CCM top brass set for axe in shakeup

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli is today scheduled to chair his first meeting as chairman of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) amid anxiety over how he will handle looming changes in the ruling party’s upper echelon.

A statement signed by CCM assistant spokesman Seleman Mwenda on December 5 didn’t specify the agenda, but confirmed that the President would chair two meetings today -- the Central Committee (CC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) for the first time. Dr Magufuli, who made shocking sweeping changes in government soon after his election in 2015, surprised many when he offered to work with the current CCM secretariat early this year.

Many had anticipated that he would make immediate and drastic leadership changes within the party to save a reputation that was tainted by corruption. But he refused to accept a resignation note from the CCM secretariat when he took over in June. Yet, events of the past few weeks have been pointing to an inevitable major shakeup within the ruling party upper echelon.

President Magufuli recently assigned new duties within government to some senior CCM cadres, paving the way for changes in the party.

New appointments from the mainstream party organs include that of CCM deputy secretary general Rajab Luhwavi, and National Executive Committee secretary of political and international relations, Dr Pindi Chana, who are now ambassadors.

Another CC member, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, has also been included in the list of 21 appointed ambassadors whose work stations are yet to be announced. Mr Christopher Ole-Sendeka, a top secretariat member and party spokesperson, was last week appointed Regional Commissioner for Njombe.

Also, NEC secretary for publicity and ideology, Mr Nape Nnauye, will have to pave the way for others in the party because he is working in the fifth phase government as a cabinet minister.

Analysts believe that these recent appointments are part of a broader plan by Dr Magufuli to reorganise the ruling party’s top organs.

More so, there is no ruling out the possibility that CCM secretary general Abdulrahman Kinana still wants out, despite the President’s refusal to accept his resignation in Dodoma last June.

An impeccable source within the CCM secretariat revealed to The Citizen yesterday that there is a lot of anxiety among the top brass ahead of the meetings today. “The actual agenda of the meetings will be known after the secretariat’s meeting. However, due to the unpredictability of our chairman, slight changes should not be ruled out,” he said on condition of anonymity.

He said issues expected to dominate discussions include evaluation of the political atmosphere in the country and state of the economy, preparations for upcoming by-elections and strategies to strengthen the party.

Political analysts who spoke to The Citizen said President Magufuli was likely to use the meetings to introduce the much-anticipated reforms, which have already started to take shape in government. They said heads would definitely roll in CCM considering the new chairman’s desire to inculcate accountability in his team, and the need to align party operations and systems with his vision and speed.

Moreover, political pundits noted, now is the right time for the ruling party to leave key leadership roles to young turks and let the elders play the role of advisers.

No choice

Mr Richard Mbunda, a political science lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, said President Magufuli had no choice but embark on strategic reforms if the party is to have a semblance of what his government stands for, and if he wants it to implement its 2015 manifesto.

“(CCM) members who sabotaged the 2015 General Election may also be punished. But, the future of the current secretariat still hangs in the balance because there is nothing much it has done since President Magufuli took over,” he said.

His views were echoed by his UDSM counterpart, Prof Benson Bana, who suggested that the party chairman should change the secretariat and provide CCM with a new energetic leadership to counter the opposition that’s getting stronger.

Prof Bana also lashed out at the CCM secretariat for failing to support the fifth phase government, especially in its effort to fight corruption, improve revenue collection and implement its industrialisation drive.

“CCM has hundreds of young members groomed to take up leadership roles in the party, therefore its chairman has a wide choice for the secretariat and CC. The elderly should remain with advisory roles.”

A political science lecturer at the Open University of Tanzania, Dr Emmanuel Mallya, is also certain that Dr Magufuli would restructure the party into an institution with more accountable leaders and members.

However, he urged the party chairman to be careful in choosing new members for the secretariat, CC and NEC, warning that only a team comprising committed and responsible officials would help him strengthen the economy and reform the public sector.

Prof Gaudence Mpangala of the Ruaha Catholic University said the CCM chairman should use the three-day intra-party meetings to “change the system or be changed by the system”.

He President Magufuli has an obligation to respect decisions made by the people during the elections for the sake of the ruling party’s survival.

“He should know that he either changes the party or wait for the party to change him,” Prof Mpangala said.