Tanzanian opposition leader Freeman Mbowe hospitalised after being attacked

The chairman of Chedma, Tanzania’s main opposition party, was reportedly attacked and injured by unknown assailants after which he was hospitalised. According to Tanzania’s local media outlet, the police and the party said that there are reports Freeman Mbowe was attacked by three people who broke his right leg. The Regional Police Commander Gilles Muroto reportedly said that the officials are still continuing to follow the case. 

While taking to Twitter, the opposition party said, "Chadema National Chairman and Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament (KUB), Hon. Freeman Mbowe has been attacked and injured by unknown people while returning to his home in Dodoma. He has been rushed to hospital for treatment. We'll give you more information later”. 

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Attack believed to be ‘politically motivated’ 

As per reports, on June 8 Mbowe was attacked while he was returning home in the capital Dodoma. While speaking to the media outlet, Chadema official John Mnyika called the attack ‘politically motivated’. Mnyika also added that the party’s priority currently is Mbowe’s heath. 

According to an International media outlet, Mbowe has repeatedly accused the ruling government of covering u the true extent of the coronavirus in Tanzania. Mbowe and several other opposition MPs were briefly also jailed back in March in connection with a banned protest against Tanzania’s President John Magufuli’s government, which has been allegedly accused of crushing dissent and harassing political opponents. 

Magufuli has also been accused of hiding the spread of COVID-19 in the country as his administration reportedly stopped updating figures in April. Magufuli was elected back in 2015 and is now due to run for a second term in October in a country which was once seen as a bastion of democracy in a tumultuous part of East Africa. 

(Image: Freeman Mbowe/ Twitter) 

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