Source: Africa Publicity
Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has secured a landslide victory in the country’s disputed presidential election amid allegations of 700 protesters being killed during post-election demonstrations.
According to Tanzania’s Electoral Commission, Samia, the leader of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), received over 31.9 million votes, or 97.66 percent of the total ballots cast.
The Commission says voters turnout was around 87% of Tanzania’s 37.6 million registered voters.
700 People Killed – Opposition Party Alleges
Meanwhile, ahead of the declaration of the election results, the main opposition party of Tanzania, Chadema party, alleged that around 700 people – mostly protesters – have been killed in the country’s post-election protests.
Speaking to the AFP News agency on Friday, October 31, 2025, spokesperson of the Chadema Party, John Kitoka, says
“As we speak, the number of deaths in [Dar-es-Salaam] is around 350 and there are more than 200 in Mwanza,” adding that “If we add the figures from other places in the country, we arrive at a total of around 700 deaths.”
But the United Nations reportedly says it has “credible reports” at least 10 people died.
Protests erupted following the Wednesday, October 29, 2025 disputed elections.
On Wednesday, protests broke out in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial city of over seven million people, after disputed and chaotic elections that saw the two main opposition parties barred from participating.
Several vehicles, a petrol station and police stations were set on fire by protesters angered by the restricted election choices and harassment of opposition figures.
The latest developments arrived as hundreds of demonstrators squared off with police for the third day on Friday, demanding the national electoral body stop announcing electoral results.
The President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government deployed the military onto the streets and enforced an internet shutdown.
Kitoka told Reuters in an interview that “We are calling for the protests to continue until our demands for electoral reforms are made.”
Investigation
Amnesty International has called on Tanzanian authorities to “investigate police use of force against election day protesters.”
According to Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, “The authorities have a constitutional responsibility to respect the human rights of all before, during and after the elections.”
Chagutah said “reports that one general member of the public and one public officer have been killed during election day protests across Tanzania are deeply disturbing. The risk of further escalation is high – we urge the police to exercise restraint and refrain from using unnecessary and excessive force against protesters.”
