Finally, Lissu gets into the meat of his defence in Dar es Salaam

At last, the Tanzania High Court hearing the treason trial against the chairman of the opposition Chadema party, Tundu Antipas Lissu, is taking place in Dar es Salaam. The accused has repeatedly complained that the state prosecutors do not want to expedite the hearings, but now there seems a new expediency has set in, and matters seem to be moving in a more professional way that the High Court has ruled that the prosecution’s case has been enough to show that Tundu Antipas Lissu has a case to answer.

To be honest, this finding came as a surprise to many non-legal people following the case, as most observers had thought the state witnesses had done a poor case of presenting the fact in a way to prove that a crime resembling treason had been committed by this one accused person, but such was the determination of the bench, and so Lissu has had to start his defence representing himself. (Lissu opted to represent himself, although there are more than 30 attorneys at hand as researchers, whom he continues to consult from time to time as the case proceeds).