Tanzania has announced the cancellation of next month’s Independence Day celebrations, with Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba stating that the funds will instead be directed toward rebuilding infrastructure damaged during recent election-related unrest.

The decision comes amid calls from the opposition and other groups for public gatherings on 9 December, Independence Day, to protest the deaths that occurred following last month’s disputed election. The opposition claims that hundreds of people lost their lives in the crackdown, while the government has yet to release an official death toll and has established a commission of inquiry to investigate.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election. Since then, graphic images and videos showing dead Tanzanians have circulated widely online. The government, however, has criticised these depictions as attempts to tarnish the country’s image and has emphasized that Tanzania remains safe.

On Sunday, government spokesman Gerson Msigwa said the commission of inquiry would clarify what happened. In the wake of the protests, at least 240 people were charged with treason, though President Samia later sought to ease tensions and urged prosecutors to "show leniency." Many of those charged have reportedly been released.

When announcing the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations on Monday, Nchemba appealed to Tanzanians to avoid violence and stressed the importance of political dialogue. "I urge my fellow Tanzanians to come together and discuss the issues affecting us. Let us not return to what we went through, because the consequences are irreparable," he said.

President Samia became Tanzania’s first female president in 2021, following the death of President John Magufuli.