Masarira slams African leaders

Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) president Linda Masarira has criticised African heads of State for attending the inauguration of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, describing their presence as an endorsement of a "sham election" marred by violence and irregularities.

The Tanzanian election, which saw some opposition leaders barred from participating, was followed by deadly clashes between citizens and security forces, with hundreds reportedly killed.

Masarira said regional leaders had turned a blind eye to the democratic violations documented by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observation Mission, which reported incidents of voter intimidation, suppression of opposition campaigns, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression.

"The SADC Election Observation Mission itself documented grave irregularities that undermined the credibility of the Tanzanian election," she said. "These findings alone should have been sufficient reason for regional leaders to withhold their participation as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Tanzania and with democratic principles."

She accused SADC leaders of "collective silence" in the face of injustice, saying such behaviour erodes the bloc's moral authority and betrays the liberation values on which it was founded.

"Africa deserves leaders who speak truth to power, not those who gather to celebrate power consolidation while citizens bleed for democracy and human dignity," Masarira said.

She added that the continent, once a beacon of liberation movements, had become a "zone of oppression" where loyalty to ruling elites outweighed the sanctity of life.

"It is unacceptable that leaders who claim Pan-African solidarity refuse to call each other to order when human rights are violated and elections reduced to rituals of legitimising incumbents," she said.

Masarira urged SADC to revisit its founding principles and restore credibility to its institutions to safeguard democracy and human rights in the region.

Her remarks come as opposition politician Nelson Chamisa also criticised both SADC and the African Union this week for failing to address Africa's growing crisis of disputed elections and military coups.