A Disturbing Case of Police Brutality in Tunduma: An Urgent Call for Accountability
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba — Shimba Theological Institute
There are countless videos circulating online documenting the extreme brutality committed by police on October 29. However, one particular video has been especially distressing and demands national attention.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred in Tunduma on October 29. A young Tanzanian man—our fellow citizen—was arrested by police officers who subjected him to severe beating before forcing him into a police Defender vehicle. After prolonged assault, the officers reportedly ordered him to step out of the vehicle and run. The moment he began to flee, police opened fire. The first bullet missed him; the second struck him in the back, causing him to collapse instantly.
Witnesses further report that the police took his body away. To this day, his family has searched every mortuary in Songwe and Mbeya regions but have not been able to locate his remains. The disappearance of the victim’s body raises profound concerns about obstruction of justice, concealment of evidence, and the dehumanization of Tanzanian citizens at the hands of those entrusted with their protection.
This incident forces us to confront difficult questions: Where did the police—and those in leadership—learn such cruelty? What moral, legal, or institutional justification exists for shooting a person in the back after commanding him to run?
Police brutality is not merely an act of excessive force; it is a violation of human dignity, constitutional rights, and the social contract between the state and its people. Tanzania must demand transparency, independent investigation, and accountability. Silence only perpetuates the cycle of abuse.
If we are to build a just society, we must refuse to normalize such violence. We must stand with families who have been denied truth, justice, and closure. And we must insist that the value of human life remains sacred—above politics, above power, and above institutional impunity.
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