Commander in Chief of Tanzanite forces Dr Samia Suluhu is sitting on a ticking bomb
By Peter Mwibanda | The Intellectuals Post
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania
Tanzanians went to the polls yesterday in what many observers have called a one-woman race.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to “cruise” toward re-election after systematically eliminating her critics, silencing the press and crushing the opposition.
The election, once hailed as a test of Tanzania’s democratic maturity, has instead exposed the country’s growing descent into authoritarianism.
Mainstream media coverage has been heavily censored, independent journalists muzzled, and social media platforms blocked — leaving millions of voters isolated from real-time information.
Opposition parties say the election was neither free nor fair, describing it as “a coronation, not a contest.”
Opposition Silenced and Fear Reigns
In the months leading up to the vote, dozens of government critics were detained, tortured, or disappeared under unclear circumstances.
Among them were members of opposition parties Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo, who had called for electoral reforms and transparency.
“We are witnessing the death of democracy in slow motion,” said one opposition leader, speaking anonymously for fear of arrest. “This is not an election — it’s an exercise in control.”
Observers say the Tanzanian government has weaponized state institutions, including the police and electoral commission, to intimidate activists and manipulate outcomes.
Meanwhile, the judiciary remains largely silent, fueling public distrust in institutions once viewed as the last bastion of justice.
Media Gagged, Internet Blacked Out
Tanzania’s Communications Regulatory Authority ordered a nationwide internet throttle hours before polls opened, citing “national security concerns.
” Newsrooms were warned against publishing “unverified election content,” effectively banning independent reporting.
The blackout drew condemnation from international human-rights organizations and press-freedom advocates, who said the government was deliberately obstructing transparency.
“Tanzania has entered the digital dark age of democracy,” said a statement by Reporters Without Borders, calling the restrictions “a grave violation of freedom of expression.”
Global Outcry, Regional Implications
The African Union, European Union, and United Nations have expressed concern over the election’s credibility, urging Tanzanian authorities to restore access to communication networks and guarantee civil liberties.
Analysts warn that Suluhu’s heavy-handed approach could destabilize East Africa’s fragile democratic balance, emboldening neighboring regimes accused of similar abuses.
“What’s happening in Tanzania echoes across borders,” said Dr. Ahmed Mushi, a regional political analyst. “It tells other leaders that repression pays — and that should worry every democracy advocate on the continent.”
The Silent Coup of the Ballot
President Suluhu’s uncontested victory may look like strength, but it reveals a regime built on fear, not legitimacy. Democracy cannot exist where opposition is criminalized and truth is censored.
For many Tanzanians, the ballot box no longer represents choice — it represents submission.
The people may not have guns, but they have memories, and history has shown that silence never lasts forever.
What Suluhu calls stability is, in truth, a nation on mute — and every muted democracy is a ticking time bomb.
