A prominent former insider of Tanzania’s ruling party has vanished from his home this month, leaving only a pool of blood on the doorstep, highlighting mounting concerns over political repression in the East African nation, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Humphrey Polepole, who previously served as Secretary of Ideology and Publicity for the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) under late President John Magufuli and later as ambassador to Cuba, disappeared after publicly criticizing the government. Polepole had resigned from his diplomatic post in September, stating he could no longer serve a government that had “turned against its people.” Tanzanian police confirmed that they are investigating his disappearance.
The disappearance comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent. Main opposition leader Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party remains jailed and faces treason charges that carry the death penalty. Chadema, Tanzania’s principal opposition party, has effectively been barred from meaningful participation in politics. Human rights groups say dozens of other critics of the CCM have either gone into exile or vanished in what they describe as state-led abductions.
Observers fear that the upcoming general election on October 29 will cement CCM dominance rather than reflect a genuine democratic contest. Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female president, is seeking a second term, and the CCM is poised to extend its rule into a seventh decade since independence in 1961. A former senior CCM official, speaking anonymously to the Financial Times, warned that elections are being used “to legitimise authoritarian rule” and described the vote as a “rubber stamp.”
Despite these challenges, the CCM continues to enjoy strong popular support, particularly in rural areas, aided by Tanzania’s sustained economic growth and relative absence of ethnic conflict. Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office following Magufuli’s death in 2021, has sought to present herself as a moderate, praising her campaign reception on social media as evidence that only the CCM can sustain development.
Nevertheless, human rights activists say the political environment is growing increasingly perilous. Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a prominent reform campaigner, told the Financial Times that enforced disappearances have intensified under Suluhu Hassan, documenting 200 such cases since she assumed office, including 50 since June this year. Tsehai described the disappearance of Polepole as a chilling message to those within the CCM considering dissent.
International response has been cautious. Western donor countries have largely focused on issues where they retain some influence, such as climate change and women’s health, while avoiding direct confrontation over political repression. Lissu criticized this in court, noting that even colonial-era British authorities allowed trial observers, calling current practices “more foolish” than those of European rulers.
The Tanzanian government has issued statements pledging to uphold human rights in the lead-up to the elections, but critics remain skeptical. “It’s going to be ugly because they don’t feel like they have anyone stopping them,” Tsehai said.
As Tanzania approaches its October 29 polls, the disappearance of a high-profile insider like Polepole and the continued detention of opposition leaders underscore deepening authoritarian trends in a country long viewed as a relative success story in East Africa.
