Inside the tussle over Dar City mayoral position

Dar es Salaam City Mayor, Isaya Mwita speaks yesterday during the Councilor meeting at Karimjee Hall. Councilors were presents their committee statements from the Municipals. Right is Dar es Salaam City Council Director, Spora Liana. PHOTO|VENANCE NESTORY

What you need to know:

The efforts to unseat the mayor started soon after the 2015 General Election and Mr Isaya Mwita was only saved by the intervention of President John Magufuli

Dar es Salaam. Efforts to unseat the Dar es Salaam City Council (DCC) mayor Isaya Mwita have intensified this month after CCM members in the council cast votes of no confidence.

The new development could be described as renewed political tussle which started during the mayoral election soon after the conclusion of the 2015 General Election.

During that period two opposition partis, Chadema and the Civic United Front, which had 87 eligible members blamed CCM that had 76 members of playing ‘dirty games’ in order to win the election.

It was only after the intervention of President John Magufuli that Mr Mwita, who ran under the Chadema ticket, was declared the new Dar es Salaam Lord Mayor.

But, with few months remaining before commencement of the 2020 election process, Mr Mwita has found himself on the spotlight again, fighting for his political survival.

This time the mayor who doubles as the

Vijibweni Councillor on Chadema ticket is accused for failure to plan the spending of Sh5.8 billion from the Usafiri Dar es Salaam (Uda) for the City’s development activities.

The money was paid to the DCC by Simons Group after purchasing 51 per cent share owned by the council from Uda.

He is also accused of misusing the office car that was reported to have been involved in a road accident as well as failure to properly preside a councillorship meeting.

The said meeting saw confrontation between Ubungo mayor Boniface Jacob (Chadema) and his Temeke counterpart Abdallah Chaurembo (CCM), according to accusations levelled against him by the pro CCM members.

In the last accusation, Mr Mwita is accused of filling the Finance committee with opposition members, allegations that were seriously refuted by the Dar Lord Mayor.

How the situation evolved?

Last year, 16 CCM council members and one CUF member signed a petition to kick start the impeachment of Mr Mwita.

The 17 members conformed to the DCC regulation requiring that two third of the total 26 members should sign the petition.

The petition was then taken to the DCC executive director, Ms Sipora Liana who tabled it before the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Paul Makonda.

Mr Makonda then formed an investigation team whose report was tabled before the DCC meeting on January 9, 2020 at the Karimjee Hall.

The meeting turns chaotic

At least all 16 CCM members who attended the meeting cast votes of no confidence against Mr Mwita where as two Chadema representatives didn’t.

But, during the meeting, Ubungo mayor, Mr Boniface Jacob exposed forgery claims whereas the Minazi Mirefu councillor, Mr Kassim Mshamu signed the attendance book despite his absence at the meeting.

The CUF councillor admitted to have been outside the city on the meeting day and he refused to have signed the attendance book.

Order was restored after Ms Liana asked for intervention of the police that saw Tabata Councillor, Mr Patrick Asenga forcefully removed from the Karimjee Hall.

Is the oust attempt successful?

The DCC regulation 84(1) requires that two third of all members should vote in favour of the process in order to legally oust the Lord Mayor.

However, during the meeting political parties (CCM, Chadema and CUF) had representation ratio of 16:7:3.

Ms Liana said the 16 votes cast against Mr Mwita were enough to oust him, noting that the 2/3 outlined by Regulation 84 (1) referred to members who attended the meeting.

She therefore ordered the Lord Mayor to handover the office in the next ten days.

The following day, Mr Mwita found that the password for his office’s door has been changed, before he was later allowed in.

However, Mr Mwita insists that demands for Regulation 84(1) hasn’t been met because 17 members had to vote in order to get the required 2/3.

He drops case from Kisutu Court

The following day, Mr Mwita through his lawyer Hekima Mwasipu dropped a case he filed at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’ Court against the DCC executive director Ms Liana, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Makonda and the Attorney General Prof Adelardus Kilangi.

He filed the case to prevent any meeting from being held to discuss and make any decisions against his mayoral position. However, the case was meaningless because the meeting took place and decisions was reached.

The DCC Financial Committee meeting

Thursday, last week, the DCC Financial Committee meeting was held at the Karimjee Hall where security officers walked away with the DCC mayor shortly after opening it.

The meeting was then presided by his deputy, Mr Abdallah Mtinika (CCM).

Addressing a press conference last Friday, Ubungo legislator Saed Kubenea and Tabata Councillor Patrick Asenga said the mayor wasn’t invited to attend the meeting.

“We members of the opposition in the DCC had to make all efforts to ensure he attends and preside over the meeting, something we succeeded,” said Asenga, adding.

“But, immediately after opening the meeting, he was taken away by security officers to an unknown destination.”

Speaking during the event, Mr Kubenea said any decisions made during the meeting were null and void citing various irregularities and the fact that members didn’t get time to discuss the meeting agenda.

“We had to discuss the Sh5.1 billion expenditure for November 2019, the DCC work plan, tax review and review of Bodaboda restrictions to the city centre. But, all these were passed without being discussed,” he said.

However, Mr Mtinika who presided over the meeting refuted Mr Kubenea’s claims saying everybody in the meeting was given opportunity to discuss the agenda.

God will decide

Last Friday, Mr Mwita told journalists that his troubles will be made easy by God. He had just attended Friday prayers at a Mosque in the city.

“… today I have attended the Friday Prayers at the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (Bakwata) headquarters alongside Chief Sheikh Abubakary Zubeiry Bin Ally. Last week I attended the Sunday Mass at a church,” he said, adding.

Mr Mwita recognizes himself as the Lord Mayor of Dar es Salaam, saying despite what was happening he was the only legal mayor of the city.

Chadema appeals for JPM intervention

Speaking to Political Platform, Chadema secretary general John Mnyika said his party will made detailed statement on the matter when time was convinient.

“At the meantime, we urge President Magufuli to intervene on the matter to end the dispute, as he did in 2016 when there was a deadlock,” he said in a telephone interview.

His comments were echoed by Mr Kubenea who said the President was the right person to intervene because the ongoing wrangles took place at the docket he was heading, the Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).

“Therefore he should make intervention for the interests of Dar es Salaam residents,” he said.

What CCM, PO-RALG say?

The CCM secretary of political and international affairs, Colonel (rtd) Ngemela Lubinga said the ousting of the Dar es Salaam mayor was determined by voters on behalf of their representatives as well as the laws governing local governments in the country under the city council director and RALG.

“But, it shouldn’t be forgotten that political parties eye for leadership whenever there is opportunity. The DCC executive director and the RALG should give us the progress after voters have fulfilled their responsibilities,” he said.

Deputy Minister of state in the President’s Office [RALG] Mwita Waitara said; “The Dar es Salaam regional administration should inform us officially over the state of events because they are the ones who initiated the process.”

When contacted, the DCC executive director, Ms Liana said the process to unseat Mr Mwita was successful.

“He should appeal to the PO-RALG minister if he is not satisfied with the decision,” she said without providing more details.

What a political science professor says

A political science lecturer from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Prof Bakari Mohamed said the Dar es Salaam mayoral saga was a continuation of a CCM strategy to ensure opposition party lawmakers defect to CCM.

He said the trend is also aimed at ensuring the ruling party takes control of towns, districts and city councils that are currently under opposition parties.

“Mr Mwita should therefore follow legal procedures and appeal. He should file petition to responsible authorities including the court instead of remaining in office by force,” he said, adding.

“This is because CCM can remove him forcefully from office using law enforcement agents.”