kusimama kwenye dhoruba," ni lazima tukumbuke historia ya moja kwa moja inayowaunganisha watu hawa wawili na kwa nini mapambano yao yanawakilisha vita ile ile inayoendelea ya kutetea haki zetu za msingi:
- Shambulio dhidi ya Maxence Melo (2016): Wakati vyombo vya usalama vya Tanzania vilipovamia ofisi za Jamii Media na kumkamata Maxence Melo, walidai wapewe anwani za IP za watoa taarifa wa siri (whistleblowers) waliokuwa wakianika ufisadi mkubwa wa serikali. Melo alichagua jela badala ya usaliti ili kulinda usiri wa watumiaji, na hatimaye akashinda tuzo ya kimataifa ya uhuru wa habari ya CPJ International Press Freedom Award. Katika kipindi kile cha unyanyasaji wa kisheria usio na kikomo, alikuwa ni Mhe. Tundu Lissu aliyesimama kama mtetezi wake shupavu wa kisheria. Melo alikuwa akipigania haki yetu ya faragha na uhuru wa kujieleza.
- Shambulio dhidi ya Tundu Lissu (Kesi ya Jinai Na. 19605/2025): Leo hii, dola imegeuza mitambo yake ya ukandamizaji dhidi ya Lissu. Alikamatwa mnamo Aprili 2025 wakati wa kampeni ya CHADEMA ya "Hakuna Mageuzi, Hakuna Uchaguzi," na Lissu amekumbana na mashtaka ya kubandika ya uhaini kutokana na hotuba zake za kudai marekebisho ya msingi ya katiba. Kwa sababu uhaini hauna dhamana, ameshasota mamia ya siku katika Gereza la Ukonga huku upande wa mashtaka ukiendelea kuahirisha na kurefusha kesi hiyo. Kwa kumshambulia Lissu, dola inashambulia haki yetu ya kufanya siasa za upinzani na demokrasia ya kweli.
- Mbinu za Tawala Dhalimu: Kutengeneza mashtaka ya kubandika yasiyo na dhamana ambayo yana adhabu ya kifo ni mbinu ya zamani na ya kawaida ya tawala za kiimla. Mashtaka haya yenye shinikizo la kisiasa yameandaliwa mahususi ili kuwaondoa wapinzani wakuu, kunyamazisha sauti yenye ushawishi mkubwa, na kupandikiza hofu kubwa kwa wananchi. Majaribio ya sasa ya dola ya kulazimisha ushahidi wa ziada kwenye kumbukumbu za mahakama ya rufaa yanaonyesha tu jinsi walivyo na mtapa-tapa wa kuhalalisha kesi waliyoitengeneza wenyewe.
Historia imethibitisha mara kwa mara: haijalishi utawala dhalimu, wa kimabavu, au wenye kujivunia nguvu za dola unajichimbia kiasi gani, hakuna uliodumu milele. Kila utawala mgumu uliowahi kushika madaraka kamili hatimaye ulianguka. Dhoruba ya sasa inaweza kuwa kali, lakini haiwezi kuzima kiu ya wananchi ya kupata uhuru wa kweli na haki.
Mwisho wa handaki kuna mwanga, na tunaamini siku moja utaonekana.
Kijana Wa Ifoza
