Mwanza Municipal Mayor, James Bwire, has come out bitterly complaining about an unruly gang that is passing around character assassinating him, and other CCM representatives. What is in the boil room is fatigue with incumbency and methods to uproot it involves restraining the incumbents’ reelection efforts even if it means sabotaging their projects.
The incumbents are finding the going unfamiliar, challenging and unexpected. They expected party fellow leaders and rank and file to kowtow at the party line of unity and winning attitude. However, those who want to replace them feel alienated and are reacting in a confrontational manner.
This article chronicles and assays the “back stabbing” accosting CCM just before the elections despite showcasing the facade of the election is already in the bag. Here we go.
What did he really say?
“…. kumekuwepo kundi la watu ambalo limekuwa likipita miongoni mwetu kutuchafua, kututweza utu, lakini pia kufanya mambo ambayo mtu leo alikuambia unabaki mdomo wazi. Imejuwepo tabia ya kushikana mashati ndani ya matawi ya chama cha Mapinduzi kwa mambo madogo madogo ya kukosa vyanzo vya mapato vya chama cha Mapinduzi.
Nilimwandikia Mkurugenzi wa jiji yatengwe maeneo ya makusanyo ya mapato yatengwe kwaajili ya chama cha mapinduzi.
Tulipewa choo ambacho kipo pale machinjioni, Ndugu zangu hili nalo niliweke sawa. Ili nisipolisema ni changa moto, pia. Mimi dhamira yangu ilikuwa ni kuwapunguzia chama cha mapinduzi. Nikaandika barua kwenda kwa mtaji wa kata, akamwandikia barua bosi wake Mkurugenzi wa jiji na akakubaliwa.
Choo kile kama mradi wa chama cha Mapinduzi. Cha kusikitisha tunapata mapingamizi kutoka kwa wanachama wa chama cha mapinduzi na wengine ni viongozi wa chama.
Wamekuwa vinara wa kuwaambia wanachama wasikubali mali yenu ya serikali ikamilikiwe na chama.
….bado tuna kazi kubwa ndani ya chama hiki. Bado tuna watu ambao hawana uzalendo na chama hiki. Tulipata eneo la fremu kwa ajili ya chama cha mapinduzi. Tulikusudia kujenga fremu 5. Fremu ya kwanza ilikuwa kwa ajili ya hapa, fremu ya pili ilikuwa kwa ajili ya Tawi la Mandu, na fremu tatu zilikuwa kwa ajili ya jumuiya.
Mkipita pale karibu na bomba ya maji, tofali ziko pale lakini siasa zikawa nyingi. Kuna watu wakaenda idara ya maji na kuwaambia diwani anataka kujenga fremu za chama mzuieni kwani anaingia kwenye eneo lenu na hao ni wanachama wa chama.cha mapinduzi.
Uchaguzi wa kipindi hiki hakika umekuwa wa kusikitisha sana. Limekuwepo kundi likipita ndani ya maeneo yetu, kutuchafua, kututweza utu wetu…” End of quotation.
In a summary this is what, Mwanza Municipal Mayor is griping about:
- He is being undermining in his reelection campaign as a Councillor,
- CCM lacks income generating activities, and his efforts to address the same have been met with hostile resistance,
- Unlike previous elections, CCM is braving internal conflicts as the election reckons.
- Character assassination is a new weapon to torch reputations built over many years. All this is done to ensure the incumbent isn’t elected.
- Deep-seated hostility against incumbency is real despite national leadership’s attempt to boost its electability.
- There are members of CCM who for “principled grounds” don’t want government properties to be usurped by their own political party despite the unfair advantages presented to them.
Here is my take?
The grievances expressed by Mwanza Municipal Mayor James Bwire reveal deep-seated structural and cultural fractures within Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, reflecting broader systemic challenges as the country approaches the 2025 general elections. Drawing on the search results and political context, here is a multi-faceted analysis:
⚔️ 1. Pervasive Infighting and Character Assassination.
Bwire’s account of “unruly gangs” sabotaging reputations underscores “intensified internal power struggles” within CCM. This aligns with reports of premature campaigning tactics condemned by CCM leadership, including Secretary-General Emmanuel Nchimbi and President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Members have exploited memorial events, weddings, and NGOs to covertly campaign, violating party guidelines. Such tactics—rooted in financial influence rather than merit—foster a toxic environment where loyalty is secondary to individual ambition. Bwire’s experience exemplifies how localized factionalism erodes party cohesion, particularly as electoral stakes rise.
💰 2. Financial Vulnerabilities and Resistance to Reform.
Bwire’s frustration over CCM’s “lack of income-generating projects” and “internal resistance to revenue solutions” highlights a critical vulnerability:
– Despite CCM’s electoral dominance (winning 98% of recent local seats), its grassroots financial infrastructure appears weak, relying on opaque funding streams.
– His attempt to repurpose a public toilet into a party revenue stream was blocked “by CCM members themselves*, citing dubious “government asset protection” arguments. This suggests “entrenched corruption” among local officials who may profit from the status quo or fear financial transparency.
– Such resistance mirrors broader critiques that CCM prioritizes control over development, with resources often funneled to maintain patronage networks rather than empower local branches.
- Despite boasting of 13 million and counting members from an outdated register that has never been updated since its formation in 1977, the contributions of party members remain minuscule and insufficient to fund party operations leaving CCM to be solely dependent on government subsidies and handouts arising from “quid pro quo” access to government largesse.
🧩 3. Systemic Roots of Internal Conflict.
– Structural Imbalance:
CCM’s 60-year dominance has institutionalized a “winner-takes-all system” despite cosmetic parliamentary redress. As noted by analysts, the party’s design inherently favors incumbents, creating fierce internal competition for access to state resources.
– Elite Tribalism:
Similar to Kenya’s political climate , Tanzania’s infighting reflects “elite-driven tribalism,” where economic exclusion fuels intra-party sabotage. Bwire’s assailants are likely members seeking to monopolize benefits like contracts or nominations.
– Constitutional Stagnation:
The unrevised 1977 constitution—crafted for a one-party state—fails to address modern political rivalries, leaving CCM without mechanisms to resolve internal disputes democratically.
🗳️ 4. Implications for the 2025 Elections.
– Erosion of Public Trust:
While CCM secured 98% of local seats in 2024, this “victory” was marred by opposition allegations of repression, kidnappings, and rigging. Internal chaos could further alienate citizens weary of corruption, especially youth facing 65.6% poverty rates.
– Threat to Samia’s Reform Agenda:
President Samia’s initial promises of “resilience and reconciliation” are undermined by unchecked infighting. Her inability to rein in these forces—despite public warnings—exposes limited control over party machinery.
– Opposition Opportunity:
Chadema and others may capitalize on CCM’s visible fractures, framing the party as both oppressive and internally dysfunctional.
💎 Conclusion: A Party at a Crossroads.
Bwire’s outcry is symptomatic of CCM’s “unsustainable governance model”: externally dominant but internally fractured. Without urgent institutional reforms—such as transparent funding mechanisms, internal democracy, and constitutional modernization—the party risks decaying from within despite electoral victories.
As Tanzania’s 2025 polls approach, CCM must choose between perpetuating a culture of “financial influence over merit” or embracing genuine renewal to retain legitimacy. The Mwanza case proves that even Africa’s longest-ruling party is not immune to the corrosion of its own foundations.
Read more analysis by Rutashubanyuma Nestory
