Tanzania’s main opposition party women’s leader arrested

The leader of the women’s wing of Tanzania’s main opposition has been arrested for “seditious” talk, colleagues from her Chadema party said Sunday.

Halima Mdee, 40, a member of parliament and a lawyer, was arrested on Saturday in Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam after meetings with her constituents.

Mdee, an outspoken critic of President John Magufuli, was arrested several times in 2018, accused of insulting him.

Her party say her arrest is the latest example of a crackdown by the government against its critics. Magufuli’s government denies the claims.

A statement from her Chadema party claimed the arrest was “part of a police plan directed against the supporters, members and leaders of the party”.

There was no immediate response from the police.

On Thursday, another prominent Chadema party leader Joseph Mbilinyi was arrested and then released later in the day.

Chadema party chairman Freeman Mbowe and fellow opposition MP Esther Matiko remain in custody following their arrest in November, after they twice ignored court summons to appear to face charges of illegal protest.