Dar es Salaam. As the opposition party, Chadema, prepares for a Central Committee meeting to review a 309-day period marked by legal and operational challenges, analysts say the party faces a key test in rebuilding its political standing.
Once the country’s main opposition party with representation in Parliament and local councils, Chadema currently has no elected representatives.
Besides, there was a High Court order that barred it from conducting political activities.
On April 15, 2026, the Court of Appeal of Tanzania lifted the restriction imposed by the High Court, allowing the party to resume its activities.
The decision was delivered by a panel of three judges—Augustine Mwarija, Issa Maige and Abraham Mwampashi.
The case arose from a dispute over the allocation of party resources between Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, filed by former vice-chairman Said Issa Mohamed and two members of the party’s Board of Trustees.
The two-day meeting, expected to begin tomorrow, will be the first in-person session since April 2025. It is expected to assess the party’s position after the ban and set a new political direction.
The meeting comes at a time when Chadema faces several challenges, including lack of public funding, absence from Parliament and local councils and non-membership in the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD).
A political analyst at the University of Dar es Salaam, Richard Mbunda, said the current situation is a test of the party’s resilience.
“If Chadema can continue engaging the public and addressing key issues, it can remain relevant in the political space,” he said, adding that lack of representation does not necessarily limit political activity.
He cited ACT-Wazalendo as an example of a party that maintained visibility in its early years without elected representatives. Another analyst, Conrad Masabo of the University of Dodoma, said the party needs to develop effective strategies to mobilise resources and sustain operations.
“The key challenge is how to organise and operate in a changing political environment,” he said.
Chadema Deputy Secretary-General (Mainland), Amani Golugwa, said preparations for the meeting were ongoing, with members arriving from different regions. He said the committee would review the political situation and discuss reports, including findings from the Presidential Commission on the October 29 election-related chaos.
The report was submitted to President Samia Suluhu Hassan last week. Golugwa said the meeting would also assess the party’s organisational capacity following months of inactivity.
“We will come out with resolutions on our political direction and programme of activities,” he said.
He said that the party would also review the condition of its offices and assets, some of which have deteriorated during the period, and outline a new strategy for its operations.
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