Chadema: We’ll work with Hamad

What you need to know:

Chadema revealed yesterday that they had held discussions with former CUF secretary general Seif Sharif Hamad to join them, but had not reached consensus, but insisted that they will continue cooperating with him in his new party of ACT Wazalendo.

Dar es Salaam. The main opposition party, Chadema, said yesterday that it had huge interests in registering Seif Sharif Hamad, who decamped from CUF to ACT Wazalendo.

This was revealed by party’s deputy secretary-general (Zanzibar), Mr Salum Mwalimu, in Dar es Salaam who said that they would, however, work with Mr Hamad in his new party. “We will cooperate with Mr Hamad. We agreed at our December 2018 meeting in Zanzibar that we will cooperate,” he said. He said Hamad’s joining ACT had not dealt a blow to Chadema because he (Hamad) joined a party with which they share interests. “It is not a blow to us. Our leaders had approached him because they saw it a good thing for him to join us. We’re happy that he has joined another opposition party. If for, instance, you have a daughter and the suitor chooses to wed your brother’s daughter over her, he has still come to your family, hasn’t he?”

Last year Chadema Elders’ Council announced that it was courting Mr Hamad to join the party as CUF was facing troubles. As for the strength of Chadema in Zanzibar, Mr Mwalimu said the party would continue with its political activities but noted that it will not disturb ACT’s operations. On Monday, Mr Hamad, who was secretary general of CUF, joined ACT with several of his followers.

That was after the High Court ruled that the Registrar of Political Parties Francis Mutungi was right to recognise Prof Ibrahim Lipumba as the legitimate CUF chairman.

man of the party.