Membe finally parts ways with ruling party CCM
Former Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe
Dar es Salaam. Former Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe yesterday returned CCM membership card at the party’s ward offices in Rondo-Chiponda, Lindi Region.
Mr Membe’s decision comes a few days after the ruling party insisted that a resolution by the its Central Committee (CC) to sack the former diplomat would not be overturned.
February 28, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity secretary, Humphrey Polepole, said the CC resolved to strip Membe of his membership over indiscipline and unethical conduct despite past warnings. However, Mr Membe attributed the decision to his political ambitions for the forthcoming General Election.
“Today at 12:30pm my wife and I, accompanied by hundreds of Rondo residents, returned our CCM membership cards to owners. I have written to the CCM secretary general about the move and thanked the party for the good things it did to me. I wish all leaders and members all the best,” tweeted Mr Membe yesterday.
Mr Member has not disclosed his next move although has expressed his resonation with the opposition ACT-Wazalendo’s policies.
At its December last year meeting in Mwanza, CCM’s Nec instructed the party’s Ethics Committee to question Mr Membe and two former secretary generals; Yusuf Makamba and Abdulrahman Kinana over misconduct.
NEC also endorsed amnesty issued by its chairman, President John Magufuli to three CCM lawmakers Nape Nnauye (Mtama), January Makamba (Bumbuli) and William Ngeleja (Sengerema).
Early, 2019, Mr Kinana and Makamba wrote to the CCM Elder’s Committee, blaming the government for failure to protect them against a person who had been attacking them verbally, saying he was being protected by someone in authority.
Several days later an audio clip with voices believed to belong to lawmakers saying things were no longer at ease within CCM went viral on social media. Mr Makamba was forgiven after the questioning while Mr Kinana was put under 18 months observation. But, Mr Kinana sought for Dr Magufuli’s pardon a few months later.
