CHADEMA Women’s Leader Claims Abduction and Assault; Police Launch Investigation

 

Aisha Machano, the National Publicity Secretary of the CHADEMA Women’s Wing (BAWACHA), who was allegedly abducted, beaten, and left in a forest, has shared details of the incident, explaining how she ended up at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

The incident was first reported by CHADEMA on October 20, 2024, through social media, with the party linking it to BAWACHA’s recent action of burning fabrics printed with President Samia Suluhu Hassan's image two weeks ago.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Aisha recounted how, on the previous day, at around 1:00 PM, she was in Kibiti, Coast Region, carrying out party activities to encourage citizens to run for office in the upcoming local government elections. She explained that she was at the Bungu bus stop when she met a woman who appeared to be a fellow passenger. After boarding the bus and sitting at the back, the same woman sat close to her.

"While we were on the journey, I paid the fare and told the conductor that I would be getting off at a stop called Jaribu. The woman also paid and said she would get off at the same stop," Aisha explained.

Upon arriving at the stop, the woman got off first, and Aisha followed. As she was crossing the road to take a motorcycle (bodaboda), a Landcruiser vehicle with registration starting with PT approached, and six men got out.

"One of them came up to me, touched my shoulder, and said, ‘You are under arrest; we are the police.’ I asked for identification, and he became aggressive. His colleagues told me, ‘Get in the car quickly, we need to leave, and the woman is here,’" Aisha narrated.

She then realized that the woman who had been traveling with her was part of the abduction plan. Aisha said she was forced into the vehicle, handcuffed by the woman, and blindfolded by one of the men. They drove off at around 1:30 PM, heading to an unknown forested area, arriving in the evening.

According to Aisha, once they arrived at the forest, she was tied to a tree and beaten with sticks on various parts of her body while they interrogated her about who had instructed her to burn the fabrics with the president's image.

"I told them that no one had sent me. I am a national leader of BAWACHA, and the decision to burn the fabrics was made collectively by us and our regional leaders. We did it because we had requested the president to address certain issues, including the disappearance of five of our youth, but she didn’t take action," Aisha recounted.

Her answers did not satisfy her captors, who continued to beat her and threatened to kill her unless she confessed that the action was ordered by her party leaders. They also demanded that she name the CHADEMA leaders who attended the press conference she recently held in Dar es Salaam and questioned the involvement of the party’s Dodoma regional secretary in that meeting.

After a prolonged beating, Aisha said they released her from the handcuffs and blindfold and then stripped her naked, took pictures of her, and threatened that if she held another press conference to reveal what had happened, they would kill her and spread her nude photos.

She was later driven to another unknown location, where she was dropped off with her belongings. After the vehicle left, she walked in the direction it had gone, feeling intense pain and hunger. 

Aisha said she eventually came across a small roadside food stall and a group of motorcycle riders before losing consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she found herself at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam. The doctors told her that she had been brought in by a bodaboda rider who found her in Kisarawe district.

After narrating her ordeal to the doctors and showing them her injuries, she was sent for X-rays, which revealed no major internal injuries, such as fractures.

Aisha urged BAWACHA members not to be discouraged by what had happened to her but to continue encouraging women to run for office and vote in the upcoming elections.

Police Statement

The Tanzanian Police Force confirmed receiving the report of Aisha’s discovery and stated that they had launched an investigation according to the law.

"We urge the public to remain calm as the investigation will provide accurate answers regarding what happened, the reasons behind it, who the perpetrators are, and the appropriate legal action that will be taken based on the evidence gathered," read part of the statement from the Police Force Spokesperson, DCP David Misime.