Tanzania President Lifts Opposition Rally Ban

Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a ban on opposition rallies imposed in 2016.

Report says the ban was imposed by her predecessor, the late President John Magufuli, who argued that in between elections they were a waste of time and money.

Which was criticised by the opposition and activists as unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, President Samia made the announcement during a meeting with leaders from all 19 of the country’s registered political parties.

“Our duty as a government will be offering protection for the rallies… now that the rallies are back, I hope we are going to conduct ourselves in a civil and mature way and avoid trading insults,” Ms. Samia said.

She added that her government would try to restart a stalled constitutional review process.

Report says the lifting of the ban is part of the president’s political reconciliation and reform drive which she initiated after taking power in 2021 following MagufuIi’s death.

In recent months, the President and her Governing Chama cha Mapinduzi, CCM party have been talking with opposition parties behind closed-door talks.

BBC/Christopher Ojilere