Tanzanian Opposition Party Calls for Resignations After Death of Young Man in Ngorongoro

Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, throught it’s official social media platforms, has called for the resignation of the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ashatu Kijaji, and the Conservation Commissioner of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Abdul Razaq Badru, following the death of a 25-year-old man allegedly after being assaulted by conservation officers.

The call was made on August 14, 2026, by Emmanuel Ntobi, the party’s Shadow Minister for Natural Resources, Tourism, Culture and Sports, who strongly condemned what he described as excessive brutality against civilians by conservation officers.

The incident reportedly occurred on August 12 inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area after three young men allegedly lost their way and found themselves inside the protected area. According to the account cited by ACT Wazalendo, the men were arrested by conservation officers and subjected to punishment that allegedly resulted in the death of one of them.

The deceased was identified as Seif Mussa, 25, a garage mechanic from Matejo in Arusha.

However, the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.

In a statement issued on August 13, the Arusha Regional Police Commander, SACP Justine Masejo, confirmed that police had received information about two men who had been taken to Lutheran Hospital in Karatu.

One of the two had already died by the time he was brought to the hospital, police said.

Masejo identified the deceased as Sefu Mussa, 25, a garage mechanic and resident of Matejo in Arusha. The second man was identified as Salimu Haji, popularly known as Chambega, also a garage mechanic from Makao Mapya in Arusha. He was receiving medical treatment at the hospital.

Police said preliminary investigations had established the identities of the two men but stressed that further investigations were necessary to establish exactly what happened after conservation officers allegedly arrested them.

Authorities are also seeking information from people who may have witnessed or have knowledge of the incident. Police said a third man who was reportedly with the two had managed to return to Arusha.

ACT Wazalendo has nevertheless demanded accountability, with Ntobi calling on Kijaji and Badru to step down over the incident.

The opposition party’s allegations have not yet been established as fact, and there has been no indication from police that the conservation officers accused of assaulting the men have been found responsible for Mussa’s death.

The investigation is expected to determine what happened between the men’s arrest and their arrival at the hospital, including whether excessive force or unlawful punishment was used.