POLICE INTELLECTS IN TANZANIA: AN EYE TO THE CRITICS ONLY

INTRODUCTION Safety in favor of the independent mind in Tanzania is in the brink, it has disappeared. Lives had been lost and individuals had disappeared forcefully and neither murder nor enforced disappearance or assassination attempt has been or are going to be prudently investigated or its report put in public and bring the responsible perpetrators into into account. The murder, assassination attempt and disappearance happens in peacetime, when one would expect the rule of law to triumph and to see law enforcers earn their money by doing their job honestly. The citizens would expect to be entitled to know how and why our colleagues were killed, disappeared and assassinated, who has been or will be held liable for their deaths, attempt assassination and disappearance and to what extent those tragedies were connected with the victims’ views about the issues encountered by our nation for the recent years. Since the ascendance of power of Magufuli, there has been a rise in repression with disappearance of these who criticized his PhD status, opposition meetings banned, newspapers shut down and journalists, artists threatened for criticizing his administration and now gun attack against the most dependable lawmaker in the state capital become the recent alternative to shut down criticism on the growing authoritarianism. BEN FOCUS RABIU WA SAANANE Take the example of the abduction and enforced disappearance of BEN RABIU FOCUS WA SAA NANE, whose name is on the victims’ list and whose disappearance was mourned by the entire nation. Yet, after almost one years that we count his absence, the enforcement machinery reached nowhere to bring the perpetrators of the heinous act into books. There is something apparent, the disappearance has lot to do with his activism and analysis that almost catched public opinion from thousands of Tanzania of all cadres and walks of lives in regards to Magufuli personal Academic certificate authenticity (PhD ya Korosho as Ben simply put it). Almost two month before the disappearance, Ben was active on social media criticizing the modalities from which, Magufuli PhD was attained. While Ben pat back the scrutiny of the academic certificate initiated by Magufuli himself, he was of different opinion and straightforward, all public workers and leaders of all walks of life Magufuli inclusive must be subject to the scrutiny. Less than five days before the report of his disappearance, Ben posted the threats to his life levied against him for publicly criticizing the president academic career. Through his facebook account he made it public that, his life are in danger, and posted one of these sms threatening him, he also reported the threat to the police. The police did nothing and as of now, the IGP is of the opinion that, they expect the well wishers to provide crucial information to get them trap these responsible. They are resting, waiting the well wishers to avail the information. TUNDU LISSU ATTEMPT ASSASSINATION IN THE STATE CAPITAL The lawmaker, the most fierce critics of the Magufuli government, Tundu Lissu, has had a series of face-offs with the government before the shocking assassination attempt. Lissu has been arrested at least seven times within eghth month of 2017, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges. Lissu accused Magufuli of building "a system based on favoritism, nepotism, tribalism and regionalism." For these opinion he faces a "hate speech" charge for his "insulting words that are likely to incite ethnic hatred,". At times, Lissu accuses and criticised Magufuli for creating "climate of fear which reigns everywhere." His most recent arrest before the gunshot were in July, charged with hate speech after calling Magufuli a "dictator" and in August after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts. The police intellects perceived his press release on the Bombardier scandal as an incitement and seditious that deserve him to be behind bars. Lissu statement was subsequently approved by the government spokesperson one day after but accused to have been liaising with the purported enemies of the state. Something of crucial imperative is that, in the same press that Lissu talked about bombardier, he publicly accused persons send by IGP SIRRO and the head of State intelligence unit Mr Kipilimba to have been hunting him everywhere including holly places as in churches for almost more than three weeks. This was more or less three weeks before the shocking attack which suggest, the lawmaker for more than six weeks was running against his assailants baptized by the law enforcement as “unknown people (watu wasiojulikana)”. Prior to gunshot attack, president Magufuli himself said it in public these turning hostile against the (hopeless) movement he initiated, police knows how to deal with them, “you will not survive”. After the information become viral that the Lawmaker was attacked by gunmen but alive, Magufuli purportedly condemned the shooting and ordered the country’s security forces to investigate the incident. Magufuli statement on tweeter said “I have been saddened by reports of the shooting of Hon. Tundu Lissu. I pray for his quick recovery,” “Law enforcement agencies should hunt down all those involved in this barbaric act and bring them to justice.” This statement remind the 1991 statement issued by the then president of Kenya Arap Moi on the disappearance of the foreign minister Robert Ouko Nothing was heard thereafter from him about the incidence but these below him in the executive and the titular leaders of the other arms of the government either tried to delay serious attempt to rescue his life or come in public to condemn the call for the independent probe on this heinous conspiracy, unfortunately, the Country CJ joined the crusade to interrupt any international probe that had been called in regards to the attack. The same CJ almost one week before the gunshot attack, issued the statement that, these who will join the Law society president on the strike call upon the bombing of the IMMA Advocates will be haul over the coals. Any sane person must have seen the CJ comment as injudicious, imprudent and unexpected to be uttered from the mere judicial officer leave alone the CJ. Giving regards to the circumstance of the attack and the subsequent contact of the entities accused by the lawmaker before the foreseeable attack, one may easily approve the CHADEMA's vice president Abdallah Safari who said the "only inference for ordinary Tanzanians is that the police and the government are involved in this attempted assassination". By all sense of possibilities, the law enforcement with President John Magufuli personally keen consultation played a role in the gun attack that wounded an outspoken politician, the chief legal advisor of the main opossitional party, the most reputable lawmaker in the history of the country, the chief whip of official opposition, the president of the law society, a fierce critic of President John Magufuli’s government and one of the most eminent lawyer and activist in the country. The subsequent demeanor of the titular leaders of the government arms is suggestive, all arm of the government seems were involved in the heinous conspiracy that tested the life of Law Society president. What is unknown is who was holding a gun and shoot but who send them they are very much known and it’s the government high official approved by Magufuli personally. Other incidences THE ATTACK ON IMMA ADVOCATES MURDERS NOT PROBED i. THE MURDER OF ALPHONCE MAWAZO ii. DR MVUNGI iii. PROF MWAIKUSA iv. MWANDISHI GAZETI LA RAI DAUDI MWANGOSI THE ATTACK OF OTHER CRITICS i. ULIMBOKA ii. ABSALOM KIBAMBA CHARGES AND INTEROGATION OF HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDERS i. Onesmo Olengurumwa