Local News

Chadema clarifies Shibuda-Heche saga

Maswa West Member of Parliament John Shibuda.

THE Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo Youth Council (BAVICHA) Deputy Chairperson has distanced the party’s youth wing from the war of words between Maswa West Member of Parliament John Shibuda and the wing’s chairman John Heche.

Addressing journalists on Sunday, Ms Juliana Shonza said a statement issued by Mr Heche following Mr Shibuda’s announcement that he would seek the party’s nomination to run for president in 2015 did not represent the views of the council.

“BAVICHA never held any meeting to come up with a common position as stated by Mr Heche, therefore I would like to make it known that the council is not party to the tussle between the MP and Mr Heche,” Ms Shonza noted. Last week Mr Shibuda expressed his intention to run for presidency in the 2015 elections, a move that evoked a stern statement from the BAVICHA chairman who said that the MP’s membership in the party would be revoked.

Following Mr Heche’s statement, Mr Shibuda demanded an apology within three days, noting that it was every Tanzanian’s right to express their intention to run for the country’s top job. Ms Shonza further said that Mr Shibuda should understand that Mr Heche used the youth wing to voice his individual opinion.

“Mr Shibuda should understand that there were no meetings held within the youth council to discuss the issue, therefore BAVICHA is not in anyway involved in the tussle. The MP should demand his apology from Mr Heche and not BAVICHA,” she explained.

She said BAVICHA will not stand and let its members tarnish its image by using it to voice their individual opinions. “We will stand firm and shield the council from any member with such intentions, in accordance with the council’s regulations,” she said.

Without going into details, she noted that the party’s youth wing will discuss Mr Heche’s move in its future meetings. Ms Shonza also made it clear that the tussle and lack of communication between the chairman and the council should not be taken as a conflict or division within BAVICHA.