Separating Fact from Facebook Fiction During the Election Chaos

It's been turbulent days, hasn't it? If you've been following any of the Zanzibar-focused Facebook groups lately, your head is probably spinning with wild claims, panicked guesses, and—let's be honest—a whole lot of nonsense.

It seems like everyone suddenly became an 'expert' on the Union's politics, security, and infrastructure. Before we dive into the facts, let me just say this: Stop reading and trusting the keyboard warriors hiding behind anonymous profiles! 

Seriously. Spending time deciphering their poorly-informed, fear-mongering posts is a complete waste of your valuable time.

Let's cut through the noise and set the record straight on what’s been happening, especially regarding your beloved spice island.

Key Fact: Two Regions, Two Governments, Two Religions (and two flags)

This is the most crucial fact to remember, and it seems to get lost in the noise every time:

• Tanzania (the mainland, originally Tanganyika) and Zanzibar are two distinct regions, with two separate presidents and governments under the Union. (Check out my other blog post if you want the full history lesson!). And yes, the current President of Tanzania was born in Zanzibar, but has no relevance to the violence happening in Tanzania this election.

  
  

• During this election period, the two regions have perhaps never felt more different. The events, protests, and tragic violence in mainland Tanzania have nothing to do directly with the security situation in Zanzibar.

When you see news reports about violence in Tanzania, you need to be precise and keep things correct. Don't confuse the two!

Peace in Paradise: Zanzibar's Stability

In Zanzibar, the sitting President Mwinyi and his government, who won this election, have enjoyed much broader support amongst the citizenry compared to President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her government's mandate in mainland Tanzania.

And that is the likely reason the elections here have been largely peaceful.

Of course, a lot of people from Tanzania works and are currently in Zanzibar. They are fully aware of what has been happening in their own country, and even without the possibility to receive a lot of videos etc everyone I have talked with are very sad and many are angry which is understandable. It's their families and loved ones that are in the middle of this chaos. But they are smart, don't mistake them for anything else, and they know that this is the elected president and government of Tanzania's responisiblity 100%, not Zanzibar.

Creating problems and issues on the island is the last thing they want to do, also because the work they have is mostly tourist based, and they need this work more than ever now.

In fact, it's been quieter than some earlier election periods. There have been no riots at all in Zanzibar during this time. The island has remained a peaceful and welcoming destination.

Flights, Power, and the Great Internet Blackout

Naturally, the chaos on the mainland had some ripple effects here, but they were mostly logistical, not security-related.

• Airlines: Most airlines, including those operating from the mainland, have operated as usual. The exceptions have largely been routes that travel through the mainland in at least one direction. Postponements by these airlines are fully understandable, but again, this is due to the situation in Tanzania, not because Zanzibar itself is unsafe. And those airlines will not start flying again before the situation is stabilized in Tanzania.

  
  

• Electricity: Some claims suggested days of no power. That's simply false. The electricity has been as stable (or unstable, depending on your experience!) as usual.

  
  

• Internet Connection: This, however, was a major headache. The internet was down from Election Day up until Monday, November 3rd. The reason? All internet providers for the island go through the mainland. When the government there enforced a total shutdown, it created a complete blackout here too.

• Curfew: No, there has not been and there is no curfew in Zanzibar. The bars are open, people are out enjoying the nightlife or enjoying a late dinner in the beach restaurants.

While a digital detox might sound nice on vacation, the reality was inconvenient, because credit card terminals were useless and people quickly ran out of cash. Then they had to go to the ATMs, which emptied faster than the speed of lightning.

And no, another of those completely incorrect claims floating around the internet, the ATMs did not stop working because of lack of internet, they worked perfectly fine all these days. But because the huge number of people needing cash, they ran out of it all the time, and re-filling them all in time became an impossible task.

Thankfully, this has been resolved, and most areas are now either fully up and running or in the process of getting connected.

• Phone Calls & SMS: For those unable to use WhatsApp or Facetime, the good news is the traditional phone system (calls and SMS) remained operational throughout the internet blackout. I have hundreds of text messages and dozens of phone calls to prove that claim!

Travel Warnings and Your Decision

Some countries have issued travel warnings for the Union of Tanzania due to the terrible riots and loss of life on the mainland. Since Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region and not a fully separate country, these warnings do technically affect the island.

Insurance: If your country has issued a travel warning, your insurance company will typically cover any cancellation costs should you choose not to travel. I have checked with some national insurance companies in countries that still has a travel advisory active. Some told me they will cover travels to Zanzibar but not Tanzania, some does not cover travels at all to the union before the travel advice is lifted.

You should check this before you travel and consider buy a separate travel insurance if your normal insurance company does not cover your trip. Same as the case was with many of them during corona.

Should you cancel your trip? That is 100% up to you. All the tourists I’ve spoken with have had, and are having, a fantastic time—aside from the internet troubles, which are now solved. Given that the island has been, and remains, a peaceful paradise, I would personally say a clear "NO."

But remember, this is a decision that you should make based on your comfort level, not on the fear-mongering of "I know it all" social media gurus.

Quick Q&A Wrap-Up

• Refunds? No, you will not get a refund on your ZIC insurance or VISA fee from the government. There have been absolutely no security or safety issues in Zanzibar.

  
  

• Day Safaris to the Mainland? No. I strongly suggest you postpone any day safaris to Tanzania mainland, as the situation in certain regions is still not clear or settled.
  

• Lack of food and water supplies? No. Again just false rumors put out by people that either don't know or have other motives.

• Are the ferries and local airlines running? Yes. Not as many daily round trips as normal but they are both operating and getting back to normal schedules.
  

• Are the elections finished? Yes, both Tanzania and Zanzibar has had elections and both presidents are sworn in.

The people who truly love Zanzibar are deeply saddened by the unrest on the mainland. We stand in solidarity and pray for the families who have lost loved ones and had their homes and businesses destroyed. We pray for peace and unity in the future.

In these troubled times, it is a comfort to see how the people of Zanzibar have chosen peace, and we hope this spirit leads the way for the rest of the Union going forward.

Stay safe and peaceful, wherever you are.

Karibu Zanzibar!