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How Tanzania’s CCM is grappling with cadres remarks
CCM Secretariat for Ideology and Publicity, Amos Makala addresses MCL journalists during his recent visit to Mwananchi Communications Ltd in Dar es Salaam. He has had to offer rebuttals of remarks issued by senior party cadres that deviate from the party's policy. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The party has been compelled to issue multiple rebuttals to distance itself from a series of controversial statements made by its cadres concerning elections and state institutions
Dar es Salaam. The ruling party, (CCM), is grappling with challenges of coordinated messaging after senior cadres were caught in video making remarks that have disparaged the party’s image and tarnished its democratic credentials.
The party has been compelled to issue multiple rebuttals to distance itself from a series of controversial statements made by its cadres concerning elections and state institutions.
One of the latest contentious remarks came from Marko Ng’umbi, the former District Commissioner for Longido in Arusha.
In a video clip that went viral, Ng’umbi claimed that the electoral victories of councillors in the 2020 elections could not be credited to their individual efforts but were instead due to government 'support.’
He suggested that the government manipulated the electoral environment to secure their victories, including those of candidates who were elected unopposed.
"Allow me to assure you that I am a very tough person. If there is someone who is not afraid, it is me. All of you here, councillors in 2020, there was no councillor who campaigned here... The conditions of 2020 did not arise by chance," Ng’umbi is heard saying in the clip.
He further claimed that councillors had no real control over their wards and that their electoral success depended on government support.
The CCM has distanced itself from Ng’umbi’s statements. A few days after the clip went viral, President Samia Suluhu Hassan revoked Ng’umbi’s appointment.
The brief statement did not provide reasons for the revocation of the appointment.
During an internal meeting on September 4, 2024, CCM's Secretary for Ideology, Publicity and Training, Mr Amos Makalla, refuted Ng’umbi’s claims.
"I don’t know what’s happening in the bushes; I am saying that whoever ran out of speech and started looking for their words does not concern us (CCM)," Makalla asserted.
He emphasised that CCM does not rely on rigging or external support and is competitively prepared for the upcoming local and general elections.
Makalla added that CCM cannot go to the bush, but Ng’umbi went alone for a purpose only known to himself.
"I am the spokesperson for CCM; we assure Tanzanians that this party is prepared for both this year’s local government elections and the General Election next year, and we will win. We cannot wander aimlessly in the bush because we have a formidable grassroots system and a strong manifesto. We do not need external support," said Makalla.
Former Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Nape Nnauye, was another senior cadre who got into trouble for remarks that were later disowned by the party.
On July 15, 2024, Nnauye suggested, at a public event in Kashai Market, Bukoba Municipality, that electoral results could be manipulated through various methods, both legitimate and otherwise.
He was soon relieved of his ministerial duties, although no reasons were given for the dismissal.
Again, Mr Makalla was forced to condemn the statement, saying Nnauye’s comments did not represent CCM's stance.
“There is a leader I heard online saying that election victory does not come from the votes in the ballot box. I want to tell him that this statement should not be seen as coming from CCM… We will respect any results and decisions made by the people through the ballot box, and anyone who wins fairly will be awarded the victory," he said.
The controversial statements have ignited a broader debate about electoral integrity in Tanzania.
Analysts and opposition politicians have criticised the party, urging for a transparent electoral process.
Dr Hellen Kijo Bisimba, a veteran lawyer, has called for legal action against those making such statements.
"This is a matter for the authorities responsible for legal and human rights issues in the country, as some of these statements, if scrutinised, could be deemed criminal," she said.
And a University of Dar es Salaam’s lecturer in Political Science, Prof Mohamed Bakari, said: “One of the roles of a party is propaganda, so when one of your members makes a statement that damages the party’s image, you have a responsibility to publicly distance yourself from that statement.”
He said despite these denials, the party does not refute that the statements reflect the reality of the situation.
“If you examine the political trends in Tanzania, these statements reflect the current state of politics in the country, as such issues frequently arise during elections,” he added.
He also suggested that the solution to the situation lies in amending the constitution.
