Tanzania’s opposition, once flat on its back, is now on its knees

The most recent Tanzanian general election, held in 2020, made a mockery of democracy. Agents of the ruling CCM party stuffed ballot boxes, pre-marked voting slips and erected fake polling stations. Police officers rounded up opposition candidates and their supporters. To hide the fraud, the authorities shut down the internet, gagged journalists and suppressed rights groups. The few opposition supporters brave enough to protest were shot at. At least 14 were killed. John Magufuli, then Tanzania’s president, duly won re-election with 84% of the vote. The CCM did even better, securing all but seven of the directly elected seats in the country’s parliament.