The treason case facing Tanzania’s opposition leader and CHADEMA chairperson Tundu Lissu entered its third consecutive day on Wednesday September 10th 2025, at the High Court in Dar es Salaam, with sharp exchanges between the opposition leader and state attorneys over procedure and jurisdiction.
Lissu, who is representing himself, repeated his stand that the case should not proceed because the committal proceedings at Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court were irregular and that the records now before the High Court cannot be trusted. He told the judges that the copy of documents he received while in Ukonga Prison had only 16 pages, while the official High Court record contains over 100 pages covering several months. According to him, the two sets of documents show different timelines and omit crucial disputes that took place in earlier proceedings. “These differences are fundamental. Which record should the Court rely on, and why are they not the same?” Lissu asked. He also argued that because he was arrested in Mbinga, Ruvuma, the law required the case to be filed in the High Court jurisdiction of that region, not Dar es Salaam. He maintained that failing to follow this requirement undermined the legality of the whole process.
State attorneys led by Principal State Attorney Nassoro Katuga and Job Mrema dismissed Lissu’s claims, saying Kisutu followed the law and that any errors in dates or pagination were minor clerical mistakes that did not affect the substance of the case. Mrema told the court “jurisdiction is created by statute, not by agreement of parties,” and insisted that the Kisutu court acted within its authority when it forwarded the case.
Lissu also raised concerns about repeated adjournments in the lower court, saying the case was postponed 13 times without proper reasons, leaving him in custody for months under harsh conditions. He described this as a violation of his rights and urged the judges not to ignore what he called systematic flaws in the process.
Beyond the legal arguments, the case continues to draw public and political interest. The Tanganyika Law Society president, Boniface Mwabukusi, has called for the return of live broadcasts of the proceedings, recalling that earlier coverage at Kisutu had reduced complaints and promoted transparency, but access to the hearings has been tightened, with several CHADEMA supporters saying they were blocked from attending.
After listening to submissions from both sides, the panel of three judges, led by Justice Dunstan Ndunguru, adjourned the matter to Thursday morning. Lissu is expected to conclude his replies before the court sets a date for a ruling on the preliminary objections. The outcome will decide whether the treason trial can continue or if the process will be halted over the alleged procedural flaws.
