TANZANIAN police have lifted a night-time curfew imposed since last Wednesday in the main city Dar es Salaam following deadly election protests, as life slowly returns to normal across the country.
Following the unrest, the internet was cut nationwide and most shops in Dar es Salaam closed amid acute shortages of basic essentials and soaring prices. Schools shut and public transport came to a halt.
On Tuesday, some shops reopened and traffic resumed but with queues persisting at some petrol stations in Dar es Salaam.
Families continue to search for or bury relatives killed in the clashes between the security forces and opposition supporters who denounced the poll as a sham.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday after being declared the winner of last Wednesday’s election with 98% of the vote.
Observers from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) – a regional bloc which includes Tanzania – said in a preliminary report that the election fell short of democratic standards.
The two main opposition leaders were unable to contest the poll – Tundu Lissu is in detention on treason charges, which he denies, while Luhaga Mpina’s candidacy was rejected on technical grounds.
Internet services are slowly being restored, though social media remains restricted. Police have warned against sharing images from the protests.
Lissu’s Chadema party told the AFP news agency that it had recorded “no less than 800” deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.
The UN human rights office earlier said there were credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities. The government has not given casualty figures.
Chadema now says its deputy chairman John Heche has gone missing after being picked up from a police station in the capital, Dodoma, on Tuesday morning.
The party said Heche’s wife and another party official were told he was being taken to see the regional police commander, but “when they tried to follow them to find out where he was being taken, the vehicles carrying him sped off, leaving them behind”.
“His whereabouts remain unknown, and his family and the party are deeply concerned about his safety and current location,” Chadema added in a statement.
The police have refused to comment and told the BBC to contact the government spokesperson, who has not responded.