Another
incident where Tanzanian police are accused for using excessive force
against unarmed citizens. This time however - a week after similar
incident in another region - a prominent Journalist Mr. David Mwangosi
was killed in close range following a confrontation with the police.
In
less than a week the Tanzanian Police Force is under immense pressure
to reform after another incident where a journalist was killed in what
analysts consider to be a blatant use of force against unarmed
individuals. Last week during a political rally staged by Tanzania’s
main opposition party CHADEMA (Democracy and Development Party) a
newspapers street vendor was killed by what is suspected to be a tear
bomb. The young man was killed instantly as he tried to run away from
the police who were trying to disperse a crown of CHADEMA supporter who
were matching towards the grounds where they were to hold a political
rally. The rally was held in Morogoro about 250 miles from Dar-es-Salaam
the commercial capital of the East African nation.
The
political rally in Morogoro was held at the end of a weeklong civil and
political rights campaign conducted by CHADEMA’s top brass including
the Chairman Mr. Freeman Mbowe and former Presidential Candidate Dr.
Wilbrod Slaa the party’s Secretary General. After the incident the
police cancelled all political rallies in the country.
After
Morogoro the political rallies were moving to the Southern regions
including Iringa. Today's gathering at Nyololo was part of the
preparation for the coming week rallies in Mufindi district. Members and
supporters of CHADEMA were gathered at the local office of their party
in Nyololo village, Mufindi in Iringa region. The police citing the
ongoing national census exercise directed all political parties not to
hold any political rally until the Registrar of political parties in the
country direct otherwise. While obeying the directive the local party
gathered at their local office which triggered the police to act to
disperse the small crowd that was gathered outside.
It
is not yet known what let to the killing of David Mwangosi a prominent
journalist with Channel 10 TV station and who the Chairman of Iringa
Press Club was also. It was reported by a number of sources present at
the office that Mr. Mwangosi approached a group of riot police officers
who were detaining another journalist Mr. Godfrey Mushi who works for
Nipashe an independent newspaper. Instead of reasoning with Mr. Mwangosi
the police took it as a challenge of their authority and they tried to
put him under arrest leading to a scuffle between the police and Mr.
Mwangosi.
One
picture taken by another journalist present shows a Mr. Mwangosi in the
middle of about five riot police officers, falling behind while one of
the officers had his weapon – probably a tear gas gun- trained on
Mwangosi stomach. He was killed instantly after the photo was taken.
Another police officer was injured too at the scene and was taken to a
nearby hospital.
In
the past year or so there have been almost seven incidents where the
police have used excessive force against unarmed men. All this has
happened whenever CHADEMA has tried to conduct a peaceful march or a
political rally. No police officer has been held accountable in any way.
Tanzania’s Attorney General Office has been silent and the national
Human Rights Commission has not issued any statement of concern with the
growing use of force by the police against unarmed individuals. Efforts
to reach Iringa regional Police Commander Mr. Michael Kamuhanda proved
to be futile. It was Mr. Kamuhanda who was Ruvuma Regional Police
Commander when in February this year four people were killed by police.
CHADEMA’s leadership was not available immediately for their reaction of today’s incident.
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