Victims speak out at Tanzania’s election violence inquiry
Victims of violence linked to Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 general election have shared harrowing accounts of injury, loss and neglect as a presidential commission continues public hearings across the country.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry, set up by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in November, is tasked with investigating the violence that erupted during and after the election. The panel is examining the conduct of security forces, assessing human and property losses and recommending ways to prevent similar unrest in the future.
Chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohammed Chande Othman, the commission has been hearing testimony from victims, witnesses and community members.
One of the most disturbing accounts came from Aurelia Joseph, 75, who told the commission she was shot inside her home in Magomeni Kota and later left unattended for hours at Mwananyamala Hospital after being presumed dead.
“I was left there for hours because they thought I was dead,” she said, adding that she lay among more than 20 bodies and saw other injured patients die. She said security officers later interrogated victims at the hospital, accusing them of inciting unrest and questioning their political choices.
Joseph said patients with gunshot wounds were ordered to leave the hospital, whether or not they had been treated. Unable to get care at another hospital, she resorted to traditional remedies. Bullet fragments remain lodged in her body, leaving her in constant pain and with limited mobility.
Other witnesses described the loss of loved ones in attacks that occurred near or inside their homes. Veronica Lyimo, 37, said her husband was shot and later confirmed dead at Mwananyamala Hospital. Rahma Said, 49, said her son was shot at home and died the following day after failing to receive treatment.
Juma Matari, 25, a mobile phone trader, said his shop in Manzese Darajani was destroyed during looting, with goods worth more than Sh60 million stolen or burned.
Another witness, George Chipeta, a car mechanic, said he was shot in the leg while riding a motorcycle on election day, an injury that eventually led to amputation. He told the commission that fellow ‘bodaboda’ riders raised money to buy him a three-wheeled vehicle so he could continue working. Victims told the commission they hope the process will lead to accountability and ensure such violence is never repeated.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
