Dar es Salaam – Prof Anna Tibaijuka, a retired cabinet minister, former senior United Nations official, and former member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Central Committee, has addressed the ongoing political crisis following the disputed October 29, 2025 elections.
During an interview with The Chanzo, recorded at her Mikocheni residence in Dar es Salaam, the veteran CCM stalwart provided an insider’s analysis of the state of the nation, the role of the ruling party, and the urgent need for political reform and dialogue.
Prof Tibaijuka, who has maintained a tradition of public commentary on issues of national concern through media and social media platforms, discussed her perspective on the current crisis. She emphasised her role as an educator and the responsibility that comes with understanding complex national issues.
When asked about her public commentary on sensitive matters, Prof Tibaijuka explained that her primary role as a teacher compels her to contribute to public education on critical issues. “When I see an issue that requires public education, I cannot remain silent,” she stated. “I speak for the benefit of society as a teacher, for public education.”
She acknowledged that colleagues within the CCM have suggested she use private channels instead of speaking publicly. However, she clarified the distinction between private advice and public education.
“Speaking publicly doesn’t mean you don’t have private audiences,” she said. “What you say in meetings may not be known to the public. There are matters of meetings and matters of education,” she explained.
Prof Tibaijuka also addressed pressure from family members concerned about the consequences of her public statements. “Yes, there is pressure. On social media, people say, ‘Mama, you will be disappeared.’ There is fear. Many family members would prefer you remain silent because they worry about the consequences,” she acknowledged. “But I also educate them that many who are silent would appreciate those who can articulate things publicly.”
She distinguished between criticism and incitement, noting that some remain silent out of fear while others lack the education to contribute meaningfully. “Criticism is education,” she stated. “Some remain silent because they lack the education to contribute, which is fine. Others say ‘let things continue as they are.’ Everyone’s perspective should be respected.”
Disappearances
Prof Tibaijuka placed the primary responsibility for citizen safety squarely on the government and the police force. “The first duty of government is not development or roads—the first duty is protecting citizens’ lives and property, maintaining law and order and peace,” she asserted.
She highlighted the alarming trend of enforced disappearances that occurred before and after the October elections, drawing a sharp distinction between known detentions and people vanishing without a trace.
“We know Tundu Lissu is in police custody, but there are others who have disappeared, [including former Tanzanian ambassador to Cuba Humphrey] Polepole,” she noted. “We don’t know where they are.”
Drawing on her experience introducing community policing to Tanzania through the UN-Habitat Safer Cities Programme, Prof Tibaijuka argued that the police must serve as the ultimate refuge for citizens. “If we are attacked here, the police station is nearby—we must go there. The police are the glue that protects peace,” she explained.
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She emphasised that when police hear concerning statements, they have the right to investigate, but added that police themselves require education on the distinction between incitement and legitimate public criticism.
“On my Twitter account, my message is known: if we don’t address this, it will take us to a bad place,” she said. She warned that if citizens cannot trust the police to protect them, the nation faces a fundamental crisis of governance.
CCM’s direction
When questioned about the direction of the ruling CCM as it approaches its 50th anniversary, Prof Tibaijuka offered a detailed constitutional analysis. She clarified that under Tanzania’s system, the party itself lacks the direct authority to hold the government accountable in the way that parties in other nations, such as South Africa, can.
“Any political party seeks to capture the state and run government. It runs government through our established system according to our constitution. Our system is not like South Africa, where the party can recall the president. Here the party has no such authority,” she explained.
“The party advises the government on challenges like security issues, but the party itself has no constitutional authority to command once government is formed.”
She noted that many people misunderstand this constitutional distinction. “Many don’t understand this—the party cannot hold the government accountable constitutionally; it advises through its MPs in parliament,” she stated. She emphasised that when evaluating a ruling party, one must evaluate its government’s performance, not the party as an abstract entity.
However, Prof Tibaijuka acknowledged growing concerns about the CCM’s approach to governance. She pointed to the fear of electoral competition as a significant indicator.
“We cannot fear competition,” she said, noting that in her own constituency of Muleba South, the opposition CHADEMA won the ward election in Muleba town during the recent elections. “That shows we must reorganise ourselves,” she added.
She also raised concerns about the party’s increasing reliance on state institutions rather than political persuasion. “For us elders and retirees—the party is now about leaders. Leaders become the party’s face before society,” she observed, suggesting that this shift represents a departure from traditional party politics.
October 29 events
When asked about the causes of the October 29, 2025 election violence, Prof Tibaijuka characterised the events as a spontaneous eruption of public anger rather than an organised uprising.
“What happened in October we call ‘rapture’—a rupture, public anger. It was spontaneous, not organised. It was a process, not an event,” she explained.
She described the events as the culmination of gradually building tensions, including the issue of disappearances that preceded the election.
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“There was building anger. Remember this is a nation of youth. What happened there was a shock—anger, rapture,” she said. She noted that while the Justice Chande Commission’s investigation has provided insights into the events, the underlying causes—including disappearances and unresolved grievances—must be addressed.
Prof Tibaijuka emphasised that the violence resulted from multiple factors, including the actions of security institutions that failed to manage the situation without causing disasters.
“Security institutions—they were expected to control without the disasters that occurred because public anger builds gradually,” she stated.
Need for reforms
Prof Tibaijuka advocated for significant political reforms, particularly the reinstatement of independent candidates, which she argued is essential for strengthening all political parties. She referenced the Nyalali Commission’s recommendations on this issue.
“The Nyalali Commission recommended multi-party politics and independent candidates. They accepted multi-party politics because Mwalimu insisted, but independent candidates got stuck,” she explained.
“I gave the example of independent candidates being abolished in 1964—because an independent candidate won in Manyara, creating a shock to the establishment. Independent candidates are important for political parties because they remove tyranny within parties.”
Prof Tibaijuka identified unresolved grievances as a fundamental obstacle to national stability and reform. She specifically highlighted the tension between Zanzibar and Tanganyika as a critical issue that must be addressed.
“It’s no secret there’s great tension between Tanganyika and Zanzibar—this is clear and dangerous. If you don’t discuss grievances, don’t acknowledge they exist, or take one side and ignore the other—injustice,” she stated. She emphasised that ignoring such tensions only deepens the nation’s problems.
Prof Tibaijuka directly addressed the imprisonment of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, characterising his continued detention as harmful to national interests. “Someone like Lissu remains in prison. I say outright—that’s not healthy. That cannot be in the national interest. Because he is a leader. People see that as finished business.”
She emphasised that reconciliation cannot occur while such high-profile cases remain unresolved. “This nation can’t settle without reconciliation,” she said, linking the case to broader questions of justice and accountability that must be addressed for the nation to move forward.
On the path forward, Prof Tibaijuka stressed the importance of dialogue, accountability, and genuine reform. “What’s needed is accountability, to reorganise ourselves. I’ve discussed dialogue—it’s very important, but dialogue alone isn’t enough. Political parties can’t settle if there’s fear inside them,” she stated.
“We have challenges we can’t ignore. Stumbling is not falling. I often say—if you lose hope, you lose vision,” she said, emphasising the need for sustained effort in addressing the nation’s problems.
