South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday called on the government of Tanzania and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, which scored a landslide election victory last week, to respect human rights amidst reports of a crackdown on opposition leaders.

“The EFF calls on the government of Tanzania and the ruling party to act with restraint and respect the fundamental human rights of citizens and in particular, the right to peaceful demonstration,” EFF national spokesperson Delisile Ngwenya said in a statement.

“We call on Chama Cha Mapinduzi party leadership as revolutionaries to be magnanimous in their victory and to (urge) its cadres deployed in government to restrain security services from undermining the basic human rights of free assembly … as contained in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

The South African opposition party led by Julius Malema also called on the African Union and the Southern African Development Community to intervene in the “potential toxic post-election situation” in Tanzania.

“No leader in Africa should find comfort in ruler-ship over the blood and corpses that have come to define African countries every time election results are announced and, in this instance, the newly announced President of Tanzania, John Magafuli,” said Ngwenya.

“It is high time that the African Union holds leaders of governing political parties liable for loss of life every aftermath of elections in Africa and immediately activate the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights before the West(ern) imperialists (send) these genocidal African leaders to the Hague,” she added, referring to the city in the Netherlands which is home to the International Criminal Court.

Despite the general elections being marred by reported incidents of violence, the persecution of opposition activists and widespread accusations of rigging, Tanzania’s electoral commission declared Magufuli the overall winner, securing a second five-year term with a resounding 84 percent of the votes.

The EFF called on Tanzanian leaders to be exemplary and follow the example set by the country’s founding father, respected pan-Africanist statesman Julius Nyerere.

“Leaders of the ruling party of Tanzania have a responsibility to protect and promote the values of ujamaa (family-hood) as espoused by … Julius Kambarage Nyerere who graciously retired without spilling blood on the streets of Dar es Salaam,” said Ngwenya.

Earlier, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also current African Union chairman, congratulated Magufuli on his re-election.

According to Pretoria’s acting Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale, Ramaphosa commended the people of Tanzania for “upholding democratic principles and holding peaceful elections”.

“Furthermore, the president looks forward to working with Dr Magufuli to strengthen the strong and cordial bilateral relations that exist between South Africa and Tanzania, as well as in matters of mutual interest in the Southern African Development Community region, the African continent and the world,” Seale added.