Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam began slowly reopening for business on Tuesday after a five-day curfew paralysed economic and social activity in the two cities.
Petrol stations and grocery shops started to reopen, while public transport services resumed gradually following several days of suspension.
The reopening came after the government directed all public servants to return to work, effectively lifting the work-from-home directive issued last week when the curfew was imposed in Dar es Salaam last Wednesday.
The order had also applied to private-sector workers and students nationwide, who were instructed to work and study from home for safety reasons.
However, speaking shortly after being sworn in on Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan instructed regional and district commissioners to ensure all public and private activities return to normal without delay.
When The Citizen toured parts of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma on Monday, several fuel stations were seen reopening, although some remained closed.
High demand led to long queues at the stations that were operational, with motorists — including bodaboda riders and private car owners — scrambling to refuel in order to resume work or return to their offices.
Tanzania Bus Owners Association (Taboa) spokesperson, Mr Thabit Mfaume, confirmed that bus services had resumed across the country and expressed gratitude to the government for reopening public transport.
“We were allowed to resume operations yesterday (Monday) and have started work today. We call upon our customers to continue travelling with us as we are confident about safety for now,” he said.
Despite the reopening, many commuters in Dar es Salaam still struggled to secure transport, with some routes yet to see full bus availability. Commuter Edwin Semagambo told The Citizen he spent Sh10,000 on transport to reach his office due to a lack of commuter buses. During normal days, he spends less than Sh1,000 to travek from Tabata Kimanga to Posta where he works.
Responding to complaints regarding the limited number of buses, Dar es Salaam Commuter Bus Owners Association (Darcoboa) official Shifaya Anaselema said the sudden return-to-work announcement meant many drivers were not near their buses and several vehicles lacked fuel.
“Starting tomorrow, everything will stabilise as drivers are gradually returning to the roads. What is important now is ensuring petrol stations are fully reopened so drivers can access fuel in all parts of the city,” he said.
He said that some drivers had opted to wait and assess safety conditions before resuming operations. “Given today’s calm situation, I am confident that by tomorrow things will return to normal,” he noted.
At Tabata, bodaboda rider Jerome Moshi said riders were charging between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 on Tuesday morning to ferry passengers from Tabata Kimanga to Posta due to limited fuel supply.
“I had to visit several petrol stations to get fuel, so it was difficult to charge the usual fares. Once all filling stations resume normal service, we will also return to our regular charges,” he said.
Schools were initially scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, but many institutions notified parents that lessons will resume on Wednesday instead.
Rehema Msinga, a parent whose children study at Pamoja Primary School, said she received a text from the school informing parents of the updated reopening schedule.
She said the school had also urged parents to check their children’s exercise books and ensure they are prepared for classes.
