Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on May 29, 2025.
President Samia Leads CCM in Strategic Congress Ahead of 2025 Elections
On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Tanzania’s ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), commenced its two-day special national congress in the capital city of Dodoma. The meeting is being chaired by the party’s leader, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The special congress follows two key meetings: the CCM National Executive Council (NEC) held on May 28, 2025, and the Central Committee (CC) meeting held on May 26, 2025.
The congress is expected to address three main agendas: minor constitutional amendments, a review of the 2020 party manifesto implementation, and the launch of a new election manifesto for the 2025–2030 period.
In her opening remarks, CCM Chairperson Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized the significance of the special congress in preparing the party for the upcoming general election scheduled for October 2025.
On the first day of the congress, the Chairperson presented minor constitutional amendments to the delegates for review. One of the key changes includes officially recognizing the use of technology in party meetings, such as virtual meetings and introducing political consultation meetings that were previously not included in the party’s constitution.
“Our party is evolving alongside global developments,” President Samia said. “Within our revolutionary party, we are now working digitally. We have installed systems that allow for communication from region to region or district to district, in order to streamline operations.”
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Tanzania to Launch Land Commission to Streamline Sector and Boost Accountability
Presenting the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year in Parliament today, May 29, 2025, in Dodoma, the Minister Deogratius Ndejembi, announced the government is planning to establish a Land Commission.
According to Ndejembi, the Commission will create a unified system for the management and implementation of land sector activities at all levels, an initiative he said will help improve efficiency in the execution of the sector’s responsibilities.
“The Commission will enhance accountability across all authorities involved in land sector activities, including the Ministry, the National Land Use Planning Commission, and Local Government Authorities,” said Minister Ndejembi.
Additionally, Ndejembi revealed that to strengthen the regulation of the real estate sector, the Ministry of Lands has proposed the enactment of a Property Ownership Law, which will establish the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).
This Authority will be responsible for creating a robust system for managing the real estate sector, coordinating and maintaining stakeholder and market data, ensuring productivity and efficiency among sector professionals, and combating crimes such as money laundering.
“I call upon all stakeholders in the real estate sector to ensure they are registered and recognized by the Government in order to enhance collaboration and foster the sustainable growth of this important sector in our national economy,” said Minister Ndejembi.
Parliament has passed and approved a budget of TZS 164,146,052,000 for the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development to continue identifying, planning, surveying, and allocating land for various uses across the country.
To My Fellow Tanzanian Journalists: The Ideal World We Dream of Doesn’t Exist – And That’s Exactly Why We Matter
I was prompted to write these reflections down by a session I had the honour and privilege to be part of, organised by the great people of JamiiAfrica, under the stewardship of my friend and mentor, Maxence Melo, on May 27, 2024, at Dar es Salaam, which sought to answer the question of why there’s less public interest journalism in Tanzania, the one serving a watchdog role and enhancing public accountability.
Seasoned print and broadcast journalists attended, and I must admit I was the youngest and least experienced in the room. Nearly everyone was my senior—with the exception of, I think, and with all due respect to, Star TV’s Edwin Odemba! Pun intended, of course.
When the moderator, Dotto Bulendu—a broadcast journalist whose voice is familiar to many—kicked off the conversation, it had a slow start. In a room of about 30 to 40 people, only a few were willing to break the ice. But once one person volunteered, suddenly everyone wanted to speak. It’s always like that, you know—and I assure you, this dynamic didn’t go unnoticed during the meeting.
I tend to talk a lot—fair warning if you invite me to your next session! But this time, I held back (a deliberate choice), opting to listen rather than speak. Partly out of respect for my seniors, but also as an exercise in self-restraint (and trust me, I’m well aware of the irony!). Nearly every speaker painted a bleak, pessimistic picture of the current state of affairs, listing numerous reasons they held responsible for the decline of public interest journalism in Tanzania.
Some blamed repressive media laws—of which Tanzania has no shortage—accusing them of fostering self-censorship in newsrooms. Others pointed to fear, whether of state actors (regulators, police) or non-state actors (media owners, advertisers). Dwindling revenues, a widespread challenge for Tanzanian newsrooms, also came up. Editors even took jabs at journalism schools for producing so-called “half-baked” journalists, while some criticised Gen Z journalists for allegedly lacking a work ethic and curiosity. In short, there was no shortage of explanations for why things are the way they are.
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