Police ‘were blocked at blast site’

Police were blocked in their attempt to arrest suspects in the weekend’s blast in Arusha, the National Assembly was told here on Monday.

“We don’t understand why police were blocked from executing their duty in Arusha on Saturday,” the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Co-ordination and Parliamentary Affairs), Mr William Lukuvi, said.

Reading the government’s statement on the bomb blast, Mr Lukuvi expressed deep concern over the tragedy in which three people were killed and 70 others injured after unknown people threw a hand grenade at a rally staged by Chadema on Saturday.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Said Mwema, has formed a team led by the Commissioner of Operations and Training in the Tanzania Police Force, Mr Paul Changonja to investigate the matter.

Mr Lukuvi called on the public to give the team maximum co-operation,” he said, likening the incident to the attack on the Catholic Church at Olasiti Parish in Arusha last month. He said it appears terrorists were now targeting Tanzania to cause unrest and derail the rule of law, vowing that the government would use all resources at its disposal to fight terror in the country.

In another development, Mr Felix Mkosamali (Muhambwe -NCCR-Mageuzi) yesterday called for the resignation of the Minister for Home affairs, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi. “We are now witnessing many incidents of unrest, killings of innocent people and chaos. It is time for the home affairs minister to go. He has failed,” the MP charged.

Meanwhile, HENRY LYIMO reports that CCM has accused CHADEMA of being behind the bombing. The ruling party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Nape Nnauye, said here yesterday that there were indications and circumstantial evidence linking Chadema leaders and the bombing, he told reporters at the CCM’s headquarters.

Mr Nnauye said there were signals that Arusha residents were planning to return to CCM all the wards in Arusha in the ward by-elections slated for last Sunday because they were tired of ‘’politics of riots by Chadema.’’ “There are indications the bombing incident was planned by Chadema.

We condemn this incident in the strongest possible terms,” Mr Nnauye said. He accused Chadema of seeking to build cheap popularity even in disasters, claiming that the opposition party had taken casualties to a private hospital and promised them to foot their medical bills only to abandon them.

He said government leaders intervened and returned them to Mount Meru Hospital where they continued with treatment.

“CCM would like to send condolences to the bereaved families as well as wishing all the injured persons quick recovery and ask the government to speed up investigations into the incident and have the culprits arrested,” he said.

Mr Nnauye said CCM won in 16 out of 22 wards in the by-elections held countrywide on Sunday. He said the victory was equivalent to 72.72 per cent and that showed Tanzanians still trusted the party. The wards where CCM won include Stesheni in Nachingwea District, Lindi Region, Lugatta Ward in Sengerema District, Mwanza Region and Genge and Tingeni wards in Muheza District, Tanga Region.

Others are Ibuluge Ward in Bahi District and Dalai Ward in Chemba District, Dodoma Region and Langiro Ward in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region where the CCM candidate was unopposed. Other wards include Manchila Ward in Serengeti District, Mara Region, Mbalamaziwa Ward in Mufundi District and Ng’ang’awe Ward in Kilolo District, Iringa Region.

CCM won also in Runzewe West Ward in Bukombe District, Geita Region, Mianzini Ward in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Minepa Ward in Ulanga District and Masanze Ward in Kilosa District, Morogoro Region.

The ruling party also won in Makuyuni Ward in Monduli District, Arusha Region and Mnina Ward in Mtwara District. Chadema won in Nyampulukano Ward in Sengerema District, Mwanza Region, Iyela Ward in Mbeya Urban, Ifakara Ward in Kilombero District, Bashnet Ward in Babati District, Dongobeshi Ward in Mbulu District and Iseke Ward in Singida.

By JOHN KULEKANA, Tanzania Daily News