Tendai Keith Guvamombe
Tanzania’s Election Bloodshed: Political Analyst Blames Politicians for “Dead Bodies”
In a sharp reflection on the disputed October elections in Tanzania, political analyst Dr. Abigale Mupambi delivered a stern condemnation of the political class, squarely laying the blame for the brutal acts and loss of innocent lives at the feet of both the opposition and the ruling elite.
Dr. Mupambi’s central thesis is that “election is not an incident; it is a long process.” She argues that the tragic post-election violence, which she sadly notes is being discussed “on top of dead bodies,” was the inevitable result of political players failing to act responsibly within that process.
The Accountability Question: Opposition’s Tactical Errors
Dr. Mupambi first interrogated the opposition’s actions, highlighting what she termed a “technical shortfall”. She pointed out the opposition leader’s refusal to sign the Code of Conduct, which essentially means refusing the “rules of the game.”
While acknowledging the validity of the opposition’s call—”no reform, no election”—she questioned the strategy. She contrasted it with the approach taken in Kenya, where a long-standing opposition leader signed the code, contested the outcome, and submitted to the process.
“That alone would quench and detain any faith attention that probably would come,” Dr. Mupambi stated. She further noted the opposition leader’s utterances in April, which threatened to disrupt the electoral process and attracted treason charges.
To her, this was not just a threat to the leader, but a “threat to the sovereign processes of the nation.”Failure to Secure Reforms Through ParliamentThe analyst contends that a more responsible political approach would have involved the Members of Parliament (MPs) pushing for the necessary reforms through parliament in time.
Had this institutional route been prioritized, the reforms sought by the opposition may well have been granted, thus removing the motivation to use innocent people for civil unrest.Instead, Dr. Mupambi laments the outcome: the use of “innocent people to burn villages and buildings,” caught tragically “between the jaws of these politicians.”
External Hands and Heavy Hands
While acknowledging the need to interrogate the government’s “heavy hands,” especially targeting the youth and civilians, Dr. Mupambi insisted the accountability must be spread across the board.
She also conceded the need to interrogate the “external hand” that President Suluhu Samia is pointing to, where external forces and NGOs are allegedly motivating and inciting the youth.
However, her primary critique remains focused on the domestic politicians whose irresponsible actions and strategic failures led to a sad moment of discussing tragedy “on top of dead bodies.” The call for introspection is clear: responsible leadership is the only future-proofing strategy for African democracy.
