September 17, 2024.
(On September 17, 2005, my father suffered an untimely death. Suddenly. He was no more.)
Remembering my father.
One of the earliest victims of enforced disappearances in Tanzania was my father.
After trying to exercise his lawful, legal right from the High Court of Tanzania, the regime under Mwinyi refused to adhere to the law, and disregarded a nation’s rule of law, and its own court rulings.
Instead, the modus operandi was to send few policemen on the payroll of certain officials to kidnap, threaten, torture, and eventually to kill my father.
I remember. Painful days turning into months without hearing the voice of my father. In those days, there was only a landline to get through to another country. When I use to call, sometimes I had to stay up all night just to get through, the person on the other end of the phone in Dar would just put the phone down.
In those days, I had no clue what enforced disappearance really meant as I had never heard of any such thing.
He was disappeared for months, not knowing if he was alive or dead was living torture for the family.
From April 24, 1993 to September 20, 1993. He was disappeared. 150 days in captivity.
Imagine living in 24/7 torture chamber of not knowing if your loved one is alive or well.
Kidnapping and disappearance of a person by the state is torture not only for the targeted person but also for the family. It is state sanctioned torture.
Imagine. Every. Single. Day. not knowing where your father was, or if he was alive. Imagine living like that. In the unknown.
Just kidnapped, disappeared because he won his lawful, legal right in a contractual dispute.
Later, we learned he was tortured and thrown in prison because they (the police doing the dirty work of the few CCM officials) wanted him to sign over his lawful, legal right. In other words, steal his lawful, legal right.
My father and his lawyers believed only way forward for the nation was the rule of law. The rule of law had to be first. NO one was above the law, and they proved that with the first ever arrest warrant issued by the High Court for the BoT governor.
After he got out, they embarked on torturing him every single day of his life by throwing ‘cases’ at him. Countless cases were manufactured. One case gave birth to 14 or more cases. AND there were countless others in all courts.
As long as he was in the courts, money flowed out of the Bank of Tanzania to lawyers like Mkono and of course all those at the AG chambers. Mkono made so much money that he had to open his own bank-Bank M.
It was said if you want to get rich fast just get on the Valambhia case. Live torture and looting of an innocent man who had won his lawful, legal right filled the pockets of the lawyers, AG chambers et al. Justice DENIED and JUSTICE DELAYED to one man became the biggest cash cow of the CCM regime in Tanzania.
Imagine getting up every morning, just to go to court not knowing if there was another case or if your matter was being heard today, or there was another delay. Next week, next month. Next year.
They turned Every single day of his life in Tanzania into a living breathing torture.
In Tanzania, this landmark legal suit is called The Valambhia case.-The most expensive legal suit in the history of Tanzania, and Africa spanning over 30 or so years.
My father used to say it was a daylight robbery, the cash cow that sustains the CCM.
I am writing this because the enforced disappearances never stopped, they still continue. The targets are young people who want a better future, the OPP., and voices against corruption.
I am writing this because I know the pain and suffering the families are going through not knowing about their loved ones who are kidnapped and disappeared. It is real life Trauma. and torture.
NO Tanzanian should be disappeared. Or Kidnapped. The list of names of those kidnapped and disappeared has been growing for years. It has grown exponentially since my father was kidnapped and disappeared. The list of names grows because no one cares to STOP this crime against humanity.
Under the CCM regime, so many have disappeared. Kidnapped. Tortured and this is not normal. DO NOT accept this as NORMAL. It is not normal.
Enforced Disappearances is state sanctioned violence and it needs to STOP NOW!
AND hold those responsible accountable for crimes against humanity.