Tanzania: Can Opposition Demonstrations Oust the Govt?

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Mlagiri Kopoka

1 March 2011

Mwanza — The Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo’s (Chadema) ‘people power’ slogan last week captivated residents of the Lake Zone regions, who could not resist putting their different political ideologies aside.Unlike the second session of the 10th Parliament last month when MPs could not hide their political affiliations, people ofrom all walks of life turned out to a series of demonstrations and rallies organised by Chadema.

The demonstrations were indeed not for Chadema members and supporters alone, but rather for all Tanzanians, who intended to vet their fury against the ever rising cost of living, erratic power, grand corruption, haphazard ammunition explosions and you name it.

Some people though could not take part in the demonstrations and rallies, concurred with Chadema’s complaints and believed that ‘people power’ is the last solution for the quandaries facing ordinary Tanzanians.

Among them was Mr Madaraka Nyerere, one of the sons of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who confessed before his mother, Mama Maria Nyerere, and his brother, Mr Makongoro Nyerere, that he supported the Chadema demonstrations and rallies.

The Chadema leaders paid a courtesy call on Mwalimu Nyerere’s family at Butiama in Mara Region where each placed a wreath on the grave of the fallen Father of the Nation.

A number of demonstrators carrying banners with some of the placards portraying strong messages some in an abusive language against the government and CCM did not prevent the demonstrations from being held peacefully.

A Kiswahili saying goes ‘Mnyonge mnyongeni, haki yake mpeni’ – do not hang a wretched person and deny him his right as well.

Hats off to the police force in Mwanza and the entire Lake Zone regions for enabling the demonstrations to be held peacefully.

Their Arusha counterparts used excessive force to stop a similar Chadema demonstration that left three innocent people killed and about 30 others injured on January 5, this year.

Thousands of hands were raised each time the Chadema national chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, and the party’s secretary-general, Dr Willibrod Slaa, dared to ask the crowds if they would support a revolt as is the case with Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

With the exception of less defiant and rebellious messages, Furahisha and Mukendo grounds in the city and municipality, respectively, temporarily turned into Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The demonstrations prompted analysts to ponder over whether the North Africa’s ‘people power’ can inspire the sub-Saharan Africa to remove malfunctioning governments from power.

Cases that brewed revolts in northern Africa abound in sub-Saharan Africa where leaders such as President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda cling on to power even after ruling the country for 25 years.President Paul Biya of Cameroon has also been in power for a quarter of a century and his rivals already have vowed to use ‘people power’ for driving him out of office.

While liberation political parties have been ruling Tanzania, Angola and Mozambique since independence, at the age of 86, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe maintains that he could rule the country as if he was still young.

Matthew Tostevin, a political analyst, argued that the dynamics of the sub- Saharan Africa are different from those of the North Africa.

Ethics dissection, less urbanised populace and poor communications make it hard for mass actions to successfully take place in sub-Saharan Africa, he said. Another analyst, Robert Mkosamali, a PhD candidate at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (Saut), concurred with Tostevin.

The living condition in Tanzania though is worse compared to those in northern Africa, the ‘people power’ ideal is still premature in the East African country, he explained. The ongoing bickering among religions leaders in Tanzania, for instance, was not being dealt with constructively, he said, observing that some politicians were being victimised along those lines.

“We can see some of the so called ‘religious leaders’ tactfully teaming up to stop the public from holding leaders from their sects accountable,” he explains. The Singida East MP, Mr Tundu Lissu, however, asserted that President Museveni’s victory through vote rigging reflected the ‘people power’ fear haunting long-time dictators on the continent.

Thinking the rural populace was politically passive was not only incorrect, but ignored vivid evidence, he says, arguing that Chadema had been performing well in rural constituencies in general elections’ history of Tanzania.

Citing the Kigoma North MP, Mr Kabwe Zitto, and the former Karatu MP, Dr Willibrod Slaa, Mr Lissu said urbanisation could not inhibit ‘people power’.

The shadow chief whip said time would tell if the ongoing bickering among religious leaders would have any significance in ‘people power’. “Mind you, it is the same Tanzanians, who jointly fought against colonialism and played pivotal role in sub-Saharan Africa’s liberation and the fight against apartheid.

“It is just because they are not yet that much angry. I assure you, these people will jointly rise again when they are fed up with what is happening in the country,” he said.Standing by the size and mood of the crowds that took to the streets in Mwanza, the fury Mr Lissu is predicting probably is still not yet born in Tanzanians’ minds.

“I am still a loyal member of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), but I support the Chadema demonstrations and rallies because they serve as a platform for people to express their views,” Madaraka said.

Chadema critics, who thought the party’s demonstrations and rallies were meant for fomenting chaos, were wrong, he said, urging the opposition party to continue capitalising on the CCM weaknesses for the ruling party to correct its mistakes if it is determined to restore its lost destiny.

“As I speak in front of my father’s tomb, I know that few Tanzanians turned out to cast ballot in last year’s General Election when CCM garnered five million votes and Chadema two million votes.

The challenge ahead of Chadema is to sensitise at least 12 million Tanzanians mostly those not yet reached by CCM to turn out during the next General Election for the party to register six million votes ahead of CCM,” he said amid deafening applauses.

Citing Barack Obama, the mass communication expert said effective communication was the secret behind the US President’s victory. One of the risks of a party to rule for decades as was the case with Tunisia, Egypt and Libya was complacency and that he was ready to have Chadema rule the country even if he still supported CCM, he said.

Apparently commenting on the development in the ended Bunge session, Mama Maria Nyerere said all MPs were equal regardless of their political parties, as they were all supposed to serve Tanzanians.

Additional reporting by Anthony Mayunga, Butiama.

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