SADC mission: Tanzania’s election failed to meet our democratic standards
By Luke Oluoch, November 3, 2025The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has released a preliminary statement on the disputed 2025 General Election conducted in the United Republic of Tanzania.
In a report unveiled by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) on Monday, November 3, 2025, SADC, through former Malawi Speaker Richard Msowoya, the regional bloc, concluded that the process that handed Samia Suluhu a second term fell short of the requirements of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
Also watch: Amnesty International sounds alarm over escalating repression in Tanzania.
Did not meet standards
“It is the SEOM’s tentative conclusion that, in most areas, voters could not express their democratic will. Overall, the 2025 General Election in the United Republic of Tanzania fell short of the requirements of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections,” part of the SADC statement read.
The mission highlighted concerns of increasing covert and overt limitations on the right to freedom of expression and heavy censorship of online information platforms.
On a positive appraisal, SADC noted that the pre-election and opening phases were conducted in an orderly manner across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The mission has, however, appealed to Tanzanian citizens to address concerns through legal procedures and avoid violence.
“The Mission appeals to the citizens of the country to channel their concerns through established legal procedures and processes and not resort to violence or threats thereof,” its statement concluded.
According to the observer mission team, it engaged a total of 80 personnel for the election, comprising 66 observers, 13 SADC Secretariat staff, and one SEAC member.
The SADC observers were drawn from ten member states, namely, the Kingdoms of Eswatini and Lesotho, and the Republics of Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The mission deployed 27 teams of observers to 27 of the 31 regions in the United Republic of Tanzania. Among the cities where the representaives where deployed are Dar Es Salaam, Arusha, Dodoma, Geita, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Pemba North, Mbeya, Mwanza, Morogoro, Zanzibar Central and South, Tanga, Lindi, Ruvuma, Zanzibar Urban and West, Manyara, Pemba South, Mtwara, Njombe, Shinyanga, Pwani, Singida, Rukwa, Kigoma, and Kagera.