Opposition MP, 75 others charged over Iringa riots

By The Citizen Reporter.

Iringa/Dar. The Iringa Urban MP, Mr Peter Msigwa, and 75 other people were arraigned in court yesterday under tight security a day after riots rocked Iringa town pitying street hawkers and the police.

Mr Msigwa and his co-accused were taken to the Iringa District Resident Magistrate’s Court at around 1:40pm. A police escort consisted of four patrol vehicles, fully packed with armed officers and a remand prison bus.

The Citizen reporter witnessed about 40 armed Field Force Unit soldiers keeping guard both inside and outside the fully parked court building. Scores of people who could not make it inside gathered outside to follow the case. The public prosecutor, Mr Adolph Maganda, said Mr Msigwa was the prime suspect in the case and charged him with two counts including inciting people to commit a crime and illegal assembly.

His 75 co-accused were also charged with incitement, illegal assembly and an addition count of destroying property. Two of Msigwa’s co-accused were charged in absentia because they failed to appear in court.

The accused denied the charges and Mr Msigwa and 46 others were released on bail yesterday while 27 others failed to meet bail conditions that included having one surety holding a recognised identity card, a letter from a ward executive officer and Sh1 million bond.

Prosecutor Maganda, who was assisted by Alex Mwita, told the court yesterday that on Sunday, May 19 at 9am at Mashine Tatu Street in Iringa municipality the accused incited people to commit crime and assemble illegally contrary to lawful orders by the Police Officer Commanding District.

The 75 co-accused allegedly proceeded to destroy property including the windshields of a fire engine, Mr Maganda told the court. The case was postponed to June 3.

After Mr Msigwa was released, Chadema supporters lifted him aloft from the court premises, passed along Siasa ni Kilimo Road to the Mnarani Roundabout and off to the Chadema District Headquarters at Mshindo. The processions temporarily closed the road leading to Mshindo as Chadema supporters chanted slogans praising the MP.

Upon arrival at Mshindo, Mr Msigwa addressed the gathering and appealed for calm to let the court do its job and rule objectively.

“I have faith in the judicial system and let us remain calm waiting for the law to take its course,” he said.

As Mr Msigwa and his co-accused were arraigned in court the ruling party, CCM and the Police said that none of the chaos that happen in Chadema strongholds are not orchestrated by the ruling party to weaken the opposition but result from the party’s unruly ways to seek power. Tussles between police and hawkers have occurred in the past in other Chadema constituencies of Nyamagana in Mwanza, Mbeya Urban, Arusha Urban and Ubungo in Dar es Salaam.

For its part, Chadema has continued to allege in public that CCM was doing all in its powers to portray the main opposition party as the party of riots and terror. The Tanzania Police Force spokeswoman Advera Senso told The Citizen yesterday that Chadema claims were baseless since the law enforcers did not profile crime suspect based on party affiliation, religion, status, race, ethnicity, or gender.

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