Mwalimu Nyerere hints at intention of not contesting in 1980 polls

Dar es Salaam. As the process of screening aspirants vying for different elected posts during the 1975 polls was in progress, President Julius Nyerere declared, for the first time, his intention of not contesting for presidency during the 1980 General Election.

Mwalimu Nyerere was the sole presidential candidate through his then ruling party, Tanganyika African National Union (Tanu).

In different meetings of Tanu, Mwalimu declared that the time was ripe for him to hand over power to the youth.

He also asked fellow leaders of Tanu to think about the issue of stepping aside for new blood to take over.

The results of the 1975 presidential election were announced on Sunday, October 26 by the then chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mr Erasto Mang’enya.

The results were announced at the Diamond Jubilee in Dar es Salaam Region in the presence of different dignitaries of Tanu and some residents.

However, during the announcement of the results, Mwalimu Nyerere was not present.

Mang’enya announced that Mwalimu Nyerere had been elected to become president for another tern of five years after scooping 4,168,455 votes of YES out of 4,557,595 votes that were cast.

Mr Mang’enya said Mwalimu’s victory was equivalent to 93.2 percent of all voters who participated in the election.

Some 302,005 voters voted against Mwalimu Nyerere and 83,327 votes were spoiled.

A total of 5,572,555 members of the republic had registered to vote.

During the October 30, 1970 General Election, about 3,465,573 registered voters, equivalent to 95 percent of 3,649,789 voters, who participated in the election, voted for Mwalimu Nyerere.

After Mang’enya had announced the presidential results, according to the authority given to him and section 40 of electoral regulations, all those in attendance stoop up and the national anthem was played.

Thereafter, the then vice-president of Tanu, Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa, delivered his address of appreciation.

Expressing his thanks on behalf of a joint meeting of Tanu and ASP that had proposed the name of Mwalimu Nyerere, the then First Vice President, Aboud Jumbe, sincerely congratulated all those who exercised their right of voting.

Mwalimu Nyerere was sworn-in on Saturday, November 1, 1975 by then Chief Justice Augustino Saidi at State House in Dar es Salaam.

A 10-member delegation of the Afro-Shirazi (ASP) party arrived in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, October 30 for the swearing-in ceremony the then president-elect of Tanzania.

Three religious leaders said prayers for the re-elected president. They were Bishop John Sepeku of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa of the Roman Catholic Church and Sheikh Musa Makungu from Zanzibar.

On November 3, two days after the swearing-in ceremony, Mwalimu Nyerere, under the Constitution of Tanzania, nominated eight people to become MPs. They were Hadija Swedi, Anna Kabati, Titus Mpanduji, Julie Manning, David Msuya, Wilbert Chagula, Thabita Siwale and Tatu Mamampakani.

According to the Constitution, the President has the authority of nominating 10 people to become MPs.

President Nyerere also nominated 45 people from Zanzibar to become MPs. Out of whom, 22 were members of the House of Representatives, five regional commissioners for Unguja and Pemba islands and 18 members of the republic.

Elected MPs from 96 constituencies had started arriving in Dar es Salaam to attend the first sitting of the new Parliament on November 6.

Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa was chosen National Assembly Speaker and his deputy, who was chosen was Stanslaus Kasusura.

In the secret ballot to choose Speaker, Sapi scooped 163 votes while Chief Erasto Mang’enya, who was Speaker of the Parliament that ended its term of office in July, 1975, got one vote.

Congratulating Adam Sapi Mkwawa for being elected Speaker and all MPs who were chosen and nominated, Kawawa said “Parliament is a big modern school.”

He also congratulated Deputy Speaker of the previous Parliament, John Kibogoyo, whom he described as “a person with the heart of cooperation.”

On November 9, 1975, President Nyerere announced his new Cabinet that included two new ministries, Justice and Planning and Public Service.

He also made changes in some ministries by creating the ministry of Finance and Planning; ministry of Water, Electricity and Mining; the ministry of Industry and the ministry of Trade.

The Cabinet included the then First Vice-President, Aboud Jumbe; Prime Minister and Second Vice President Rashidi Kawawa; Finance and Planning minister Amir Jamal; Foreign minister Ibrahim Kaduma; Internal Affairs minister Ali Hassan Mwinyi; Defence minister Edward Sokoine; Justice minister Julie Manning and Agriculture minister John Malecela.

The others were Industry minister Cleopa Msuya; Trade minister Alphonse Rulegura; Water, Electricity and Mining minister Wilbert Chagula; Communications minister Alfred Tandau; Planning and Public Service minister Nicolas Kuhanga; Education minister Isael (Israel) Elinawinga and Health minister Leader Stirling.

Also on the list were Culture and Youth minister Mrisho Sarakikya; Information and Broadcasting minister Daudi Mwakawago; Natural Resources and Tourism minister Solomoni Saibul; Lands, Housing and Urban Development minister Thabita Siwale and Labour and Social Welfare minister Crispin Tungaraza.

Appointed also were Works minister Louis Sazia; minister in the President’s Office (Capital Development Authority) Hasnu Makame; minister in the President’s Office Peter Siyovelwa and minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Hussein Shekilango.

The appointed were also Foreign Affairs Deputy minister Isaac Sepetu; Defence Deputy minister Seif Bakari; Agriculture Deputy minister Edward Barongo; Industry Deputy minister Chrisant Mzindakaya; Education Deputy minister Nazar Nyoni; Health Deputy minister Mustafa Nyang’anyi; Deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Robert Ng’itu and Deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s office Ali Mchumo.

The President also appointed Prof Justinian Rweyemamu to become his special aide for economic affairs.

Rweyemamu also acted as secretary of the Economic Committee of the Cabinet.

In the next issue of The Citizen, we are going to focus on how the climate of the October 26,1980 election was.