Tanzania: Chadema VP John Heche Arrested Second Time in Week as Chairman Lissu Detained on Treason Charges
Ujasusi Blog’s East Africa Monitoring Team | 23 October 2025 | 0145 BST
Tanzania’s political landscape has deteriorated sharply in the final week before the October 29, 2025 general elections, with authorities detaining senior opposition figure John Heche for the second time in seven days. The deputy chairperson of Chadema, Tanzania’s main opposition party, was arrested on Wednesday outside Dar es Salaam High Court while attempting to attend the treason trial of party leader Tundu Lissu. This development represents a significant escalation in President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s crackdown on dissenting voices, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of next week’s electoral process.
The arrest occurs against a backdrop of intensifying political repression, including the forced disappearance of former ambassador Humphrey Polepole, whose family reported his violent abduction from his Dar es Salaam residence on October 6, 2025. With Chadema banned from participating in the polls and both major opposition candidates disqualified, President Samia faces only minor party challengers in what observers increasingly characterize as an unfree and unfair election.