Over the past four months, I have travelled extensively across Tanganyika, the official name for Tanzania Mainland. I anticipated a quieter life after retiring as the party leader of ACT-Wazalendo, but I’ve found myself busier than ever.

Since July, our party has been working diligently at the grassroots level in preparation for the upcoming civic elections scheduled for November 27, 2024. The leadership has called everyone—active members and retirees alike—back to engage with every constituency in the country – there are 214 parliamentary constituencies in Tanganyika. Our overall objective is to empower our grassroots for these crucial Elections.

During my travels, I visited 65 constituencies across 12 regions of Tanzania. My personal assessment reveals a concerning level of apathy among the electorate, evidenced by low turnout at public rallies, minimal voter registration, and limited engagement with political issues.

Yet, the November 27 elections represent a pivotal moment for our nation—a chance to reclaim our democratic path. On this date, Tanzanians will head to the polls to elect their village and street leaders. I often explain this process to my Zambian friends and will do the same here.

In 1962, Tanganyika abolished traditional political leadership roles, such as Tribal Chiefs. Many African nations retained these positions, making them key community institutions responsible for various local matters, including land distribution.

In contrast, Tanzania’s village leadership system, where elected officials manage local governance, has become vital. Each village government is headed by a chairperson and comprises 25 council members. These local governments wield significant authority, managing village land and day-to-day operations related to schools, health services, and water supply.

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Village and street leaders handle essential tasks, from processing passport applications and national identity cards to approving land transactions. The powers and responsibilities of these local governments are extensive and fundamental to the daily lives of Tanzanians.

Over numerous election cycles, civic elections have fostered a culture of democracy at the grassroots level. This stands in stark contrast to our Union partner, Zanzibar, where officials known as Shehas are appointed without accountability to the citizens they serve.

Given the critical role of local leaders in our communities, the prevailing apathy towards this electoral process is alarming and should concern all political leaders.

This year, a total of 346,201 positions are contested in the civic elections, including 12,333 village chairpersons and 4,269 street chairpersons. This makes it the largest democratic exercise not only in Tanzania but also in the region (SADC and EAC), with no other country holding such a vast number of contested posts on a single election day.

The magnitude of these elections should prompt Tanzanian authorities to ensure they are conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner. This is particularly crucial this year, as it marks the first nationally run elections since the controversial 2019 civic elections.

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In 2019, only three per cent of villages and streets voted to elect their leaders, while ruling party candidates were declared winners in 97 per cent of cases before the voting day even arrived.

While the 2019 elections saw our country sliding towards a single-party era, the 2024 civic elections must signal a return to democracy. Both Tanzanians and political leaders should strive to define this election as a significant step towards restoring our democratic values.

Zitto Kabwe is ACT-Wazalendo’s former party leader. He’s available at zruyagwa@icloud.com or on X at @zittokabwe. These are the writer’s own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of The Chanzo. Want to publish in this space? Contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com for further inquiries.