The leader of ACT Wazalendo, Dorothy Semu, on Tuesday met with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, to discuss Tanzania’s political situation following the October 2025 General Election.
The meeting, held at the United Nations offices in Dar es Salaam, was also attended by the party’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mwanaisha Mndeme.
During the talks, Ms Semu expressed concern over what she described as an unsatisfactory political environment before and after the October 2025 election.
She cited issues including alleged restrictions on democratic freedoms, suppression of civil liberties and media freedom, and claims of vote manipulation, intimidation and the use of force against citizens demanding democratic rights.
The ACT Wazalendo leader also raised concerns about alleged human rights violations during the election period, including incidents that resulted in deaths.
She said the events left many families and communities grieving and called for accountability to ensure justice for victims.
Ms Semu reiterated the party’s position that it does not recognise the commission established by the government to investigate the killings, arguing that an independent and credible international mechanism would be better suited to investigate the incidents.
She urged the United Nations to give the matter due attention and support efforts aimed at ensuring accountability, restoring public trust and promoting peace and unity among Tanzanians.
The opposition leader also called on the international community to closely follow Tanzania’s political and democratic developments and support initiatives aimed at strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance.
According to Ms Semu, lasting solutions to political challenges in the country require broader reforms, including the acceleration of the process to obtain a new constitution and the establishment of an independent electoral commission capable of overseeing free, fair and credible elections.
For his part, Mr Onanga-Anyanga said the UN Secretary-General’s priority is to see countries establish systems that prevent and manage conflicts in order to sustain peace.
He also encouraged democratic stakeholders to use lessons from the October 29, 2025 election to strengthen democratic institutions and ensure that the will of citizens is respected and that governance is conducted in accordance with the constitution and the law.
