Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, February 24, 2025
ACT Wazalendo: The reconciliation initiative by President Samia has collapsed
The opposition party ACT-Wazalendo has declared that its current priority is advocating for reforms in Tanzania’s electoral system to ensure fairness and respect for citizens’ choices at the ballot box.
The party is also deliberating whether to participate in the upcoming general elections without the necessary reforms, leaving the final decision to its national leadership at the appropriate time. ACT-Wazalendo cited disappointment with President Samia Suluhu’s “4R” reform initiative, which they had initially supported but now considered ineffective.
This stance follows the party’s ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on February 23, 2025. The meeting focused on assessing the disruption of the 2024 local government elections, the overall political landscape, and the party’s strategy in response to the unfavorable conditions.
“The National Executive Committee of ACT Wazalendo is convinced that the reconciliation initiative promised by President Samia Suluhu Hassan has collapsed, and her 4R philosophy has evaporated,” reads the party statement.
Read the full article here
January Makamba ‘forgiven’: What led to his dismissal remains a mystery
For those who were still wondering about the political fate of Bumbuli Member of Parliament, January Makamba, following his abrupt dismissal from the cabinet in July 2024, their questions were answered yesterday when President Samia announced his ‘forgiveness.’
“I want to call my son, January, to come here and return to his mother. You know us mothers—if you annoy a mother, she slaps you and hides your food. So, I slapped my son and hid his food, but today, I am bringing him back to his mother,” President Samia said as she embraced Makamba in front of the people of Bumbuli.
Speculation still lingers over what exactly led to Makamba’s dismissal. For a while, he appeared to be handling the Foreign Affairs docket successfully, even earning praise from the President.
Some theories suggest that Makamba had secretly campaigned for the African Union’s top post, others highlighted that the noises that Makamba was having his eyes on the presidency were too loud to be ignored.
During the rally before the President’s speech, Makamba acknowledged that his first full ministerial role was under President Samia’s leadership, and credited her for guiding him in his ministerial journey. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he expressed his gratitude for the President’s words.
“Thank you very much, President, for your love and guidance, today and always. Your words to me this afternoon, as you carried out your duty to serve our nation before the people of Tanga and all Tanzanians, are a great symbol of love and exceptional honor. I do not have enough words to express my gratitude. I am truly grateful,” Makamba wrote.
Some netizens speculated that Makamba who was the campaign manager of the late President John Magufuli, will be also one of the key figures in President Samia’s 2025 presidential bid campaign.
BoT warns the public about Leo Beneath London (LBL) company: It Is unlicensed
The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has issued a warning to the public regarding Leo Beneath London (LBL), a company linked to pyramid schemes in the country.
“Legal action is currently being taken against officials of the LBL company for their involvement in fraudulent activities, including deposit mobilization, interest distribution, and financial transactions without any legal license from BoT,” BoT noted in its statement.
Since last week, police have been conducting nationwide arrests of individuals involved with LBL. Arrests have been made in Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, and Morogoro.
The company, which is also registered in the UK as Leo Beneath Tanzania, lured members into depositing money and watching trailers and videos. The company claimed to have contracts with major film studios for promotional purposes, stating that members could earn points with each view, which would increase their earnings. However, members were also required to recruit others in order to make more money.
Similar schemes have previously emerged in the country, the latest being Kalynda, which caused millions in losses to Tanzanians. That company was linked to foreign owners of Asian origin. However, according to Tanzania’s official registry, Tanzanians employed by the company were unknowingly listed as its owners.
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