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Makamba’s appointment: Lesson to other political parties
2006-06-28 09:11:10
By Editor
Last weekend the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) was ’reborn.’ Yes. It was born again because it got its fourth chairman since its inception nearly three decades ago, as well as new members of its secretariat.
However, the word ’’reborn’’ is used in the sense that the new leadership has been ushered in to buttress the fourth phase government’s catchphrase of ’new zeal, new vigour and new pace’ in its push for better performance in the realisation of its development goals, particularly in so far as poverty eradication is concerned.
The new party leadership has come at a time when the new administration is just finishing to consolidate itself after completing the transition period that unfortunately saw it pass through some rough terrain.
We comment on the change of guard in the ruling party because it is the party that was unanimously mandated last December to lead the country for the next five years.
The milestone is also significant because CCM is the party on whose hands the destiny of the country is placed.
This is so because the main task of any government in any democratic society is to implement the policies of the party that is in power. We would have similarly commented it, had it been a different political party.
That the passing of the baton in CCM has been a smooth affair is reflective of its maturity. Last year the party had a similar monumental task in nominating its presidential candidate.
However, it was able to overcome many hitches and hurdles and eventually came up with a candidate who won the hearts and minds of the majority of Tanzanians, as the December polls results showed.
All this should be viewed as an accomplishment for other political parties to emulate. Our pluralistic democratic system is just 14 years old, and the opposition parties have a lot to learn from the ruling party.
No one will say, (without mincing words) that the changing of guards in many opposition parties have been smooth affairs.
Granted, CCM enjoys the advantage of incumbency. But this should not be taken to mean that some people are indispensable, and many top leaders in the party have been giving that warning from time to time.
The wellbeing of the party depends on what its government does for wananchi, and nothing else, and since the majority of them still have faith in the party, so be it.
As for the new secretariat, we have every reason to believe that its new, mostly young blood will match the party’s new motto.
There is no one in Tanzania who does not know or has not heard of Yusuf Makamba, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, recently nominated Member of Parliament who now heads the CCM secretariat as Secretary General.
We believe that Makamba is very energetic as manifested by his administrative drive as Regional Commissioner, of a huge urban area with myriads of problems of diverse nature.
As he himself said, age is not a problem. In fact, we can add that it is an advantage. CCM leaders will have to obey the new secretary general, not only because of his position but also for his age. In Tanzania, it is traditional to give respect to the elders.
We believe that Makamba is all out to surprise many and CCM deserves a pat on the back for choosing to be led by the wisdom of the elderly.
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