The drama ensued yesterday at around mid day before Chadema held a press conference that was supposed to be addressed by the party’s Deputy Secretary general John Mnyika.
It all started when a group of around ten young people in motorcycles arrived at the party’s head office for an unclear mission, chanting the famous party slogan (People’s Power) before they departed from the place.
About ten minutes later an enlarged group of about twenty people returned to Chadema offices walking while chanting phrases like “Tunataka Haki Yetu, Tunamtaka Dr Slaa,” meaning “We demand for our right, We want Dr Slaa.”Members of the group who were in Chadema T-Shirts and carrying placards stood before Chadema offices, where the party’s guards managed to take hold of three of them, while others dashed away to safety.
Speaking to reporters who arrived at the office to attend a scheduled press conference, Chadema Deputy Secretary General John Mnyika said the three youths whom party guards had taken into custody were placed in a room at the party offices for safety as “some genuine party supporters were gathering to attack them.”
He said when interrogated, the youths said that they were hired by a CCM parliamentary candidate in Dar es Salaam region. The candidate (name withheld) did not answer the phone when called several times yesterday.
Mnyika said the fake protests were being organised by CCM in collaboration with the police, yesterday’s incident being the second of the type. “ We came to conclude that CCM and the police are involved in these incidents because soon after arresting the youths the police arrived, ordering us to hand over the guys to them, even before we informed them that we had arrested fake protestors,” he eplained.
Speaking while bleeding, one of the arrested youths said he received a text message on Wednesday from a leader of the group whose name was not identified, informing him that there would be a demonstration from Manyanya area in Kinondoni District from 9am. The text message did not give more details.
The bleeding guy who did not identify himself said after arriving at Manyanya a car arrived where some people disembarked and began distributing Chadema T-Shirts , caps and flags , asking them to walk up to Chadema offices where they were supposed to ‘demand for Dr Slaa.’ He said they were paid Sh10,000 each by their leader whom he refused to mention by name.
During the incident a journalist with Uhuru Publications, Christopher Lissa also landed into trouble after Chadema leaders claimed that he was part of the organised fake protest. He had taken part of in the rally.
In his defence, Lissa said he witnessed the protestors being given Chadema attire at Manyanya area and thus he followed the protestors to Chadema offfices.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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