The closure of the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania amid election unrest had a huge impact on Malawi as incoming trucks were unable to enter the country for several days.
The Malawi–Tanzania border crossings at Songwe and Kasumulu were closed due to clashes between protesters and police in the days surrounding the 29 October vote. The mob vandalized Tanzanian government buildings, destroyed customs offices and disrupted communications networks in Songwe. According to the Transporters Association of Malawi, the unrest paralyzed the cargo sector.
“The pumps are dry here. You can barely get fuel in Lilongwe and Salima,” Sydney Chama told DW in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Meanwhile, experts have warned that the ongoing political instability in Tanzania may have ramifications beyond the country.
“We could see a rise in inflation and a decline in growth. Farmers are going to be the most affected. We are at a critical moment when fertilizers are needed,” Christopher Mbukwa, an economist and lecturer at Mzuzu University in Malawi, told DW.
Landlocked countries in southern Africa, such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are heavily dependent on Tanzanian ports for fuel, pharmaceuticals, agricultural inputs, vehicles and textiles.
widespread disruption in Africa
Tanzania is part of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) and is a key stop on the North-South Corridor (NSC), one of Africa’s most important regional trade and transport routes.
The network’s ports, roads and railways connect the SADC bloc to the Great Lakes region of Africa. More than 60% of all SADC trade flows through the corridor. Earlier this year, SADC members Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe endorsed a plan to develop a “smart corridor” that they expect to boost GDP by $16.1 billion and create 1.6 million jobs.
Tanzanian ports play an important role in vehicle imports into Zimbabwe, handling about 15,000 units annually.
“Internet blackouts were a big problem in Tanzania,” Zimbabwean car importer Trice Chisamba told DW. “We could not communicate with the clearing agents. Some of our vehicles were abandoned and parked outside the port, we feared they might be destroyed in the violence.”
Analysts have said importers may need to seek alternative routes through ports in Mozambique or South Africa, although these may be more expensive.
“Players across various industries must act quickly to find alternative ports,” Mbukwa said.
What did SADC election observers say?
The SADC election observer mission in Tanzania condemned the disputed election, saying it failed to meet democratic standards. The mission said in its preliminary report that voters in many areas were unable to express their wishes. It also cited restrictions on opposition activity and reports of ballot stuffing.
SADC observers said, “Overall, the 2025 general elections in the United Republic of Tanzania fell short of the SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.”
Political analysts warned that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s legitimacy could come under scrutiny after his rare criticism of SADC.
“SADC is simply saying that there were no elections in Tanzania – which is a shared sentiment among Tanzanians,” Tito Mugoti, a human rights lawyer in Dar es Salaam, told DW.
“The government she forms is illegitimate. The Parliament is illegitimate. The interests of the people will not be represented,” he said.
Two SADC leaders at the inauguration of Suluhu Hassan
Suluhu Hasan took oath in a private ceremony on Monday. Only two leaders of the SADC bloc attended: President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and Daniel Chapo of Mozambique.
Some Zambians criticized Hichilema for attending the inauguration, suggesting it was an endorsement of a disputed election.
“The political stance we are pushing for in Zambia’s presence in Tanzania is the same one that Kamuzu Banda took in the 1960s,” putting trade before independence, political activist Joseph Kalimbwe wrote on X.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa sent his deputy Constantino Chiwenga. “What happened in Tanzania is deeply disturbing and must be avoided at all costs,” Chiwenga said on Zimbabwe’s state television. “I believe that Tanzania has matured and is the mother of all liberation movements. I am confident that they will overcome their differences and move forward.”
Meanwhile, the South African government is yet to comment on the developments in Tanzania. Its president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has just been elected as interim president of SADC. The bloc’s 2025 president, Andry Rajoelina, was removed as Madagascar’s president in a coup amid political unrest shortly before Tanzania’s disputed elections.
Edited by: Benita Van Eysen