CCM ideology, publicity and organizing secretary, Amos Makalla, has irked Chadema with his wild and inciting accusations. Chadema have issued him with a seven day ultimatum: Either Makalla apologizes in public or they will drag him in a courtroom. So far Makalla has kept quiet after being threatened with a defamation and incitement suit, keeping his political foes guessing on his next move. This article reviews the issues behind this altercation.
Who is Amos Makalla?
Amos Gabriel Makalla aged 53 yrs (born 16 September 1971) is a Tanzanian CCM politician and has been a Member of Parliament for Mvomero constituency from 2010 to 2015. As of 2013, he was the Deputy Minister of Information, Youth, Culture, and Sports. Makalla received his Masters of Business Administration degree from Mzumbe University. As of 2018, Makalla was Regional Commissioner for Mbeya and has held RC posts for various regions, including Dar-es-Salaam, Katavi, and Kilimanjaro, among others. He has also held various positions in the government and in the CCM, including UVCCM. On 14th May 2019, then-president Magufuli (now deceased) rescinded his Katavi R.C appointment only to be given a new lease on his public service on 15th May 2021 when president Samia Suluhu Hassan reappointed him RC for Dar-es-Salaam.
Beforehand, when he attempted to reclaim his Mvomero parliamentary seat in 2020, albeit he had won the CCM primary nominations, superior National organs axed his name temporarily terminating his political career.
What did he say to anger Chadema?
Makalla, in his rare inciting platitudes, conjured his own interpretation of what Chadema meant by its election clarion: “No reform, no election.” Makalla, in a public meeting, accused Chadema of having bought deadly Monkey pox and Ebola viruses in order to infect as many people as possible during the electioneering season to force a postponement. These were his exact words:
“…lakini kuna ajenda ya siri, hawa watu na hasa viongozi waandamizi ambao familia zao hazipo Tanzania, wanataka kutumia michango inayochangishwa, ya TONE TONE, eti ikifika wakati wakanunue viruses ya Ebola na Mpox ili wavilete visambae Tanzania na uchaguzi usifanyike.
Wako tayari, kuwaumiza watanzania kwa kupandikiza virusi vya Ebola wakati wa uchaguzi ili uchaguzi usimame. Huu ni mpango wa siri wanauratibu na kwamba huko wanakopita au huo mchango unaopita ni wa kukusanya fedha na wamekwisha kukutana na watu, wanunue hivyo virusi eti ikifika wakati wa uchaguzi miezi ikikaribia sisi tuugue Ebola na Mpox katika Tanzania.
Ninaomba niwatahadhalishe, watanzania hawa, hawajafikia katika hizo levels. Hawajafikia kwenye viwango vya viongozi wanaoratibu zoezi hilo. Hili ni jambo la hatari. Chadema nao wenyewe wako wataokufa kwenye hili jambo. Lakini wenzetu wengine hawana familia kwenye Taifa hili la Tanzania. Tushindane kwa khoja. Kwa hiyo, mnaochangia TONE kwa TONE, mnachangia kununua virusi vya Ebola na Mpox, ili waje kuviingiza Tanzania.
Kwa hiyo, hili kundi linalopita na linakopita, watakuwa wanaomba hela ili hizo fedha wamekwisha kukubaliana na watu kuwa kazi hii tunao uwezo wa kuifanya. Ikifika mwezi wa tisa nchi nzima iwe inaumwa Ebola hakuna kwenda kazini, hakuna kupigakura na washangilie tumezuia uchaguzi. Hili ni jambo hatari sana. Na sisi tumeamua, na hasa mimi nimeamua kulisimamia na nimelisema hadharani wenzetu wana mpango mbaya katika taifa letu kwa makusudi kabisa na kwa masilahi yao.
Na wanapanga mipango michafu ya kuliangamiza taifa….”
Obviously, Makalla’s claims are outrageous and inciteful and have no basis at all. What I see in Makalla and CCM in general is nurse apprehensions over what Chadema is up to in plotting to implement its election clarion: “No reform, no election.” Interestingly, CCM is not alone in this regard. Before Makalla came up with his broadside, the Registrar of political parties, Judge Mutungi summoned Chadema secretary general, John Mnyika, to clarify what Chadema means when it vibes “No reform, No election”.
Chadema secretary general John Mnyika, when fielding questions from a number of reporters after leaving the registrar of political parties’ office, confirmed that he went there to “clear the air” about what that monstrous election platitude implied. There were no details beyond what is already in the public gallery.
Not only CCM and the registrar of political parties are enduring sleepless nights, but the police are also having nightmares of their own. Chadema’s second in command, John Heche, was expecting vibrant “No reform, no election” hustings in Mbeya. Before his arrival, the police had already cancelled his meetings that were aimed to publicise that election motto. Police have capitalised internal Chadema leadership wrangles in Mbarali to ban the meetings. The alleged leadership crisis, if there is any, has no bearing on Heche’s sensitization meetings.
Mnyika has also called a press conference rebutting the Registrar of Political Parties’ letter urging him to respond about whether the Chadema general council meeting of January 22nd, 2025, that elected the secretary general, deputy secretary general and a number of central committee brass was a constitutional seating.
Registrar of political parties is reacting to a written complaint that was lodged by the Same Chadema District chairperson before the secretary general. The issue at hand was whether Chadema general council had a prerequisite quorum as per Chadema own constitution according to section 6. 22 (a). Mnyika is adamant that Chadema followed its own constitution to the letter, and went on to accuse the registrar of bias and favouritism.
Mnyika has two axes to grind against the registrar. One, the Registrar who took part in the CCM general meeting that ratified the nomination of Samia Suluhu Hassan, Hussein Mwinyi and Emmanuel Nchimbi to run as Union president, Zanzibar president, and union president, respectively, had violated the CCM constitution. The registrar has neither the guts nor the intention to bite the very hand that is feeding him. The registrar is not expected to reprimand CCM over this lest he loses his own source of employment. The registrar of political parties serves at the pleasure of the president, who is also running to keep her job! What a conflict of interest.
Mnyika also has brickbat levelled against the Registrar concerning Makalla’s reckless remarks that have gone unattended. Nobody in his right mind expects the registrar will summon Makalla or say anything to discourage incitement and potentially unravelling of peace and tranquility. Had Chadema accused CCM like Makalla did to Chadema, the registrar in cohorts with the police would have enough in their in-tray to ferociously chew. The Registrar of Political Parties behaves as if his job is to perfect the opposition only, but CCM is a no-go zone for him! Is he really useful? He isn’t because he is very partial; that alone disqualifies him from the job he is purportedly dispensing.
Paradoxically, Makalla’s offence is not very much dissimilar from Dr. Slaa’s. Dr. Slaa had alleged one member of security had briefed him the apparatchik were fed up with what this government was doing, and was ready for anything: “…wapo tayari kwa lolote lile….yaani wamechoka kabisa”. Makalla too concocted allegations that were anchored on an undisclosed source but then the police reads no evil and sees no evil. If you ever doubted the partiality of the office of the registrar and the police then now you have your concrete evidence.
The difference is Makalla is above the law, and Dr. Slaa, who was harangued in police remand, punctuated with irregular court appearances for months, isn’t! This is how CCM governs, and it is unlikely to change tack in the near future, demarcating two classes of citizens in one country. One is first-class citizens belonging to CCM owners, and another for the hapless opposition with the rest of us all whacked together. We are not equal, although the Constitution claims otherwise!
Read more analysis by Rutashubanyuma Nestory
and those are the people from a party that rules a country From the Day Of Independence untill Now its not a way of a country to work, How can Africa Unite? if Such things Happen,The fight of Power while we still puppets in some kind of way its Ridiculous, We need to stand together Not this Way with such allegations for Need Of Power, STOP IT. how can a better life comes FOR ALL AFRICANS NOT JUST TANZANIA with such kind of idiotic Leaders