Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) has accused the Tanzanian government of imposing an unusual restriction after party leaders were denied access to their National Chairperson, Tundu Lissu, at Ukonga Prison.
The opposition party says the Prisons Service has issued instructions barring any Chadema leader from visiting Lissu, calling the move a violation of detainees’ fundamental rights and an abuse of state authority.
The party says the restrictions, imposed over several days, amount to a blatant violation of detainee rights and a dangerous demonstration of political repression.
In the statement released on Sunday, November 30, 2025, Chadema said the government had prevented party leaders from seeing the National Chairperson, Tundu Antipas Lissu, at Ukonga Prison.”
According to the party, several attempts by its officials to see Lissu have been blocked without explanation.
Among those turned away are a Member of the Central Committee, Godbless Lema, and the party’s Secretary General, John Mnyika.
Chadema notes that both leaders have been blocked from entering Ukonga Prison to meet Chairman Lissu in a coordinated obstruction.
The situation escalated on November 30, 2025, when Mnyika personally went to Ukonga Prison but was met with explicit orders barring his visit.
“When Mnyika arrived at the prison, he was told by prison officers that there were instructions not to allow any Chadema leader to meet Lissu,” the party stated.
Chadema argues that this directive is not only unprecedented but unlawful.
“This action represents an unusual restriction that violates the basic rights of a detainee to be visited and seen by relatives and associates while in prison,” the statement says.
The party insists that access to detainees is a fundamental safeguard, and blocking it sets a troubling precedent for political freedoms in the country.
In its statement, Chadema further framed the move as a broader attack on civic liberties.
The party said it “considers this measure a violation of the fundamental rights of prisoners and detainees, and an abuse of state machinery to oppress opposition politicians.”
The language reflects growing alarm within the party’s leadership about an escalating use of security institutions to silence political challengers.
By preventing visits to Lissu, the party suggests the government may be seeking to isolate the opposition figure and restrict information flow around his condition or circumstances while in custody.
Chadema has now issued two key demands. First, it wants the Prisons Service to publicly explain the grounds for the sudden restrictions.
“The Prisons Service must provide an explanation as to why Lissu is being prevented from meeting his fellow leaders,” the statement reads.
Second, the party is calling on both domestic and international actors to pay close attention to an alarming pattern in Tanzania.
Chadema urges stakeholders inside and outside the country to monitor this dangerous trend for the future of democracy and the well-being of Lissu.
The party’s Communications and Publicity Director, Brenda Rupia, who signed the statement, emphasised that the matter is not merely organisational but national in scope.
She noted that Chadema will take legal, political, and diplomatic measures to ensure that the rights of Lissu and other party leaders are not violated.
The opposition movement is now rallying its members and supporters amid growing political tension. In its closing message, the party assured citizens that it remains committed to defending fundamental freedoms and resisting what it views as state overreach.
With the situation at Ukonga Prison still unresolved, Chadema’s statement marks a significant escalation in its confrontation with the government, placing the spotlight on Tanzania’s handling of detainees and the political opposition.
