Tanzania in the final stages of cancer

On September 6, 2024, Ally Mohamed Kibao, a member of the Chadema secretariat, was forcibly removed from a bus traveling from Dar es Salaam to Tanga. Armed men, traveling in unmarked vehicles, stopped the bus, apprehended Kibao, and sped off with him. Days later, his lifeless body was discovered at Ununio Tegeta, Dar es Salaam. Kibao’s abduction is not an isolated event. In recent years, Tanzania has witnessed a disturbing trend of abductions targeting opposition members, journalists, and activists, people whose only crime is speaking out against government corruption and mismanagement. This incident reflects a government that not only fails to protect its citizens but has turned hostile toward those who dare to challenge it.

Tanzania’s constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the security of the person. Yet, when its own citizens are abducted in broad daylight with impunity, one must ask: has the government relinquished its duty to protect its people? What kind of society are we living in when fear reigns supreme and citizens cannot speak freely without fearing for their lives? These are not the actions of a government that respects its people. This is the behavior of a government that has become indifferent to the very citizens who hold its power.

The Leasing of Tanzania’s Port to Adani Group

Tanzania’s cancerous deterioration is not only evident in the lives lost but also in the nation’s resources being stripped away. The recent 30-year concession deal with the Adani Group to operate Container Terminal 2 at Dar es Salaam Port is a prime example. This terminal handles 83% of Tanzania’s container volume, yet its control has been handed over to a foreign conglomerate mired in corruption allegations. In January 2023, Hindenburg Research exposed Adani for 'the largest con in corporate history' – a report that accused the company of brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The question Tanzanians must ask themselves is: who benefits from this deal?

Certainly not the people. With the port under Adani’s control, Tanzanians will have little say in how their sea cargo is managed, and the profits will flow into the pockets of billionaire Gautam Adani and his Western shareholders like Blackrock. It is the epitome of economic exploitation for foreign interests to gain control over vital infrastructure, while Tanzanians watch from the sidelines. Once again, the government has prioritized foreign investors over its own people, trading national sovereignty for short-term financial gain.

The Eviction of the Maasai for Emirati Game Hunting

Perhaps the most egregious symptom of Tanzania’s final stages of cancner is the ongoing eviction of the Maasai from their ancestral lands in Loliondo to make way for the Ortello Business Corporation (OBC), a UAE company with ties to the Dubai royal family. The land, coveted by wealthy Emiratis for exclusive game hunting, is being ripped away from the Maasai, who have called it home for generations. How can a government, entrusted with the duty of protecting its citizens, choose foreign millionaires over its own indigenous people?

The Maasai’s plight is a stark reminder that the government has lost its way. Their eviction is not just a violation of human rights but an affront to Tanzania’s heritage and identity. By leasing this land, the government is sending a clear message: the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Tanzanians are worth less than the leisure pursuits of the global elite. The cancer of exploitation has metastasized, spreading into the highest levels of power, as Tanzania’s leaders align themselves with foreign interests at the expense of their own people.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, you have a choice. You can continue to preside over a nation in the final stages of cancer, where citizens are abducted, land is stolen, and foreign corporations rule, or you can take decisive action to reverse this trajectory. The people of Tanzania are not powerless. They are the sovereigns of this nation, and their patience is wearing thin. As the first female president of Tanzania, you have a historic opportunity to lead the country out of this crisis. But you must act now because time is running out for you, and for Tanzania.

Like cancer, this deterioration is gradual but relentless. From afar, Tanzania may seem fine, but up close, the signs are clear. A government that kidnaps its critics, sells its infrastructure, and evicts its indigenous people is one that’s losing its soul. If this is not addressed immediately, the consequences will be irreversible. President Suluhu, you are running out of time. Tanzania is running out of time.

The country’s fate hangs in the balance, and the people will not wait forever.

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