October 31, 2025.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: ANC says it couldn’t observe Tanzanian elections; Parly committee says court ruling on Luthuli’s death bittersweet victory; and, Tanzania government downplays violent protests, promises return to order

The African National Congress said its delegation led by deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane was unable to observe any aspect of the Tanzanian elections.

The party confirmed today that a delegation led by Mokonyane undertook a visit to Tanzania at the invitation of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said in a statement that the purpose of the visit had been to observe the electoral process, under established practices of political exchange and solidarity.

She said a “breakdown in communication” occurred between the party’s delegation led by Mokonyane and the CCM party.

Bhengu said Mokonyane arrived back in South Africa and will brief the office bearers on the matter.

The parliamentary chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development has urged the National Prosecuting Authority to continue to expedite cases relating to apartheid-era crimes to ensure that victims and their families receive justice and closure.

This comes after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court set aside the 1967 inquest finding into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli.

The court ruled that Luthuli was beaten to death, overturning the apartheid-era inquest that concluded he had been struck by a goods train.

Judge Nompumelelo Radebe found that Luthuli died because of a fractured skull, cerebral haemorrhage and brain concussion associated with assault – confirming that he was killed by Apartheid police.

Committee chairperson Xola Nqola applauded the NPA for reopening the inquest into his death and said the ruling represented a bittersweet victory.

Tanzania's government has downplayed protests that have rocked several cities since a general election earlier this week as "isolated incidents" and said it was working to swiftly restore normalcy.

Protests erupted on Wednesday over anger about the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's two biggest challengers from the race and what the government's critics say is widespread repression.

Police have imposed an overnight curfew in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam over the past two nights after government offices and other buildings were set ablaze, and internet access has been disrupted since Wednesday.

There have been no confirmed casualty counts, but a diplomatic source said there were credible reports of dozens of deaths.

The government issued its first comments directly addressing the unrest in the form of a message from the foreign affairs ministry to foreign diplomatic missions broadcast on the state television channel today.

The ministry said that, "owing to isolated incidents of breaching to law and order, the Government has heightened security and taken several other precautionary measures".

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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