Dodoma, Tanzania \u2013<\/strong> On a hot September day in Dodoma, Tanzania\u2019s capital, chants and drumbeats filled Jamhuri Stadium as Zuwena Mohamed, a singer known as Shilole, took to the stage wearing the emblematic green of the governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are seeking votes for our candidate, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan \u2014 our mother \u2014 with all our effort and commitment,\u201d the 37-year-old told the crowd, posting photos and videos to her 11 million Instagram followers.<\/p>\n Her account, filled with pro-government content including a profile picture of the president, goes beyond simple celebrity support. It is emblematic of an unfolding digital battle as Tanzania prepares to vote on October 29.<\/p>\n But social media platforms are also being used as spaces for dissent by those who view the election as rigged in favour of the governing party. Many expressing dissent are using anonymous accounts or pseudonyms out of fear of government reprisals.<\/p>\n More than 37 million people have registered to vote in the country of about 69 million. But two main opposition forces \u2014 Chadema party and ACT-Wazalendo\u2019s main presidential candidate Luhaga Mpina \u2014 have been barred from the race, leaving President Hassan\u2019s CCM, Africa\u2019s second-longest-governing party, virtually unchallenged.<\/p>\n Chadema\u2019s leader, Tundu Lissu, was arrested in April and now faces treason charges.<\/p>\n Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch<\/a> (HRW) and Amnesty International<\/a> have said the exclusions are part of a wider crackdown on dissent through harassment, abduction, and censorship. The government has denied this (PDF<\/a>). In a statement refuting a September HRW report, government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa said, \u201cConcerns of diminishing civic space and restrictions on political parties to engage in political processes in the lead up to the general election are unfounded and misleading.\u201d Msigwa said abductions were a \u201cmajor\u201d concern for the government and that it was committed to human rights, \u201cgood governance\u201d, and fair elections.<\/p>\n But as many Tanzanians fear speaking openly \u2013 including to Al Jazeera \u2013 due to potential government reprisals, political debates have increasingly moved online in a shift that Abel Kinyondo, a political researcher at the University of Dar-es-Salaam, said was \u201cinevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you stop people from speaking openly, they will go online, where they can hide their identity and feel free to say things they wouldn\u2019t dare say in public,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n In a country with more than 49 million internet users and where more than half of the population is under 18, the legal voting age, TikTok has surged in popularity as a platform to express political views.<\/p>\n One TikTok user burned down a campaign poster of President Hassan this week to reveal a page with #MO29, which refers to a planned protest on election day. Another joked about the president receiving an award for \u201cbest leadership in the water sector\u201d \u2013 Tanzania has faced water scarcity issues in recent months, leading to frequent water rationing.<\/p>\n On X, formerly Twitter, human rights activist Ananilea Nkya said<\/a> on Monday, \u201cI have never seen, during any election, so many citizens losing hope about the fate of their lives as this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Tanzanians abroad have also weighed in on the debate, speaking with open criticism about the upcoming election.<\/p>\n Mange Kimambi, a US-based Tanzanian activist with 2.4 million Instagram followers, has urged Tanzanians to protest on election day, saying that reforms should have taken place, namely, an overhaul of the electoral commission.<\/p>\n Her calls for protest have been widely discussed on social media inside the country by Tanzanians calling upon one another to join the planned demonstration.<\/p>\n Without naming Kimambi specifically, the electoral commission has warned that discouraging citizens from voting may be a criminal offence, according to local media.<\/p>\n \u201cEven those creating fake accounts, thinking they can hide, you cannot,\u201d Deputy Police Commissioner David Misime said in a radio interview<\/a>, referring to calls for protests on social media platforms, noting the authorities\u2019 capacity to trace online activity.<\/p>\n On the other end of the political spectrum, CCM supporters \u2014 like former Miss Tanzania Faraja Nyalandu \u2014 are actively campaigning for the party\u2019s reelection online. President Hassan is \u201ca compassionate leader who truly works for the people,\u201d Nyalandu told her 1.2 million followers in a recent Instagram video.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung people support CCM because of the president\u2019s efforts to empower youth,\u201d Imani Masiga, the party\u2019s digital head, told Al Jazeera, adding that influencers are not paid for their support.<\/p>\n He acknowledged that some celebrities may receive assistance for \u201ctransport or accommodation\u201d at campaign events, but insisted most perform at rallies voluntarily.<\/p>\n He also said that CCM did not restrict online content.<\/p>\n \u201cCriticism exists. We can\u2019t expect everyone to support the president, and that\u2019s OK,\u201d said Masiga. \u201cIf you follow social media closely, you\u2019ll see critics are still active and free. When criticism is constructive, we take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n But for local digital rights group, Tech & Media Convergence (TMC), the party is doing everything it can to control information online.<\/p>\n \u201cThe digital landscape, which once held the promise of expanding civic participation, is now increasingly viewed as a site of intensified state control,\u201d TMC said in a report (PDF<\/a>) published this month, adding that there was \u201ca systematic and intensifying campaign by state authorities to control the pre-electoral information environment\u201d.<\/p>\n Since May, X has faced nationwide restrictions after government accounts were hacked, while YouTube has faced network disruptions. In August, the government ordered police to conduct \u201conline patrols\u201d,\u00a0according to local media, to monitor those \u201cwho aim to disrupt the peace\u201d, but did not give details on how those patrols would work.<\/p>\nDebates move online<\/h2>\n
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\u2018Losing hope\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Control of the digital landscape<\/h2>\n
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