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Tanzanian police have arrested prominent politician Tundu Lissu and four other opposition officials, the opposition party said.
Reports said three politicians, including Mr Lissu, were detained on Sunday in the southwestern town of Mbeya as they were planning a rally to mark World Youth Day.
The party said the Chadema party chairman and youth wing chief were arrested on Monday afternoon.
The arrests reportedly come a year after President Samia Hassan lifted a ban on opposition rallies and pledged to restore competitive politics.
On Sunday, police banned the Chadema rally, saying it was aimed at provoking violence.
They cited the party’s call for people to unite as “Kenya youth” — an apparent reference to weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations in the neighboring East African country.
The South African Communist Party told the BBC it did not know where the three detained leaders were being held.
In a post on X, party chairman Freeman Mbowe demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of our leaders, members and supporters arrested across the country.”
On Monday afternoon, the party also said Mr Mbo himself had been arrested.
Police detained him after he arrived in Mbeya to bail out Mr Lissu and the two officials arrested with him.
Mr Mboye was arrested at Mbeya airport along with Chadema Youth League president John Pambalu.
Police have yet to officially announce the arrest. The BBC has contacted police for comment.
Chadema spokesman John Mrema said a group of youths travelling in a rented bus were arrested on Sunday and forced to return to their respective areas under armed escort.
According to the party’s youth wing, about 10,000 young people will gather in Mbeya to celebrate Youth Day under the slogan “Take Charge of Your Own Future”.
But the police said In a statement No such meetings are allowed in the city or elsewhere in the country.
Chadema officials shared photos of about 100 party members being detained in Iringa near Mbeya. They were later released and escorted back to their hometowns.
Mr Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 in which he was shot 16 times, returned to Tanzania last year after two years in exile in Belgium.
He returned home after President Samia lifted a ban on political gatherings imposed in 2016 by former President John Magufuli.
The ban prohibits political parties from holding rallies or even engaging in internal political activities.
Samia, who came to power after Magufuli’s sudden death in 2021, has been praised for moving away from many of her predecessor’s policies.
But she was criticised by some opposition politicians following the arrests, saying she was not ready for political reconciliation.
“We cannot allow Magufuli’s style to continue in our country,” Benson Kigeira, deputy secretary-general of the Tanzania mainland situation, was quoted as saying by AFP.
“We want to know the whereabouts of our party leaders who were arrested by the police.”
Mr Kigeira claimed that the party had learnt that some officers were beaten while in custody.
Tanzania will hold presidential and parliamentary elections late next year.
Additional reporting by Basillioh Rukanga
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