Chadema leaders: rebirth of activism

Dar es Salaam. A list of new Chadema leaders has brought new hopes of change in Tanzania’s opposition politics ahead of the 2020 General Elections.

Hopes come about following the promotion of Mr John Mnyika to be the party’s secretary general from the position of deputy secretary general (Mainland), as well as the inclusion of former Singida East MP, Mr Tundu Lissu, and Benson Kigaila who become vice chairman and deputy secretary general (Mailand) respectively.

Other leaders are Mr Freeman Mbowe (re-elected the national chairman); Mr Said Mohamed Issa (vice chairman, Zanzibar), and Mr Salum Mwalimu, re-elected deputy secretary general (Zanzibar).

The new administrative leadership - led by secretary general Mnyika - is considered it will bring back the political activism that was practised by Chadema in the past, but which was ‘forgotten’ in the last four years of the reign of the ousted secretary general, Dr Vincent Mashinji.

Mr Mnyika is also considered to know the party better, compared to Dr Mashinji who was described as an outsider when his name was selected in March 2016.

Mnyika is described as experienced person who has spent many years in the party including working closely with former secretaries-general Dr Willibrod Slaa and Dr Vincent Mashinji as he worked as deputy secretary general (Mainland).

“It was a difficult moment to pick someone for this position. However, I’m glad to have someone who has matured within the party,” said Mr Mbowe after unveiling the new secretary general and his deputies.

He added, “We have limited time before the (2020) general election. Therefore, there is no time to lose. We will work day and night, exert enough pressure upon ourselves because we want to win and form the next government.” Mr Mbowe said Chadema will not seek permission for them to do politics, directing the deputy secretaryies-general to focus on taking the party to the grassroots level.

In his interview with The Citizen yesterday, Mr Mbowe said they have enough tactics with which to defeat CCM - and that Chadema is stronger than before.

Regarding Dr Mashinji, Mr Mbowe said time had come for changes to be made - and that everything done during Mashinji’s tenure in office was collectively decided upon.

“If he recorded achievements somewhere, we share them - the same as failures. There is no way we can blame him for anything,” he said.

Speaking to The Citizen’s sister paper Mwananchi yesterday, Dr Mashinji said the new elected leaders should ensure that Chadema becomes a strong institution - and not a piece of property owned by an individual.

“They should also be careful, and work according to the present circumstances to avoid taking the party to unnecessary problems that would cost the party dearly,” he said.

But, a political lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof Bakari Mohamed, said the team was formed by experienced and politically-tested leaders. “They can make a good team ahead of the 2020 General Elections. Dr Mashinji lacked competence in ‘platform’ politics which are important as strategic politics. ‘Cold’ politics are not good under the present circumstances,” he said.

A senior lecturer at the University of Dodoma (Udom), Dr Paul Luisulie, said the changes don’t mean that Chadema will necessarily go back to activist politics because the country has changed. “Dr Mashinji was cool; but the party needed someone who would immediately communicate the party’s affairs to the public - something which, I think, Mr Mnyika will manage,” he said.

He said the remarks made by Dr Mashinji indicate that he was aware of claims that Chadema was ‘owned’ by individuals - at times referring to it as a ‘Savings and Credit Co-Operative Society (Saccos).’ “He is also indirectly admitting that they resorted to the wrong political approaches in the past - and that this made them spend many years attending to cases in the courts; something he would like successor leaders to avoid,” he said.

A retired University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) don, Prof Abdul Sharrif, suggested that Chadema should strengthen internal unity and build a strong base ahead of the 2020 General Elections.