CHADEMA demands urgent medical care for detained leader John Heche, says he has gone three days without food
The party said Heche has been held at Mtumba Police Station for three days without food and is suffering from severe heart pain, high fever and extreme body weakness.
CHADEMA demands urgent medical care for detained leader John Heche, says he has gone three days without food
Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), has expressed concerns that its Deputy National Chairperson, John Heche, has fallen seriously ill while in police custody in Dodoma, urging authorities to ensure he receives immediate medical attention.
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In a statement on Thursday, the party said Heche has been held at Mtumba Police Station for three days without food and is suffering from severe heart pain, high fever and extreme body weakness.
“Mr Heche has not eaten for three days and is experiencing severe heart pain, body aches and high fever. He is unable to stand,” CHADEMA’s Director of Communication and Publicity Brenda Rupia said.
CHADEMA called on the police to act urgently and humanely by transferring him to a hospital for appropriate treatment.
“We urge the Police Service to take immediate and humane action by taking him to the hospital for proper medical care. A person’s health and life must be treated with utmost seriousness, especially when they are in the custody of law enforcement agencies,” the party said.
The development comes as concerns mount among African and international leaders over what they describe as an escalating clampdown on opposition figures.
The Platform for African Democrats (PAD), a coalition of over 40 political leaders, human rights activists and academics from Africa and beyond, condemned the detention of Chadema leaders Tundu Lissu and John Heche, terming it a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent.
PAD demanded the immediate and unconditional release of both leaders, terming the arrests “a direct attack on democracy.”
“We call on authorities to demonstrate publicly that Heche is being treated humanely, with respect and dignity. We further call on authorities to present whatever charges they may have against Heche in accordance with Tanzanian and international law and to allow access to him by his family and legal counsel. Failing to do so, we call for his immediate, unconditional release,” read the statement.
PAD also voiced concern over Lissu’s ongoing treason trial, noting that the charges, punishable by death, were based on weak evidence and amounted to political persecution.
“Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9, 2025, and has been imprisoned since April 10, facing grave charges of treason and publishing false information, charges that are widely regarded as politically motivated,” the group said.
“These accusations not only threaten his life under the death penalty provision but also represent a dangerous weaponisation of the law to silence legitimate dissent.”
The coalition urged Tanzanian authorities to safeguard Lissu’s welfare in accordance with both national and international law, referencing the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention and the Nelson Mandela Rules.
“The Platform also calls for the High Court to ensure the rule of law and justice prevail in his ongoing treason trial. The spurious evidence being presented by state prosecutors does not withstand judicial scrutiny. If not objectively considered and decided, this trial will make a mockery of the Tanzanian rule of law before the eyes of the world,” PAD warned.
PAD further urged the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and East African Community (EAC) to hold Tanzania accountable for what it described as a deliberate campaign to suppress opposition voices, calling on international partners to pressure President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to guarantee free and fair elections.
Heche’s arrest has raised further alarm across the region. He was first detained briefly on October 18 while attempting to travel to Kenya for the burial of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Four days later, police arrested him again outside the High Court in Dar es Salaam, where he had gone to attend Lissu’s trial.
Reports indicate that Heche was subsequently transported to Tarime, a northern town more than 1,300 kilometres from the capital, though police have not confirmed his whereabouts.
With Lissu detained since April and Chadema barred from participating in this year’s elections, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party is facing little competition.
The second largest opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo, also saw its candidate, Luhaga Mpina, disqualified, further raising fears of an election devoid of genuine opposition.
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