Mama Rais, let this be your singular objective

Dear Mama Rais,

I begin this on a personal note of apology. In a commentary following the death of the late President John Magufuli, I closed off by stating that other than being a pretty face, there was very little to write home about on your part.

To put it in context, these pejorative remarks were in line with how Magufuli, in his inimitable style, described your facial appearance in the full glare of television cameras during CCM’s Congress in 2020.

Significantly, they were born out of years of exasperation with the management of this country by your political party, which you have served in various capacities, including as vice chair of the forgettable Constituent Assembly of 2014.

That position, it is fair to say, was your springboard to the vice presidency and, eventually, the presidency.

Now we are assessing Samia @100. And not only are you the first woman head of state in East Africa but, as I write this piece, the only executive one on the continent. So all eyes are on you, even if it was all rather an accidental presidency to begin with, but then life is full of surprises, we are told.

Back to the apology bit. There are several means of evaluating a leader’s ability, and indeed for me a crucial eye-opener was your historic state visit to the Republic of Kenya.

The goodwill from this economic engine of East Africa was palpable in the air, and you rose to the occasion hands down!

You actually embarked, I’d say, on the mending of relations going all the way back to the era of Mwalimu Nyerere.

That was no mean task. You not only spoke from the heart but with poise.

In all, the visit served to elevate your stature regionally.

Returning to the home front, at the news conference marking your first 100 days in office, your message was emphatic on the economy being the overriding priority. Given the buccaneering ways of your predecessor, there is considerable damage limitation work to be done.

But I’d hasten to add that the damage was in my reckoning even more so on the political front.

The Magufuli era was to all intents and purposes the final nail in the coffin of Tanzania’s politics, and no one captured this toxicity better than President Joe Biden’s in his inaugural address: “Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war.”

This is exactly what had become the situation obtaining in our peaceful Tanzania, and it is an episode one would rather forget, but alas, can’t.

Moreover, it highlights the extent of our acute political underdevelopment. I actually believe it is better for a country to suffer from socioeconomic underdevelopment than political.

And it is for this reason that it is widely recognised that “politics is at the centre of gravity of development”.

Mama Rais, your work is clearly cut out. I say this fully cognizant of the enormous baggage that comes with being part and parcel of a reactionary CCM. In a changed tone from the past, you have reaffirmed your willingness to receive constructive proposals in propelling the country ahead.

I, for one, take the view that a new constitution is something to forget. No ruling political party can undertake such a far-reaching exercise in order to pave the way for its own exit.

That said, there are a few things that can be done. The first is on the provision for private candidates. This was actually passed by the Constituent Assembly, and you are in an advantageous position to see it through even as political tokenism.

I should remind you as well that in 2014, the Opposition under the umbrella of the Tanzania Centre for Democracy did meet with President Jakaya Kikwete, and agreed on four sticking points to be dealt with prior to the 2015 General Election. It is so disheartening that the political players have forgotten this, and are dwelling now on a new constitution.

Furthermore, based on some of your political pronouncements, I’d challenge you in however small a way to start a conversation on the type of memberships that constitute our parties.

As a clear indicator of poverty of politics, CCM and the Opposition have reached endemic levels of trying to harvest from each other when there is nothing to harvest. It doesn’t make sense to poach members from the opposite side when there is an enormous marketplace for fresh recruitment, especially for the Opposition.

Equally important, it is the honest truth that all political parties in Tanzania don’t have the capacity to undertake competitive internal elections. My plea to you would be to consider the thought of the National Electoral Commission being charged with overseeing all parties’ election processes.

After all, if a party is receiving a subsidy from the taxpayer, then why should it not be accountable on how it conducts its elections?

It is also my firm conviction that it is high time senior leaders of all political parties underwent extensive training as national leaders. It doesn’t make sense that top government officials are required to attend the National Defence College, but parties are let to do as they wish. One way of stemming the tide of parties being safe havens for tricksters would be to facilitate such training.

This would also be in keeping with Mwalimu Nyerere’s core message of lifelong learning and leaders looking like those they lead.

Mama Rais, this is the time for a bit of political reimagining. All political parties are plagued by fundamental problems that should concern us all. Any attempts at poverty reduction must begin with reducing poverty of politics.

This ought to be your singular objective.

Happy first 100 days!