Unanswered Questions Surround Disappearance of CHADEMA Vice Chairman John Heche

The most popular opposition party in Tanzania, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) has been in a state of alarm as its National Vice Chairman, John Heche was allegedly abducted by the police under questionable circumstances.

In a statement, CHADEMA announced that Heche had been arrested by the officials of Mtumba Police Station of Dodoma on Tuesday. According to him, the officers told him that he was summoned by the Regional Police Commander (RPC). But events which have occurred since have given strong doubt to his whereabouts and safety.

The arrest was made, according to the statement, in the presence of the wife of Heche, and the Central Zone Secretary of the party, Ashura Masoud. When the two tried to pursue the police cars to know where the Heche was going, the cars allegedly sped off abandoning them.

When they approached the office of the Dodoma RPC it was told them that no summons was ever issued against Heche by the commander. Up to this time, his family, as well as the party, has been unable to tell where he was. The location of his whereabouts is unknown, and his family is more than concerned about his safety, as well as CHADEMA, Rupia said.

CHADEMA has then requested that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Camilius Wambura, the Director of Criminal investigations (DCI) Ramadhan Kingai, the Dodoma RPC and the Officer Commanding the Mtumba Police Station provide clarification to the matter immediately.

The disappearance of Heche is one of the recent cases of arrests and harassment of opposition leaders in Tanzania. These acts have attracted the wrath of local and international human rights organizations.

This is not the first occasion that Heche is locked in during recent weeks. He was allegedly arrested by police on October 18 when he was trying to travel to Kenya in order to attend the burial of a former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. It was not until four days later that he was again arrested outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam where he had gone to hear the continuing trial of the opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

Later, reports stated that Heche was moved to Tarime, a town in the north, which is over a distance of 1,300 kilometers to Dodoma. Last month, CHADEMA sounded an alarm of his poor health in custody. The party complained that he was denied food over the last three days and that he had heart pain, was experiencing fever and that he was very weak in his body.

Mr. Heche is eating nothing and is in great pain and fever. He can not stand; that is what Rupia said. The party called on police authorities to make him get immediate medical attention. The police should be humane and should bring him to a hospital where he should be treated. CHADEMA stated that the health and life of a person must never be put at stake when they are under the police custody.

The disappearance of Heche has added more regional and international concern over what many perceive as an increasing crackdown on dissent in the lead up to Tanzania coming general elections.

The Platform for African Democrats (PAD) a group of more than 40 African political leaders, activists, and scholars lamented the jailing of both Heche and Lissu terming the incidences as politically driven efforts to curb opposition voices. PAD demanded that the authorities should ensure that Heche is being treated with dignity and charges brought against him as per both Tanzanian and international law or release him at once.

The coalition requested the African Union (AU), Southern Africa Development Community (SADA), and the East African Community (EAC) to hold the Tanzanian government responsible. According to PAD, unless this trial and disappearance of Heche is addressed, it will have a devastating effect on the reputation of Tanzania and its credibility before the international community.