Tanzania assures SADC observers of full cooperation during the General Elections

ZANZIBAR: TANZANIA has assured its SADC region partners of its preparedness to hold free and fair General Elections while also promising to give the region’s electoral observers full cooperation.

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Cosato Chumi, has met with the Advance Electoral Observation Mission from the Electoral Commissions Forum of the Southern African Development Community (SADC-ECF) at the Ministry’s offices in Zanzibar.

During the meeting, Chumi assured the delegation that Tanzania is well-prepared for the upcoming general elections scheduled for October 2025. He emphasized that the Tanzanian Government is committed to providing full cooperation to the Mission during the election observation process.

The Mission is led by Mr. Mosotho Moepya, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, and comprises members from the electoral commissions of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

In their discussions, Chumi expressed Tanzania’s appreciation for the Mission’s role, particularly in providing recommendations aimed at improving electoral systems. He reiterated the government’s dedication to adhering to the standards and principles established by SADC member states in promoting democracy and good governance across the region.

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For his part, Mr. Moepya thanked Tanzania for its warm cooperation and noted his satisfaction with the steps being taken to include various stakeholders in the electoral process, especially the youth and women, as well as efforts to improve electoral laws.

Mr. Moepya also highlighted that such visits provide valuable learning opportunities for electoral commissions from SADC member states to exchange best practices on conducting free and fair elections.

The Advance Electoral Observation Mission is in the country from August 13 to 19, 2025, under the SADC Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation (PEMMO), and the Guidelines for the Observation of General Elections in the SADC region. The main objective of the mission is to assess the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) ahead of the upcoming elections.

While in the country, the Mission has met with various stakeholders, including university lecturers, civil society organizations, journalists, INEC, ZEC, and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.