SADC Election Observers Declare Tanzania’s 2025 General Election Not Free or Fair
By Thabo Mosia
Dodoma, Tanzania – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission (SEOM) has declared that Tanzania’s 2025 general election failed to meet its standards for a credible, free and fair vote. Delivering the preliminary statement in Dodoma on Monday, former Malawi Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya, who led the mission, said the polls “fell short of the requirements of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.” The election was conducted over two days: security forces voted on October 28, 2025, in Zanzibar, and the rest of the electorate voted on October 29, 2025. Tanzania, with a population of 61.7 million evenly divided between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south, has long been a model of stability in East Africa, but the SADC’s findings raise concerns about democratic backsliding.
The report highlights multiple issues that undermined the process, from restricted observer access to allegations of intimidation and low voter turnout. As Tanzania awaits final results, the SADC’s critique could impact regional perceptions and prompt calls for reforms in one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
Challenges Faced by Observers and Stakeholders
Msowoya said observers encountered “challenges in consulting with key stakeholders, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as they had not been issued with Introduction Letters together with Accreditation Identification Cards as required by the law.” He noted that “some INEC officials required the said Introduction Letters before consultations with the SEOM observers, but other officials did not make such a requirement.” Additionally, “some stakeholders were reluctant to share information with the observers and often referred them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.”
In Tanga Town, “observers were subjected to aggressive interrogation by the security forces, had their official documents, including their passports, seized, though later returned, and were forced to delete mission-related photographs from their official gadgets.” These incidents point to a hostile environment for independent monitoring, which SADC views as essential for fair elections.
The mission also noted that the country was largely calm during the pre-election period and most of election day, “save for isolated incidents towards the closure of the voting.” However, some stakeholders cautioned that “the general calm and peace belies covert acts of general intimidation of the population and opposition political parties and candidates.” “These stakeholders cited ongoing partnerships in public health, environmental science, big data ethics, and doctoral training. Special emphasis was placed on strengthening cooperation with South African universities, particularly those that have historically lacked access to global networks of research funding and infrastructure.
Allegations of Intimidation and Uneven Playing Field
Stakeholders highlighted “persistent barriers to meaningful participation of women and youth, including limited campaign financing and logistics, leadership training and mentorship opportunities, internal nomination processes within parties, and enduring patriarchal norms.” Only three of the 17 presidential candidates were women, reflecting gender disparities in politics.
The report pointed to
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