GENERAL ELECTION 2020: How 1960 elections sealed the fate of independent candidates

Dar es Salaam. The 1960 legislative elections in Tanganyika were important for various reasons. Firstly they were called to facilitate the establishment of a responsible government, obviously, to be run by the Tanganyika African National Union (Tanu) following the stunning victory of the party in the first ever Tanganyika General Election that was held in September 1958 and February 1959.

In 1959 the nationalists had hoped that the British colonialists would let the party lead a responsible government with Julius Nyerere as the head of that government. But the new governor, Richard Turnbull, was hesitant. In December of 1959 Turnbull announced that new elections would be hold in August 30, 1960 to facilitate the creation of a Tanu-led internal self-government. Five Tanu members had already been appointed to the colonial government’s cabinet after the 1958/59 elections but the government was “multiracial” comprising cabinet members from various racial groups residing in Tanganyika at the time.

Conditions for voters and candidates for the 1960 elections were less strict than those of the previous 1958/59 elections. Eight grade education was not necessary as in the previous 1958 elections. Being literate was enough. It was probably because of the less conditions that the number of the electorate rose sharply from the 36,874 who registered for the 1958/59 elections to 885,000 voters registered voters in 1960 elections. This was, however, only half of the potential eligible voters as the rest were, probably, not motivated enough to show up and register.

The 1960 General Election served the role of teaching Tanu the virtue of intra-party democracy and respecting people’s wishes. Being the most popular party, Tanu was assured of carrying all 71 seats in the legislative elections. The other political party, African National Congress, which participated did not do well.

The Mbulu fiasco

The election for Mbulu constituency was dramatic and taught Mwl Nyerere a lesson that he would keep referring to for decades after. In the Mbulu constituency Hermangild Sarwatt won the nomination but the Tanu National Executive Committee cut his name and nominated a local chief, Amri Dodo. Sarwatt then decided to run as an independent and won the election. This jolted Tanu leadership and made it realise that if internal democracy was not let to work within the party there was risk of a split because voters would always choose the candidates they wanted.

The Sarwatt incident was a contributing factor to the banning of independent candidates during the adoption of one party constitution in 1965.Revisiting the Sarwatt incident in a speech in 1995, however, Mwl Nyerere said the incident led to Tanu’s decision to let two party members compete in the parliamentary elections. This was to let people choose the candidate, from the party that they wanted.

The success of Sarwatt as an independent candidate in the 1960 elections also led to the hardening of stance of Tanu and later CCM-led governments on the issue of independent candidates. The sustained efforts by activists and opposition politicians to have the independent candidates allowed to run in the elections have been futile.

Some academicians including Frank J. Mateng’e, argue that the “the real motive underlying the government’s reluctance to endorse independent candidacy stems from the ruling party’s fear of not only losing its grip on dissenting members within the parliament and local government councils but also on a possibility of split.”

Tanu founder, Mwl Nyerere had the same fears in 1958 during the Tabora Congress, when he convinced other Tanu members to participate in the elections because if they did not some “opportunistic” Tanu members could ran as independent candidates leading to the split of the party. In the 1960 elections 58 Tanu were elected unopposed. Despite about 885,000 voters registering to vote, only about 121,445 turnedout. Some historians say the low turnout was because Tanu candidates were elected unopposed in many constituents. Tanu carried 70 out of 71 seats contested.

Some of the high profile legislative council members who, either passed unopposed or won their seats in a contest included Mwl Julius Nyerere (Dar es Salaam), Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa (Nachingwea), Derek Noel Maclean Bryceson (Dar es Salaam), Clement George Kahama (Bukoba), Amir Habib Jamal (Morogoro) and Paul Lazaro Bomani (Mwanza).

Others were Asanterabi Zephaniah Nsilo Swai (Arusha), Oscar Salathiel Kambona (Morogoro), Tewa Saidi Tewa (Kisarawe), Job Marecela Lusinde (Dodoma), Jeremiah Kasambala (Rungwe), Solomon Nkya Eliufoo (Moshi) and Chifu Abdallah Said Fundikira (Tabora).

And yet others were Michael Kamaliza (Kilosa), Saidi Ali Maswanya (Kahama), Chifu Erasto Mang’enya (Tanga Coast), Lawi Nangwanda Sijaona (Lindi), Elias Amos Kisenge (Pare), Al Noor Kassum (Dodoma), Isaac Muller Bhoke Munanka (North Mara) and Austin Shaba (Mtwara) and Sheikh Amri Kaluta Abeid (Kigoma).

After the elections Mwl Nyerere was appointed Chief Minister. On September 3, 1960 he announced his cabinet appointed from members of legislative council. This was the transitional cabinet that took Tanganyika to independence on December 9, 1961.