Tanzania’s VP resigns as opposition leader’s treason trial begins

Tanzania's Vice President, Emmanuel Nchimbi, has resigned, effective September 4, 2026, to comply with President Samia Suluhu Hassan's wishes. Nchimbi assumed office on November 3, 2025, having served for precisely 10 months prior to his resignation. The decision to leave his position stems from his commitment to step down if the head of state desired a different deputy.

President Hassan, 66, clinched victory in the disputed presidential election held last October, securing an overwhelming 98% of the votes. The election and the subsequent violent crackdown on post-election protests, resulting in thousands of deaths, have drawn international criticism. Notably, Hassan's main challenger, Tundu Lissu, chairman of the CHADEMA party, could not contest the election as he was under arrest, while another contender, Luhaga Mpina, was disqualified from the race.

Lissu's treason trial commenced this week, after Judge Dunstan Ndunguru determined that the prosecution presented a case against the accused requiring a response. Lissu, a 58-year-old human rights lawyer and activist, has requested the court to call upon several high-ranking government officials, including President Hassan, as defense witnesses.

The treason trial, which carries the death penalty, is a highly controversial case, as Lissu has taken on the role of self-representation. He has been in detention since April 2025, following his arrest at a political rally in Mbinga town, where he advocated for electoral reform ahead of the 2025 general election and allegedly incited the public to boycott the election.

Lissu has a history of arrests, having returned to Tanzania in January 2023 after fleeing to Belgium in 2017, following an assassination attempt in Dodoma.