Prime
Power without purpose: When election landslides ring hollow
What you need to know:
- Somehow our landslide political triumphs feel hollow in the face of such failures. What does it matter if you dominate the polls when basic governance is in shambles? Isn’t it easier to win hearts and minds by actually delivering results?
In November, I found myself far from Tanzania, spending a few weeks abroad. The highlight of my trip was a joyful birthday celebration, with friends singing in English, French, and Ukrainian—a reminder to cherish the little victories in life. Yet, while I was enjoying this moment, I was aware of missing the opportunity to vote in the local government elections back home.
I had made sure to register, as I always do. Voting is non-negotiable for me. As a voter, I never wilfully miss an election. Even if it is by one vote, I am not going to allow sinister forces to take control of my nation without my say. But this time, duty called elsewhere. I followed the elections from afar, only to find the news deeply unsettling.
In Warsaw, a friend called to vent his frustrations about the election process. A seasoned political contender himself, he spoke of hundreds of opposition candidates being disqualified under dubious pretences. In his constituency alone, over 200 names were struck off. I was shocked to hear that. “Haven’t you been following the news?” he asked, his voice tinged with resignation.
I had heard whispers of this but hadn’t grasped the full extent. He lamented the disarray within his party, which seemed ill-equipped to handle such challenges. Years ago, I had told him his party excelled as an opposition movement but lacked the strategic depth to transform into a lasting institution. Movements, I warned, eventually fizzle out unless anchored by solid structures. Now, his party was facing the consequences of ignoring those warnings.
Meanwhile, CCM swept 99 percent of the 12,150 village and street chairperson positions. Ninety-nine percent.
The numbers were mind-blowing. They reminded me of Michela Wrong’s Do Not Disturb, where she describes Rwanda’s 97 percent election victory. We used to read such things and say to ourselves that we are at least not there yet. But now Tanzania has boldly joined the “90 Percentile Club,” surpassing even Russia, Belarus, and Uzbekistan on the way. This is no small feat: it took us decades to achieve such results. Only North Korea is ahead of us with its 99.91 percent election results in 2023. It is only a matter of time before we get to the top.
Returning to Dar es Salaam, the city’s stifling heat welcomed me. Although the thermometer read 28°C, it felt more like 38°C—a stark contrast to Ukraine’s sub-zero temperatures. As I waited for rain to bring relief, conversations with relatives in Mbezi Makabe highlighted another issue: erratic water supply. Despite having piped water, the taps had been dry for two weeks. Rain eventually brought temporary relief, but the larger problem remained unsolved.
When rain finally came to my neighbourhood, it brought a four-hour power outage. Reflecting on my recent trip to a country at war, I couldn’t help but marvel at the difference. Despite missile strikes destroying 9GW of power, there wasn’t a single blackout during my stay. Contrast this with Tanzania—a peaceful country blessed with abundant resources yet plagued by unreliable electricity and water services.
How can we celebrate landslide political victories when we fail to deliver basic services? What is the point of our politics?
Unfortunately, this remains our reality despite 63 years of independence. It is a maddening paradox: we wield immense power to secure control yet we are absent when it comes to serving the people. Rational self-interest would dictate that those clinging to power focus on getting things done—delivering quality education, healthcare, energy, water, and transport. This is how leaders justify their hold on power in some nations, earning respect, if not admiration.
But here, we seem to follow our own logic. We witness incredible displays of power to quash any whiff of dissent, yet the same energy is nowhere to be found when disaster strikes. I saw the videos of the tragic building collapse in Kariakoo as ordinary citizens scrambled to rescue survivors by picking one block at a time. We have seen that many times. Where is the government in cases of emergency?
Somehow our landslide political triumphs feel hollow in the face of such failures. What does it matter if you dominate the polls when basic governance is in shambles? Isn’t it easier to win hearts and minds by actually delivering results?
Lately, we have been hearing of CCM leaders’ visits to China, presumably to learn from CCP’s governance model. While some of us are wary of importing authoritarian politics, we cannot deny China’s administrative efficiency. If we’re imitating their system, why not emulate their effectiveness in delivering public services too? That’s how CCP justifies its hold on power through tangible results—something that we seem unable to replicate. Politics make much better sense when lives are improved as a result.
So, congratulations are probably in order for CCM’s historic victory. But the real question is: will this mandate translate into reliable public services? It is 63 years of independence for Tanzania now. Surely, Tanzanians deserve better.
