A senior figure in Tanzania’s main opposition party Chadema has been charged with treason, a capital offence, in a wave of prosecutions following the disputed 2025 elections.
John Pambalu, a member of the National Council of Chadema and former secretary of its youth wing, appeared in court on Wednesday facing charges of treason.
The indictment alleges that he “with criminal intent, persuaded the public to cause obstruction of the General Election in 2025”. It further accuses him of “conducting endless protests to shake and intimidate the executive leadership of Tanzania”.
Chadema deputy chairman John Heche told a press conference in the northern city of Arusha on Wednesday that he had been informed that his colleague had been charged with treason.
He said he expected to face similar charges himself, but that he would “not run away from my own country”. “I know that they are coming to do the same to me but I will not run away from my own country,” he said. “We in Chadema will fight to the very end.”
Pambalu is the second senior member of Chadema to be charged with treason, after opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Mr Lissu’s trial, which many observers believe to be politically motivated, is due to conclude imminently. Chadema has been banned from taking part in the October 2025 elections – which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98 per cent of the vote – following widespread protests about the outcome, which were violently crushed by security forces.
Protests erupted across Tanzania, resulting in the deaths of approximately 2,000 people, according to opposition groups. However, the number was officially lowered to 518 by President Hassan’s commission of inquiry, which did not name those responsible for the killings. The opposition accuses the government of anti-democratic practices, and Hassan’s campaign of repression has been likened to her predecessor’s.
President Hassan assumed office in March 2021 after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. While she initially loosened some of the strict rules imposed by Mr. Magufuli, she is now accused by the opposition of embarking on a policy of repression similar to his. The charges brought against Mr. Pambalu are part of this alleged clampdown.
They carry potentially fatal consequences for Tanzania’s democracy, as the offence of treason is punishable by death. However, the report does not indicate what plea, if any, Mr. Pambalu entered, nor what action the court will take in response.
