Zanzibar leader says plot against him foiled

Press, 14 July 1980, Page 6

Zanzibar leader says plot against him foiled

NZPA-Reuter Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania The leader of Zanzibar, Aboud Jumbe, has said that 16 people have been detained and will be tried in connection with an abortive coup aimed at overthrowing his Administration. Mr Jumbe told a mass rally on the spice island that investigations were continuing but gave no further details. The official Shihata news agency said the conspirators had been foiled at the last moment when they had /‘completed a detailed plan ifor their illegal act.” i Mr Jumbe, who is also [Tanzania’s Vice-President. I told the rally the Govern- | ment had been closely following designs hatched by ! “counter - revolutionaries

aimed at causing political tension and discord among the population. “The designs at the same time were aimed at separating the leadership from the people,” he said. He appealed to Zanzibaris to stay calm “during this difficult period.” Last Tuesday well-in-formed sources said Tanzanian forces had been placed on partial alert after reports of increasing opposition to Mr Jumbe.

Zanzibar joined with the Tanganyika mainland to form the Union of Tanzania in 1964. Mr Jumbe is chairman of the Revolutionary Council which has ruled Zanzibar virtually by decree, and the island, whose economy is based on export of cloves.

has retained a large degree of autonomy. He came to power after the assassination in 1971 of the island’s strongman. Abeid Karume. This year, for the first times, the islanders have been given a measure of democracy under a new Constitution. Local cells of the ruling Revolutionary Partyvoted for members of a new House of Representatives early this year and the Constitution also provided for a popular poll for the supreme post of Revolutionary Council chairman, which will be held in October. There have been open expressions of dissatisfaction i with the present leadership land last summer a number lof anti-Jumbe wall posters 'appeared.