TLS president, Boniface Mwabukusi, chronicling his own 2020 election experiences in his X page has shared what really accosted him before the election commission. He says the returning Officer told him in his face he didn’t need his election forms to verify with what he had since in his laptop he had the real election outcome! Pre-cooked results that were in his laptop.
The returning officer summoned the temerity to write him a letter that sarcastically egged him to go to court if he wished. Mwabukusi traversed the High Court where he had pleaded with the court to scrutinize the votes, the court told him the returning officer had taken a “fidelity oath” so his conduct was above reproach!
The returning Officer, contrary to the election law, took matters in his own hand when he ordered the sealed ballot boxes be unsealed, and his assistants removed Mwabukusi’s ballots and replaced them with his closest competitor. The returning Officer who doubled as DED instructed his assistants to cast the ballots afresh amounting to evidence tampering.
He shouldn’t have bothered because the High Court ordered Mwabukusi to lodge Tshs 12 Mil to defray cost fees in case he lost. He didn’t have the money or the will to do it, and the case was thrown out. He went back to the election commission that dismissed his appeal on grounds that the commission couldn’t interfere with court proceedings. That is how the system rigged him out of a clean win to represent his constituents.
He concludes that unless there were genuine reforms nobody can protect his votes. He did it in 2020 but didn’t tilt the illegal outcome since the courts and the election commission work in tandem. Mwabukusi says whoever claims he can protect his votes is conman.
Contrary to his views, Zitto Kabwe is adamant he can protect his votes. He is dreaming of ACT-Wazalendo to garner between 30 – 50 MPs. He didn’t distinguish where those parliamentary seats will hail from. ACT-Wazalendo is historically in Pemba where they have been faring very well despite massive rigging everywhere else. Technically, the majority of those estimated 30 – 50 MPs could come from Pemba, and that doesn’t require protecting the votes.
Of more concern, is what happened in 2020. What prevented Zitto Kabwe from protecting his vote? He complained that there was ballot stuffing and the returning Officer didn’t do him justice. Of his quest come true the likes of Chadema in particular its leader, Tundu Lissu, will argue:
“…. hivyo ni viti vya upinzani vya kupewa…”
Why is Zitto Kabwe anticipating this election to be different from 2020? He had also boasted ACT-Wazalendo is going to restore the dignity of the Bunge! Where is he getting his audacity from? Is something happening behind the scenes? Will CCM give ACT-Wazalendo lots of seats to mask the flaws of the elections laws or what? This article investigates these confounding issues, and much more.
Mwabukusi’s X content reproduced.
“2020 Niligombea..Nililinda kura zangu..Nikakusanya Matokeo
yangu…Returning Officer wa Jimbo hakuhitaji matokeo yangu ili kujumlisha kura za jimbo.Alikuwa na matokeo yake kwenye laptop. Na alisema wazi kwamba Tayari ana matokeo.
Na akaniandikia Barua kwa Kiburi kabisa kwamba Niende kokote ninakotaka. Nikaenda Mahakamani walipopokea Petition yangu na kuona nimeomba scrutiny ya kura zilizopigwa Mkurugenzi wa Halamashauri( Hapa soma Returning Officer aliye apishwa tuliambiwa kiapo kinawafanya watakatifu.
Akaagiza wafanyakazi…wakafungua masanduku ya Kura
wakaanza kuchoma kura zangu na kupiga kura upya. Nikakimbilia Tume ya Taifa ya uchaguzi.Wakasema kwakuwa niko Mahakamani hawawezi kuingilia…Mahakama Ikaniambia hatufanyi chochote
mpaka udeposit Milioni 12 taslimu.
Ndugu yangu ,Hauwezi kulinda kura kwa Rungu na Majabali kura zinalindwa kwa Sheria na Kanuni zinazo hakikisha uwazi wa Zoezi Zima.
YEYOTE ANAYEKWAMBIA UTALINDA KURA NI TAPELI,” End of quotation.
Why is Zitto Zuberi Kabwe ebullient with the forthcoming elections?
The contrasting perspectives of Boniface Mwabukusi and Zitto Kabwe on electoral integrity reflect deeper tensions in Tanzania’s 2025 political landscape. Here is a structured analysis:
⚖️ 1. Mwabukusi’s Electoral Trauma (2020).
– Pre-cooked Results:
Mwabukusi witnessed the returning officer openly dismiss his election forms, stating results were predetermined on a laptop.
– Evidence Tampering:
The officer unsealed ballot boxes, removed Mwabukusi’s votes, and replaced them with his competitor’s ballots—a direct violation of electoral laws.
– Judicial Complicity:
The High Court demanded Tsh 12 million (∼$5,000) for a vote scrutiny petition, effectively blocking legal recourse due to cost. The court also upheld the returning officer’s “fidelity oath” as sufficient credibility.
– Conclusion:
Mwabukusi asserts that without systemic reforms, vote protection is impossible, labeling such promises as “conmanship“.
🔍 2. Zitto Kabwe’s Confidence in 2025.
– Projected Gains:
Kabwe anticipates ACT-Wazalendo winning 30-50 parliamentary seats, primarily relying on strongholds in Pemba where the party historically performs well despite rigging elsewhere.
– Strategic Ambiguity:
He avoids specifying mainland seat targets, raising questions about viability beyond Pemba. His claim to “restore parliamentary dignity” lacks concrete electoral safeguards.
– 2020 Precedent:
Kabwe himself reported ballot stuffing and returning officer misconduct in the last election, undermining his current optimism about vote protection.
🧩 3. Political Context Fueling Skepticism.
– Opposition Crackdown:
– Chadema, the main opposition, is barred from the 2025 elections after refusing to sign a disputed electoral code.
– Tundu Lissu faces treason charges for advocating “No Reforms, No Elections“.
– Limited Reforms:
– Recent changes include removing District Executive Directors (DEDs) as returning officers and granting prisoners voting rights.
– However, opposition demands for constitutional reforms (e.g., diaspora voting, candidate debates) and an independent electoral commission remain unaddressed.
– CCM Manipulation Suspicions:
Kabwe’s confidence may stem from backroom negotiations with CCM, which could allocate seats to ACT-Wazalendo to create a façade of pluralism while neutralizing broader opposition.
⚠️ 4. Why Kabwe’s Stance Risks Credibility.
– Systemic Barriers:
Courts and electoral commissions have historically collaborated to invalidate opposition evidence, as Mwabukusi experienced.
– Repression Escalation:
Abductions (e.g., Chadema activist Mdude Nyagali), media bans, and treason charges against critics intensify pre-election repression.
– Economic Discontent:
Rising living costs and unemployment could bolster opposition support, but without electoral reforms, such sentiment may not translate into fair outcomes.
💎 Conclusion.
Mwabukusi’s 2020 first-hand ordeal exposes institutionalized electoral fraud, making Kabwe’s optimism appear detached or politically convenient. ACT-Wazalendo’s projected gains in Pemba are plausible due to regional loyalty, but claims of nationwide vote protection ignore Tanzania’s unreformed electoral architecture. Unless Kabwe reveals specific safeguards against pre-cooked results and judicial bias, his stance risks validating Mwabukusi’s “conman” critique.
