Dr. Blessing Vava, the Director of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, was denied entry into Tanzania and deported on 30 October 2025. He was declared a “security risk” by Tanzanian authorities upon his arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
The incident occurred just days before Tanzania’s highly contested general election, which was held on October 28, 2025. Dr. Vava was on a mission to engage with local civil society groups regarding the political climate and human rights situation ahead of the poll, which the user describes as “controversial”.
The authorities provided little detailed explanation for labeling him a security risk, leading to condemnation from various human rights and civil society organizations who viewed the deportation as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and independent observation during the contentious election period.Ā
Dr. Vava was reportedly given a standard deportation order, a common administrative document used in such cases, but this document contained no specific, detailed justification for the “security risk” designation beyond the general charge.
