Reflections on CCM changes: Events have come full circle

CCM passed the amendments to its constitution, as the mood from within and without warmed. With party flags ubiquitous in Dodoma, the reactions to these changes and those of a new vice chairperson (Mainland), and the return of prodigal sons to the fold, was summed up by a common refrain, which pointed to events coming full circle. The refrain, ‘CCM imerudi kwa wenyewe’, poorly translated, means that the party has finally returned where it belongs.

One of the common phrases in CCM’s politics claim that ‘CCM ina wenyewe’, again poorly translated; it points to the same thing, of a sense of belonging and ownership of the party. That the latest constitutional and leadership changes are viewed through this prism is insightful to the prevailing political psyche within the party at the moment and reflective of its past.

CCM ina wenyewe is a problematic concept.

When used by CCM’s leaders, it implies that the party belongs to the rank and file members; that they are the ones who make the final decisions about the party and its affairs. In most cases, used in celebratory mood, they use it to draw the distinctions between their party and its competitors. When used by CCM’s critics and detractors, it points to the ambiguities of CCM’s decision making process, and the behind the scenes maneuvers which have little or nothing to do with CCM’s rank and file members.

Factions are part of political life, and can be a result of many things. CCM is no exception to this reality from the days of its first chairperson in Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. What changed over the years were the issues around which factions formed and by the time John Magufuli inherited the party’s leadership, he came to view the factions which brought the party to its proverbial knees as dangerous to its long term survival.

Unlike his predecessors, he lacked the political finesse of leading a political party, which is very different from running a country. His predecessors tolerated these factions because regardless of how much they competed against each other, from time to time, temporary truces were enforced, after all these factions believed that rising to the top was a matter of time.

Magufuli focused more on the financial discipline of the party and even brought an ‘outsider’ to oversee the inspection of party’s property all over the country; something which led to rumblings from within. There was little room for some of the old ways.

Some of the latest ‘changes’ to CCM’s constitution reversed some of the changes which were made under Magufuli, and were explained away as being about improving the party’s efficiency.

This ‘feel good moment’ also greeted the return of Abdulrahman Kinana, as one of CCM’s vice chairpersons. He is a veteran of CCM, whose record in delivering the votes to his party during elections is in no doubt.

Given his long service to his party, there are those who view that the party under Magufuli mishandled his grievances which he aired to the public.

Comparisons can be made to how CCM dealt with previous disagreements among its ruling elites, which were solved behind closed doors despite rumours swirling around of things falling apart. With the benefit of hindsight, those grievances were symptomatic of something else.

Back in 2012 when there was a change of guard for some of the top jobs, the theme was reconciliation as it brought back individuals who had been swept aside by political tides post-2005. The notable individuals who made their return then included Kinana and the man he has replaced in the latest changes--Phillip Mangula.

CCM has intra-party elections this year. However, these changes are also about the 2025 general elections. Even as the new vice chairperson spoke of justice and the supremacy of the party over individuals and the governments it forms; even when he reminded others of respecting the choices of rank and file members, there were many caveats.

The changes made to the constitution do not alter the leadership structure or power dynamics as inherited from the days of the one-party state. For a party that nearly committed political suicide because of bitter factional infighting, it can now breathe again and allow a return to some of the old ways. The irony in all this being that the ‘outsiders’ made much of this possible. Elites are more comfortable when no one among them calls all the shots. That’s how politics work.

Events have come full circle.