Tanzania’s opposition party CHADEMA issued an urgent statement on October 30, 2025, saying its deputy chairperson John Heche is critically ill after eight days in detention at Mtumba Police Station in Dodoma.
That, he has not eaten for three days and suffers from severe chest pain, high fever, body aches, and inability to stand.
The party demanded his immediate transfer to hospital, warning of “irreversible consequences” if treatment is delayed.
Heche was arrested on October 22 outside Dar es Salaam High Court while attending the treason trial of CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu.
Police initially held him at Central Station before moving him to Dodoma. His family and lawyers searched stations in Tarime, Mara Region, after reports he had been transferred there, but found no trace until the party confirmed his location.
This was Heche’s second detention in a week.
On October 18, immigration officials stopped him at the Sirari border post en route to Kenya for Raila Odinga’s funeral, confiscating his passport and briefly detaining him.
The incident sparked protests on both sides of the border.
Police have not responded to the health claims or clarified charges, which authorities linked to “national security” over the border crossing. CHADEMA filed a habeas corpus petition amid fears of enforced disappearance.
The announcement comes two days after Tanzania’s October 29 elections, which CHADEMA boycotted over lack of reforms.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared winner amid fraud allegations and unrest.
#FreeHeche is trending across East Africa, with calls for protests in Dodoma and international pressure for Heche’s release and medical care.
Rights groups condemned the detention as part of a broader crackdown on opposition voices.
Sources: CHADEMA statement, The Chanzo, BBC, The Citizen, MwanzoTV, X posts.
