Tundu Lissu

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Tundu Lissu
Member of Parliament
for Singida East
In office
October 2010 – July 2020
Succeeded byMiraji Jumanne Mtaturu
Personal details
Born (1968-01-20) 20 January 1968 (age 56)
Singida, Tanzania
Political partyNCCR-Mageuzi (1992–1996)
CHADEMA (2004–current)
SpouseAlicia Magabe
Children2
Residence(s)Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Alma materUni. of Dar es Salaam (LL.B)
University of Warwick (LL.M)

Tundu Antiphas Mughwai Lissu (born 20 January 1968 in Ikungi district, Singida) is a Tanzanian lawyer, CHADEMA politician and Member of Parliament for Singida East constituency from 2010 to 2020.[1]

He is also the former President of Tanganyika Law Society (TLS),[2] the bar association of Tanzania mainland, and Chief Legal Officer for Tanzanian opposition party CHADEMA.

Biography

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Early life

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Lissu was born in Mahambe village in Ikungi District Tanzania. He attended Ilboru Secondary School in Arusha and graduated in 1983.[1]

Career

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Lissu in TLS
Tundu Lissu chatting with former President of TLS John Seka, during the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) Annual Conference and General Meeting of 2016 in Arusha.
Lissu in Parliament
Tundu Lissu addressing the parliament of Tanzania in Dodoma.
Lissu in Kibaigwa, Dodoma
Lissu in Kibaigwa, Dodoma during 2015 General Elections Campaign.

Lissu began his career in public interest advocacy. He worked with the Lawyers Environmental Action Team (LEAT) and the World Resources Institute as a lawyer and worked on various land rights issues with regards to protected areas and mining.[3] Lissu entered politics in 2010 by winning the Member of Parliament seat for Singida East.

Over the years Lissu has built a reputation as a prominent lawyer, fierce opposition figure and outspoken government critic, especially with his repeated confrontations with the government in President Magufuli's tenure in the country.[4][5] Lissu was responsible for the research and preparation of the document that revealed the involvement of the state's high ranking officials in plundering of public funds, known as the 'List of Shame'. The politician was arrested at least six times in 2017 alone, accused of insulting the president[6][7] and disturbing public order, among other charges. On 23 August 2017, his home was searched by the police after he was arrested and questioned over allegations of sedition and insulting President John Magufuli, calling him a 'petty dictator'.[8] His arrest came [9] after he revealed to the public[10] that a plane bought for the countries national carrier Air Tanzania had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts.[11][12]

Assassination attempt and exile

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Tundu Lissu is with wife Alicia in Belgium, where he is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.

In the afternoon of September 7, 2017 during a parliamentary session break, Tundu Lissu, whilst in his car, was shot multiple times and seriously injured by unknown assailants in the parking lot of his parliamentary residence in Area D, Dodoma.[13][14] This happened a few weeks after Lissu indicated publicly that certain people instructed by IGP Sirro had been stalking him for weeks.[15][16][17]

Tundu Lissu received emergency treatment for some hours at Dodoma General Hospital[18] before, in fear of his safety, was air-lifted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya[19][20] where he was hospitalized for months [21][22] before being flown to Belgium to undergo further treatment and rehabilitation.[23] He was hospitalized at the Leuven University Hospital in Gasthuisberg,[24] where he has reportedly undergone 19 operations by mid-March 2018.[25]

Lissu's party officials openly addressed their concerns to the public and to President Magufuli, who is also Chairman of the nation's ruling party CCM, that the attempt on Lissu's life was politically motivated[26] and just another retaliation on the lawmaker's repeated run-ins with the government. While President Magufuli condemned the attack, he was "shocked" and "saddened" by the shooting and was praying for Lissu's "quick recovery",[27] several Tanzanian politicians have commented about the attack,[28][29] with CHADEMA Chairman Freeman Mbowe and opposition figure Zitto Kabwe hinting on the necessity of having a foreign body man the investigation on the attack.[30] No one was convicted for the attack on his life.[31]

Return

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On 27 July 2020, Lissu returned to Tanzania after three years in exile to contest in the general elections.[32]

In January 2023, Tundu Lissu announced that he had returned to Tanzania after five years of exile in Belgium.[33]

He was arrested in separate occasions in August and September 2024.[34][35]

Presidential aspirations

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See also: 2020 Tanzanian general election

Lissu returned to Tanzania from exile to be able to contest the Tanzanian general elections. He was chosen as CHADEMA's presidential candidate on 3 August 2020 and challenged Magufuli for president in the 2020 Tanzanian general election.[36][37]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Profile of Honorable Tundu A. M. Lissu, MP". Parliament of Tanzania. 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Lissu wins TLS presidency". The Citizen. 18 March 2017.
  3. ^ Veit, Peter (16 October 2017). "The Risks of Making a Difference: Tundu Lissu Shot in Tanzania". World Resources Institute. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Tundu Lissu ashinda Urais wa Chama cha wanasheria nchini (TLS) kwa kupata 88% ya kura". Jamii Forums. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Vocal Critic of Tanzanian President Seriously Hurt in Gun Attack". US News. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ^ "LHRC tells Tanzania to stop harassing MPs after three arrested for insulting president". East Africa Monitor. 27 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Tanzanian Politician Charged for Insulting President Magufuli". Face 2 Face Africa. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Alichokizungumza Tundu Lissu baada ya kupata dhamana". MillardAyo - YouTube. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Tundu Lissu Akamatwa Tena". Deutsche Welle. 22 August 2017.
  10. ^ "LISSU AFICHUA KILICHOCHELEWESHA BOMBADIER KUFIKA". MillardAyo - YouTube. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Tanzanian aircraft seized in Canada over debt". The East African. 18 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Ndege ya ATCL iliyopaswa kuwasili nchini mwezi Julai, imekamatwa Canada na watu wanaoidai Tanzania". Jamii Forums. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Tanzania: Opposition MP Tundu Lissu wounded by gunmen". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Mwanasiasa wa upinzani Tundu Lissu apigwa risasi na watu wasiojulikana". BBC Swahili. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  15. ^ "Tundu Lissu: Usalama Wa Taifa Wananifuatilia Ya Nini?". ABC Habari Tanzania (YouTube Channel). Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Tundu Lissu adai kufuatwa na usalama wa Taifa kila anapokwenda". Mpekuzihuru.com (Tanzania). 19 August 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Zitto Kabwe (MP): "Sababu za Usalama wa Taifa Kutakiwa Kufumuliwa"". Swahili Times. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Opposition MP Tundu Lissu Wounded by Gunmen". AlJazeera. 7 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Tanzania's Tundu Lissu recovering after gun attack". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Tanzania: Wounded Opposition Figure Airlifted to Kenya". The New York Times. 8 September 2017.
  21. ^ "Opposition lawmaker shot, wounded in Tanzania's capital". The Washington Post. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017.
  22. ^ "Mbowe: Madaktari wana matumaini kuhusu Tundu Lissu". BBC Swahili. 15 September 2017.
  23. ^ "Tundu Lissu flown to Belgium for further treatment". www.ippmedia.com. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  24. ^ "Alichoongea Tundu Lissu Baada Ya Kufika Belgium". Azam TV (YouTube Video - Reshared by Tazama). 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Lissu to undergo 19th operation in Belgium". Daily Nation Kenya. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  26. ^ "TANZANIA: Opposition blames Magufuli govt for critic's shooting". The Independent. 13 September 2017.
  27. ^ "Magufuli shocked by Lissu shooting". The Citizen. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  28. ^ ""Kwa yanayoendelea hakuna mwenye uhakika wa maisha" – Hussein Bashe". MillardAyo - YouTube. 8 September 2017.
  29. ^ "Zitto Kabwe kuhusu kushambuliwa kwa risasi Tundu Lissu". MillardAyo - YouTube. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  30. ^ "Mbowe avishutumu vyombo vya Ulinzi na Usalama kuhusu tukio la Tundu Lissu". MwanaHalisi TV - YouTube. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  31. ^ "Shot Tanzanian presidential hopeful returns home". BBC News. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  32. ^ Mbah, Fidelis. "Election race heats up as Tundu Lissu returns to Tanzania". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Tanzanie: l'opposant Tundu Lissu annonce son retour après cinq ans d'exil". RFI. 23 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Police arrest 8 of Tanzania's main opposition figures ahead of planned protests". Associated Press. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  35. ^ "Leaders of Tanzania's main opposition party released". France 24. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  36. ^ Ogila, Japheth. "Tanzanian former MP Tundu Lissu declares interest in presidency". The Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  37. ^ Maina, Mwangi. "Tundu Lissu to fly Chadema's presidential ticket". The Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
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