Zanzibar. Agriculture has emerged as one of the defining themes in the manifestos of presidential candidates and their parties ahead of the October 2025 elections.
Its prominence underscores the sector’s role as a foundation for economic transformation and national self-reliance.
For Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) presidential candidate Hamad Rashid Mohamed, agriculture is not just a policy priority but the backbone of his campaign.
He argues that empowering farmers is the decisive step towards ending food shortages, achieving self-sufficiency, and turning Zanzibar into a net food exporter.
“If elected President, I will provide proper leadership to end food insecurity once and for all. Zanzibar will stop depending on imports and instead export surplus food,” he told supporters on the campaign trail.
“This is possible if we empower farmers with modern tools, skills, and capital,” he added.
Rice at the centre of the vision
At the heart of Mr Mohamed’s agricultural agenda is rice, the staple food for most Zanzibaris.
He believes the Isles have the capacity not only to meet domestic demand but also to build a significant export base.
According to him, Zanzibar possesses 10,000 hectares of land suitable for rice cultivation.
He plans to mobilise 30,000 farmers, equip them with modern techniques and inputs, and transform them into commercial producers.
“One hectare of irrigated rice, with improved methods, yields between three and five tonnes of paddy, equivalent to about 1.5 tonnes of rice. With 10,000 hectares fully utilised, Zanzibar will comfortably feed its people and still export,” explained Mr Mohamed.
He insists that supporting 30,000 farmers would be enough to reposition Zanzibar as a rice exporter.
“The potential exists. What is lacking is political will and effective leadership to empower our farmers,” he added.
Who is Hamad Rashid Mohamed?
Popularly known as HRM, Mr Mohamed is one of the veterans of Tanzania’s reform politics.
His political journey began in Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), from which he was expelled in 1988 for his uncompromising stance against the party line.
In 1992, he co-founded the Civic United Front (CUF), playing a central role in shaping Tanzania’s nascent multiparty democracy. Four years later, he had become one of the party’s most visible figures.
By temperament, Mr Mohamed is calm in argument yet unyielding in principle. These qualities earned him admirers and adversaries alike.
His unwavering stand also led to his detention between 1997 and 2001, when he and other CUF leaders faced treason charges.
After over two decades in CUF, Mr Mohamed broke away in 2015 following sharp disagreements with the party’s Secretary-General Seif Sharif Hamad. He went on to establish ADC, which he now leads.
A checkered run for Zanzibar’s presidency
The 2025 election marks Mr Mohamed’s third attempt at the Zanzibar presidency on the ADC ticket, having contested in 2015 and 2020 without major success.
Despite those setbacks, his political stature has kept him relevant both in Zanzibar and on the mainland.
His vast experience across government, parliament, and opposition politics has made him one of the Isles’ most seasoned politicians.
Following the disputed 2015 polls and their 2016 re-run, then President Dr Ali Mohamed Shein appointed him Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries.
In 2018, he was transferred to the Ministry of Health, where he served until 2020.
Many observers credit him with notable reforms in both ministries, especially in agriculture, where he championed farmer support programmes during a politically delicate period.
From the banking hall to politics
Before plunging fully into politics, Mr Mohamed carved out a career in finance. He joined the People’s Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ) in 1972 as a clerk and was promoted to supervisor within a year.
Between 1973 and 1976, he served as Assistant Manager at the Chake Chake branch in Pemba, before becoming Manager of the Wete branch.
In 1978, he was appointed Director of External Affairs at the National Bank of Commerce (NBC), a position he held until 1982.
During the same period, he served on the council of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro while also holding the post of Secretary General of the Tanzania Union Organisation.
Entry into national politics
Mr Mohamed’s parliamentary career began in 1977 when he was elected Member of Parliament for South Pemba.
By 1982, he had been appointed Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and later transferred to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in the same role.
He also sat in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives and the Revolutionary Council, while serving on CCM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) between 1982 and 1988.
His expulsion from CCM in 1988 marked a turning point, steering him into opposition politics.
After his acquittal in the treason case in 2001, President Benjamin Mkapa appointed him as a nominated MP.
He later contested and won the Wawi constituency seat in 2005, retaining it in 2010. During this period, he served as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and chaired the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Mr Mohamed has also represented Tanzania in numerous international parliamentary forums, cementing his reputation as an articulate debater and reform advocate.
Academic and professional training
Born on March 1, 1950, in Wawi, Chake Chake, Pemba, Mr Mohamed received his early education at Chake Chake Boys Primary School (1958–1968) and later attended Fidel Castro Secondary School in Pemba (1969–1971).
In 1979, he obtained a diploma in Political Science from Kivukoni Ideological College.
Two years later, he completed a diploma in Community Development Studies at Francis Xavier University in Canada.
He also earned a Leadership Achievement Certificate from Pyongyang University in North Korea, a Diploma in Leadership Proficiency from the Leadership Training Institute in London, and pursued a Master’s degree in Project Management at the University of Salford, UK (2014–2018).
Reformist credentials
Throughout his career, Mr Mohamed has been a consistent advocate for democracy and reform.
His influence has extended beyond the Isles to the mainland, making him one of the few Zanzibari politicians with a truly national profile.
Supporters hail him as a principled leader and symbol of the multiparty struggle. Critics, however, argue that his political clout has waned, citing his limited electoral performance in previous presidential bids.
Nonetheless, his 2025 focus on transforming 30,000 farmers into commercial rice producers has reignited debate.
Analysts suggest that if well-communicated, the message could resonate strongly with rural voters, who form the backbone of Zanzibar’s electorate.
Beyond agriculture: An education revolution
While farming forms the centrepiece of his manifesto, Mr Mohamed also pledges to revolutionise education.
He envisions a fully digital learning environment across Zanzibar, with the gradual elimination of paper in schools.
“This is the era of technology. Zanzibar’s children must be prepared for the digital future. Under my leadership, education will be paperless, with digital platforms driving teaching and learning,” he pledged.
The proposal complements his agricultural vision by positioning Zanzibar as a knowledge-driven economy ready for the future.
A seasoned contender
As Zanzibaris prepare to vote on October 29, 2025, Mr Hamad Rashid Mohamed remains a familiar face in the Isles’ political landscape.
His long record in government, opposition, finance, and reform movements sets him apart as one of the country’s most experienced contenders.
Whether his strategy of empowering 30,000 farmers to feed and liberate Zanzibar will win him the presidency remains uncertain.
But one thing is clear: his campaign has already put agriculture and food security firmly at the centre of the national conversation.
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