Tanzania's president hints at a government shakeup ahead of 2025 elections

A major shakeup in the Tanzanian government looks imminent as President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the national chairperson of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), seeks to get rid of “detractors” and “languid” individuals ahead of the 2025 elections.

This is what came up at the end of CCM’s national congress in Dodoma on Thursday when some party heavyweights insisted that there were some “detractors” within the ruling party who were derailing the implementation of the 2020 election manifesto.

“I need your (party) blessings for me to go and shake up the government. I need a team that will be able to match my speed and implement the resolutions that the party has reached today,” said President Hassan.

Make State House bid easy

She said going towards 2025, she wants the party to market itself to voters based on tangible things that they have done and, therefore, the need to have people who implement the 2020 election promises with the speed and zeal that will make the 2025 State House bid easy.

According to President Hassan, there have been grudges in the party, something that should not happen among CCM adherents.

“In other words, members whose roots are grounded within the party cannot stick to the grudges to the point of destroying their party,” she said.

She said the task ahead for the party is to implement what it promised Tanzanians through the 2020 election manifesto.

Toe the line

Technocrats in the government, said President Hassan, must be compelled to work in line with the whims of the ruling party’s leadership.

“They are there because this party has formed the government. As such, they are compelled to implement the ruling party’s election manifesto. Thus, the implementation of our party’s manifesto is not an option but a duty for government executives,” the president said.

Though she did not openly say what grudges are there within the CCM, her statement came after some influential members raised concerns about the presence of “dissidents” within the party.

Those who openly castigated the presence of “dissidents” in the ruling party included former CCM secretary-general Yusuf Makamba and former president Jakaya Kikwete.

Mr Makamba lashed out at those whom he said appear unhappy when the leadership of the country is praised.

At the same time, Mr Makamba said it was about time the ruling party made a resolution that come 2025, President Hassan should be its sole presidential candidate for the union government.

In his remarks, Mr Kikwete said there was no way that a CCM member could challenge President Hassan in the 2025 presidential race.

“It is not our tradition, but if I am to say the truth, there is no politician who is more popular than Samia in Tanzania at present. Seriously, there no one within and outside CCM,” Mr Kikwete said.