Zimbabwe Importers Hit Hard By Tanzanian Post-Election Violence

The violence that erupted in Tanzania following last week’s disputed elections, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan reportedly won by nearly 98 per cent, has disrupted trade and affected several Zimbabwean businesses.

Thousands of Zimbabwean traders rely on the Dar es Salaam corridor for vehicle imports and quality clothing supplies, but operations have been severely affected by the recent unrest, which left hundreds dead and many others injured.

One affected trader, Christopher Chiroroma, who runs KC Motors in Harare, said his business has suffered significant losses.

Chiroroma told Business Times that he has lost US$22,500 worth of vehicles that were caught in the unrest. He said:

“We had four vehicles that had already been cleared from the Port in Dar es Salaam but due to technical challenges at the Tanzania–Zambia border, there were delays.

“Eventually, the border was shut down ahead of the Tanzanian elections. We were advised that operations had been suspended because of political unrest and we were forced to leave the vehicles behind and return home.”

A few days later, he received a message informing him that two of his vehicles had been extensively damaged during the post-election violence. Said Chiroroma:

“Out of the four vehicles awaiting clearance, two had been extensively damaged following the political violence that rocked Tanzania last week.

“The two vehicles are a Nissan X-Trail we imported at a cost of US$13,000, and a Honda Fit we procured at a cost of US$9,500. From our assessment, the vehicles are now a complete operational loss.

“This will significantly affect our investment because we are small-scale importers. This is our source of income. I am shaken. I am in pain.”

He said nineteen more of his vehicles remain stranded at the port, with no updates forthcoming from Tanzanian authorities. Added Chiroroma:

“We are now very sceptical about having them released because we fear the same thing could happen again.

“We are asking the governments of Zimbabwe and Tanzania to engage urgently to allow safe passage of the vehicles currently stuck at the port.”

Political analysts say the 2025 Tanzanian elections turned violent because of a mix of political repression, lack of transparency, suppression of opposition voices, and heavy-handed tactics by security forces against protesters.

In the run-up to the polls, key opposition leaders such as CHADEMA chairperson Tundu Lissu and his deputy John Heche were arrested, while other candidates, including Luhaga Mpina, were disqualified.

The African Union Election Observer Mission (AUEOM) later reported that the elections fell short of international democratic standards, citing widespread irregularities such as ballot stuffing, foreign voter participation, and an uneven playing field that overwhelmingly favoured the ruling party.