Tanzania: Ruling party Secretary General Bashiru Ally speaks about predecessors’ controversial letter

Dodoma. The Secretary General (SGs) of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Dr Bashiru Ally on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 told members of the party to defend their leaders when the political atmosphere ‘gets dirty’.

Dr Ally, who taught political science at the University of Dar es Salaam before he was picked to be the ruling party’s SG, poured praises on Mtera Member of Parliament (CCM) Mr Livingstone Lusinde, saying he did the right thing to ‘fix the political atmosphere when he saw that it was getting dirty’.

“You should play your publicity role. I congratulate Mr Lusinde. When he saw that the playground was in a bad state, he closed the toilet door and spread perfume and went out via the rear door then went to China.

That was very good,” he told a meeting of the party’s members here on Tuesday.

Dr Bashiru did not clarify the political atmosphere that had become dirty.

But last week, Mr Lusinde held a press conference where he castigated a decision by former CCM SGs Mr Abdulrahman Kinana and Mr Yusuf Makamba for the letter they wrote in which they asked the party’s Advisory Council to intervene following what they described as incessant attacks from a self-described activist.

According to the letter, the activist, Cyprian Musiba, has been tarnishing the images of the party’s former leaders and accusing them (former leaders) of plotting to sabotage President John Magufuli.

During the press conference, Mr Lusinde urged the elders to “calm down”, saying what they were receiving was “the fruit of the seed they sored” while serving the party’s top position.

He called for them to be questioned for what he believed was disrespect to President John Magufuli.

“Mr Kinana had called the ministers of his own party’s government ‘burdens’ while Mr Nape [Nape Nnauye] rose to fame by insulting other people himself,” said Mr Lusinde. “People ask me if I support Musiba and my answer has always been yes, because he’s not doing anything new but rather a continuation of a tradition whose founders pretend to be angered by what is happening today.”

And on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, Dr Bashiru also commended his party’s leaders for Dodoma Region for coming out openly to castigate the former SGs’ letter.

A few days ago, the CCM Secretary for Dodoma Region, Mr Henry Msunga read a statement from the party’s regional office in which they asked the ruling party’s national leaders to take stern measures against Mr Kinana and Mr Makamba.

According to Dr Bashiru, the statement from the party’s Dodoma members was as straight as a ruler, saying it deserved no further debate. “You should continue being strong especially when you see dirty being thrown at your party and specifically, at its national chairman, President John Magufuli,” he said.

This is the first time that Dr Bashiru is speaking out openly in connection with the strong-worded letter written on Sunday, July 14, 2019 by Mr Kinana and Mr Makamba.

Mr Makamba and Kinana served as CCM SGs between 2009 to 2011 and 2012-2018, respectively.

In their letter, the retired senior officials warned of the dangers that the “unfounded allegations” pose to the party’s “unity, solidarity and tranquility.”

The two leaders called on the party’s sages to intervene, saying that there must be a force behind Mr Musiba’s accusations, which they think was determined to drive the country “into a precipitous drop.”