Tanzania’s fifth president, John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, served from 2015 until his death in 2021. During his rule Tanzania witnessed significant decline in basic freedoms. When his successor, Samia Suluhu Hassan, took power, there were hopes that Tanzania could take a democratic turn. These hopes are fading. This article published by The Washington is by Rael Ombuor and Max Bearak. Here is an excerpt

The sudden death of Tanzanian president John Magufuli in March plunged much of the East African country into mourning but prompted some to hope his successor would reverse his government’s authoritarian tendencies.

Much of that hope was dashed in recent days, after the chairman of Tanzania’s most prominent opposition party was arrested last week and charged Monday with plotting to assassinate government officials.

The opposition leader, Freeman Mbowe, had been campaigning for changes to Tanzania’s constitution that would lessen the central government’s power and create greater parliamentary oversight. The party he leads, the Party for Democracy and Progress, commonly known as Chadema, is focused on rooting out corruption, which it says worsened under Magufuli.

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