The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has raised concerns over the credibility of Tanzania’s 2025 general elections, saying the polls fell short of regional democratic standards.

In a preliminary statement released yesterday, SADC’s Electoral Observation Mission said that while voting across much of the country proceeded peacefully, the overall process: “did not fully adhere to the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.” The mission deployed 80 observers across 27 of Tanzania’s 31 regions for the polls held at the end of last month.

Observers noted that 93% of polling stations opened on time and 96% were properly arranged. Yet the report cited significant flaws, including intimidation of opposition supporters, arrests of activists, and the ongoing treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. It also criticised the disqualification of several candidates, saying such exclusions undermined the competitiveness of the race.

The mission documented an incident in the coastal city Tanga, where security forces allegedly detained and interrogated SADC observers, seized their materials, and forced them to delete photographs.

The mission also criticised a nationwide internet shutdown from midday on election day, which disrupted data transmission and curtailed observation of the vote count.

Administrative concerns included the constitutional bar on challenging presidential results in court, the absence of independent candidacies, and the appointment of electoral commissioners by the president, which SADC said weakened perceptions of neutrality.

There has been widespread unrest since the election, with some estimates saying up to 700 people have died.