The authorities in Tanzania say independence day festivities planned for next month will no longer go ahead, accusing the opposition of a plot to disrupt the events.
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said “state money earmarked for the festivities would be spent on refurbishing buildings and other public infrastructures destroyed by weeks of post election violence”.
Opposition and civil society organisations have been mobilising people to take to the streets on December 9, Tanzania;s independence day to protest the death of post-election protesters at the hands of state security officers.
Several hundred demonstrations had died according to human rights watchdogs who condemned the crackdown.
The government recently announced it was setting up an inquiry commission to look into the unrest.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan who was sworn in earlier this month polled 98% of the vote, an outcome which her critics say represented a travesty of the election and democracy in Tanzania.
International observers had claimed the election was ”far from perfect” since President Samia’s main rivals including Tundu Lissu were excluded from the presidential vote.
APA/Oyenike Oyeniyi