New CCM machinery full of surprises, graced with diversity

President Samia Suluhu Hassan new CCM national chairperson.

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By Louis Kalumbia

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Dodoma. The newly-elected CCM national chairperson, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, yesterday

once again surprised members of the party’s extra-ordinary general congress and Tanzanians in general following the appointment of new faces into the Party Secretariat.

According to the CCM Constitution, the national chairperson picks names of members and submits same to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for endorsement.

President Hassan was declared the new CCM chairperson during the party’s extra-ordinary general congress held at the Jakaya Kikwete Conference Centre here. She garnered all the 1,862 votes cast at the polling.

She then convened her first meeting of the NEC before which she tabled the names of the people she proposed as Secretariat members.

The appointment of Kinondoni District Commissioner (DC) Daniel Chongolo to succeed Dr Bashiru Ally who had left the position vacant after being appointed the Chief Secretary (CJ) few days before the death of President John Magufuli on March 17, this year.

After taking oath as President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Ms Hassan appointed Ambassador Hussein Katanga to replace Dr Bashiru as the CJ and allotted the later to the CCM nominated MP.

Ambassador’s appointment was one of the surprise decisions made by President Hassan, few days after doing the same when National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai read Dr Philip Mpango’s name as the proposed Vice President.

Likewise, the appointment of Mr Shaka Hamdu Shaka to succeed Mr Humphrey Polepople as the new secretary of Ideology and Publicity was received with mixed reactions and disbelief among party cadres, members and supporters.

Also, the appointment of Ms Maudline Cyrus Castiko who stood for the Zanzibar presidency in the 2020 General Election to serve as the new secretary of organizations replacing Mr Perreira Ame Silima was unexpected.

Ruvuma Regional Commissioner Christina Mndeme who replaces Rodrick Mpogolo as deputy secretary general for the Mainland was another story of the day.

However, Mr Mpogolo and the secretary of organization Perreira Ame Silima would be assigned other national duties, according to a media briefing by Mr Polepole.

Others who form the new secretariat are party’s secretary of Economics and Finance, Mr Frank Hawasi, the secretary of Political and International Affairs, Colonel Ngemela Lubinga and deputy secretary general for Zanzibar Abdallah Juma Mabodi who were retained in their previous positions.

But, President Hassan has demonstrated that she is unpredictable in appointment decisions of her assistants as could be remembered how she came with new face during the announcement of her cabinet and re-instated some leaders who were dropped by her predecessor.

In her appointments after assuming office, she reinstated former Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General Alphayo Kidata and Mr Benedict Hamis to succeed the sacked Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) director general Deusdedith Kakoko.

Most of the appointees were not mentioned anywhere on the press or social media, within and outside the ruling CCM.

But, yesterday, she went on surprising party cadres, members, supporters and the general public by introducing two opposition party Chadema chairmen for the Central Zone Lazaro Nyalandu and his Southern Zone counterpart Seleman Mathew who defected to CCM.

Speaking on the surprises, University of Dodoma (Udom) lecturer Ombeni Msuya said having studied leadership, she was in a good position to know good leaders who would bring changes in the party.

“She doesn’t believe on big names, rather the President is a believer of the outcome. However, she fulfils her promise to give more opportunities to the women,” Dr Msuya said over the phone.

Dr Msuya’s colleague, Dr Paul Luisilie said the President was distinguishing with others by appointing people who will be accountable and bring changes.

Delivering her first speech as the party chairperson, Ms Hassan said despite the fact that she was aware of her new role, she was confident she would manage because CCM was led through use of its constitution.

“It will be the responsibility of all members to lead the party, my 34 years’ membership experience within CCM, reforms recently made and efforts that will make things easy,” she said.

The new chair pledged to address challenges facing party leaders, including shortage of working equipment, low salaries and arrears in salaries and allowances.

Speaking during the event, Mr Nyalandu cited a Bible verse on decamping to the opposition saying it was like someone who was taken into exile and forced to entertain his perpetrators, but finally refused to sing the songs of God in a foreign land.

“Former Prime ministers Lowassa (Edward) and Sumaye (Frederick) know better about the difficulties of singing the song of God in the foreign land,” he said.

He asked the new chairperson to say a word in order to heal majority of Tanzanians with wounded hearts and console millions of Tanzanians.