Sharifa Suleiman elected Bawacha Chairperson for a five-year term

Dar es Salaam. Former Chadema’s Women’s Wing (Bawacha) acting Chairperson, Ms Sharifa Suleiman Suleiman, has been elected as the council’s new chairperson for the next five years, following a closely contested election held on Thursday and Friday.

The official results were announced at 2:30 am on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Ubungo Plaza Hall in Dar es Salaam.

According to the announcement, Ms Suleiman triumphed in the second round of voting, securing 222 votes, and defeating her rival, Ms Celestine Simba, who received 139 votes.

The second-round election for the Bawacha Chairperson was triggered after no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

In the initial vote, Ms Suleiman received 167 votes, Ms Simba secured 116, and Ms Suzan Kiwanga garnered 100 votes.

With no candidate achieving the necessary majority, a rerun was called to determine the winner.

Ms Suleiman has served as Bawacha's acting Chairperson since 2020, following the expulsion of former chair Halima Mdee and 18 other members for alleged acts of betrayal.

Announcing the election results, Ms Aida Kenani, Chairperson of the election committee and Nkasi Member of Parliament for Rukwa Region, confirmed that 363 voters participated, with 361 valid votes and two invalid votes.

“By the powers vested in me, I hereby declare Sharifa Suleiman as the new Bawacha Chairperson,” Ms Kenani declared, prompting applause from her supporters.

In addition to the chairperson's election, results for Vice-Chairpersons of both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar were also announced.

Ms Elizabeth Mwakimomo was elected Vice-Chairperson for Mainland Tanzania, securing 212 votes (59 percent) to defeat her rival, Ms Salma Kasanzu, who received 147 votes.

This election, too, was a rerun following the absence of a majority in the first round.

Further results included those for members of the Bawacha Central Council and the general assembly.

The newly elected leadership is expected to guide Bawacha through its next phase of development.

However, the election was marred by frequent altercations among delegates, with fights erupting every half hour throughout the day.

The conflicts were primarily driven by a lack of trust between the supporters of the two leading candidates, Ms Suleiman and Ms Simba, who had to face a second vote after failing to secure over 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

As Ms Suleiman and Ms Simba emerged as the frontrunners, Chadema’s election rules mandated a second round between the two candidates.

However, this decision sparked tensions, with neither side trusting the other.

Allegations of bribery and attempts to introduce fraudulent votes circulated throughout the day, further escalating the situation.

The resulting tensions led to physical confrontations and verbal exchanges among delegates, which were only intermittently diffused.