The Deputy Chairman of Tanzania’s main opposition party, John Heche, has been arrested amid what critics describe as a widening crackdown on opposition voices just days before the country’s general elections scheduled for October 29.

Heche, who serves as Vice President of the Chadema Party, was reportedly apprehended while on his way to attend the court hearing of Tundu Lissu, the party’s chairman, who faces charges of treason.

In a statement released Wednesday, Chadema accused the government of orchestrating a campaign to “detain senior party leaders until after the elections,” calling it an attempt to silence dissent.

So far, Tanzanian authorities have not issued any comment regarding the arrest.

According to the party, Heche was arrested upon arrival at the High Court in Dar es Salaam and later transported to Tarime, a town located about 1,300 kilometers north of the commercial capital. Police have yet to make an official statement on the incidenthis second arrest in less than a week.

Last Saturday, Heche was briefly detained while attempting to cross into Kenya, reportedly to attend the funeral of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Tanzania’s Immigration Department later claimed that he had tried to cross the border illegally, an allegation Chadema strongly denies.

Heche’s arrest comes amid growing concerns over the disappearance of former Tanzanian ambassador and outspoken government critic, Humphrey Polepole. According to his family, Polepole was abducted from his home in Dar es Salaam on October 6, with relatives later finding his door broken and bloodstains inside.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is seeking her first full term in office after assuming the presidency in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, has faced mounting criticism for what observers call a return to authoritarian practices.

Initially praised for restoring political freedoms and easing restrictions imposed during Magufuli’s rule, President Samia has more recently been accused of clamping down on opposition parties and civil society groups.

Chadema has since been barred from participating in next week’s elections, and its leader Tundu Lissu remains in detention since April 2025. Similarly, Luhaga Mpina, the candidate from ACT-Wazalendo, the country’s second-largest opposition party, has also been disqualified from the presidential raceleaving only minor party candidates to challenge President Samia.