Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing.
In the wake of his abduction on a highway in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam, social media activist Edgar Mwakabela, known by his nickname Sativa, describes an ordeal that brought him near death.
He details his experience in an interview, revealing that after being kidnapped on June 23 of last year, he was interrogated and transported across the country to the remote Katavi region, over 1,000 kilometers from his home.
Sativa recounts being handcuffed, blindfolded, and severely beaten, as his captors sought to learn about his activism and criticisms of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has held power since 1977.
Despite being subjected to a horrific physical assault, he believed that the individuals who abducted him were linked to governmental authorities.
On the fourth day of captivity, he was violently taken to the Katavi National Park, where he was at risk of being killed. To his terror, an order was shouted from a vehicle behind them: Shoot him!
He was shot in the skull, leaving his jaw shattered, and he believed he had been abandoned to die. Miraculously, he survived, regaining consciousness and crawling to a nearby road where wildlife rangers found him.
As the general elections loom closer, the prevalence of abductions has escalated in Tanzania, often targeting dissenters and opposition figures. Sativa represents a rare survivor’s voice from the chilling reality facing many Tanzanians.
Despite ending up with life-threatening injuries, his escape has been heralded as extraordinary. Meanwhile, an alarming number of similar cases have been reported, prompting concerns over the treatment of opposition figures, as civil liberties continue to be curbed in the lead-up to elections.
