NEC reinstates CCM membership to Sophia Simba

Dar es Salaam. The CCM National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday, November 21, reinstated party membership to Ms Sophia Simba after submitting several letters asking for forgiveness to ruling party national chairman John Magufuli.

March 11, this year, NEC stripped off membership of several members, including Ms Simba. During the meeting held in Dodoma, several other members, including Tanzanian high commissioner to Brazil, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, were warned for allegedly letting down the party during the 2015 General Election.

Speaking after receiving six prominent members, who defected from Chadema and ACT Wazalendo to CCM during the NEC meeting at State House, Dr Magufuli said Ms Simba was the only member out of several others, who were stripped off their membership, had written letters asking for forgiveness.

“Let me read her letter dated March 14, 2017 and if you find it appropriate she could be reinstated. She is the only one, who has been tendering letters asking for mercy. The two others accepted the decision made and the others have remained quiet,” he said after which he read it.

After that, Dr Magufuli asked the 115 members attending the meeting out of the 119 members whether she should be received and the attending members unanimously shouted “YES”, meaning they approved it.

Then, the chairman directed CCM secretary-general Abdulrahman Kinana to write a letter to Ms Simba to inform her about the decision taken by the NEC meeting, noting that he would also update his records.

In her letter, Ms Simba admits to have done mistakes to the party and asks for forgiveness, noting that she spent her life within Tanu and CCM and the achievements she made were associated with the ruling party.

“It is my first time to be punished by CCM, yet I’ve been heavily punished. Please, have mercy on me,” reads part of her letter read by Dr Magufuli.