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Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Tanzanian opposition leader appears in court for treason trial
Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu talks to former Chief Justice of Kenya, Justice David Maraga, inside the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu talks to his legal team inside the Kisutu Residents Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu waves to his supporters as he arrives at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu gestures to his supporters, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu holds up constitutional documents at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman NAIROBI - Tanzania's main opposition leader Tundu Lissu told his supporters to have no fear as he appeared in court on Monday for the first time since his arrest on charges that include treason. Lissu refused to participate in a hearing on April 24 because authorities conducted a virtual, rather than an in-person trial, with him appearing via video link from prison. On Monday he entered the court with his fist raised in the air as supporters chanted "No Reforms, No Election", according to a video of the courtroom shared by his CHADEMA party on X. "We will be fine. You should not fear," Lissu said as he took his place in the dock, waving victory signs. Lissu, who was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack and came second in the last presidential poll, was charged with treason last month over what prosecutors said was a speech calling upon the public to rebel and disrupt elections due in October. A series of high-profile arrests has highlighted the rights record of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who plans to seek re-election. Hassan says the government is committed to respecting human rights. Lissu's CHADEMA party has demanded changes to an electoral process they say favours the ruling party before they participate in the ballot. Several Kenyan rights activists, including a former justice minister, said they were denied entry to Tanzania as they travelled to attend the trial. Kenya's former Justice Minister Martha Karua, a prominent lawyer and opposition politician, and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were among those detained when they landed at Tanzania's Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, they said on X. Tanzania's immigration spokesperson Paul Mselle did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Today was going to be a big day and we went out there in solidarity," Karua told Kenyan broadcaster NTV on Monday after she was denied entry and sent back to Nairobi. "The state cannot be used as a personal tool. You cannot deport people whom you don't like, who are not aligned to your views." Mutunga and rights activist Hussein Khalid were being held in an interrogation room at Julius Nyerere airport on Monday and expected to be deported, Khalid said on X. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Borneo Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Tanzanian students embrace Chinese language as tourism boom drives demand
Asha Fum Khamis (right), a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute, teaches Chinese language at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) DAR ES SALAAM (April 23): Seated in a modest classroom, Tanzanian tourism student Noel Ivon Isack intently traces Chinese characters in his notebook. The 19-year-old aspires to leverage his new language skills to build a career to guide visitors through Tanzania's renowned wildlife reserves and scenic beaches. 'I want to make Chinese visitors feel at home,' said Isack, a third-year student at the National College of Tourism (NCT) in Dar es Salaam. 'Most of them only speak Chinese, so if we want them to enjoy Tanzania, we must speak their language.' With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. 'It is a game changer,' said Farida Sebastian Masalu, the campus manager. 'We want to give our students a competitive edge as Tanzania strengthens ties with China.' Since 2023, Tanzania has ramped up efforts to attract Chinese visitors. One major step was launching the promotional film Amazing Tanzania in Beijing in May 2024, featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, and Chinese actor Jin Dong. 'These initiatives promote Tanzania's tourism and deepen the friendship between our countries,' Masalu said. Tanzania is already seeing results. According to Ephraim Mafuru, director general of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), arrivals from China jumped from 44,000 to 62,000 in the past nine months. 'Our goal is to attract at least 1 percent of China's international travelers,' said Ephraim. 'That is 1.3 million tourists, and we are just getting started.' Tanzanian students attend a Chinese language class at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) To support this ambition, the TTB has partnered with local institutions like NCT to provide Chinese language training for tour guides and workers in the broader tourism value chain. 'The language barrier remains one of our biggest challenges,' Mafuru said. 'But we are working on it. Chinese visitors will feel much more comfortable being welcomed in their language.' According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania received over 5.36 million tourists in 2024, including 2.14 million international visitors. The country earned about 4 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue that year, a significant increase from 2023, Minister Pindi Chana announced in February 2025. Pan Lei from 'Fashion Tourism,' the first Chinese tourist company in Tanzania, told Xinhua that Tanzania boasts some of the world's richest wildlife resources, including the Great Migration in the Serengeti plains. It is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Zanzibar, the pearl of the Indian Ocean. 'This is just the beginning,' said Mafuru. 'China is an essential part of our strategy to grow tourism in the years ahead.' Back in the classroom, 28-year-old student Rajabu Almasi sees the Chinese language as more than just a skill. He sees it as an investment. 'You cannot ignore China,' he said. 'If we want to succeed in tourism, we need to understand our guests, their language, their culture, and their needs.' Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute to teach at NCT, echoed this sentiment. 'I am not just teaching a language,' she said. I am preparing these students for real opportunities, including jobs, partnerships, and cultural bridges.' Khamis said Chinese-speaking Tanzanians will soon be in high demand across the tourism sector, from tour guiding to hospitality and beyond. 'The wave is coming,' she said with a smile. 'Our students will be ready to ride it.' – Xinhua Chinese language students Tanzania tourism
