A decade later, ACT surges on
TANZANIA: The debate on the form and content of Tanzania’s constitution and democracy has been on the agenda throughout the six decades of independence.
In the recent process of transition since the 1990s, a series of political reforms such as introducing multi-partyism have been undertaken with the view of widening the space for democracy.
In February 1991, the President of Tanzania set up a commission to collect the views of Tanzanians regarding multiparty and one-party politics and to derive recommendations therefrom. The report of the commission was published in 1992.
Since then, several opposition parties have been registered.
Tanzania’s second-biggest opposition party, Alliance for Change and Transparency, better known by its acronym ACT-Wazalendo, was born in 2014, with its first Chairman being fiery opposition leader, Zitto Kabwe who was elected in March 2015.
A seasoned politician, who cut his teeth in Chadema, Mr Kabwe played a key role in building ACT Wazalendo from a fledgling party to one currently enjoying large following and membership numbers than other political parties in Tanzania, save for Chadema and CCM.
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One of his main credits as party leader was to orchestrate the defection of Zanzibar’s most illustrious opposition heavyweight, Seif Sharif Hamad, from the Civic United Front in 2018, which instantly made ACT-Wazalendo a big political force in the Isles, alongside CCM, and significantly lifted its status on the Mainland.
After almost a decade, Mr Zitto Kabwe voluntarily stepped down as the leader of the party, paving way for internal party polls which signaled a fresh push to cement its standing as a formidable political force in the archipelago, which is its stronghold, and reinvent itself in the Mainland.
During the elections, Dorothy Semu, a former civil servant turned politician, beat Mbarala Maharagande to become the Party Leader by garnering 354, equivalent to 65.7 per cent of all votes cast, against her opponent’s 184 or 34.3 per cent of the votes.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the ACT (Alliance for Change and Transparency) Wazalendo is a party that continues to grow rapidly in Tanzania.
They are a movement that aims to create a free, progressive and successful Tanzania whose foundations will be freedom, responsibility and transparency.
According to the new party leader, their vision is for Tanzania to take progressive steps through: 1) To build a cooperative economy that is thriving and growing and able to create jobs; 2) Strong infrastructure that stimulates all sectors of the emerging economy; 3) Access to quality education; 4) Access to quality health services for all; 5) To build an independent and professional police institution so that it can serve and protect all people; 6) A union that puts the interests of all parties forward, fair and equitable will be based on the Constitution of the people; 7) The fight against corruption and all forms of corruption; 8) Provision of improved social security for the underprivileged, the poor and other disadvantaged people; 9) Housing that people can afford, and accessible to all; 10) Access to clean and safe water for all people.
“I want to be recognized as a party leader who’ll bring the party significant victory during the elections,” Ms Semu, who hails from Kilimanjaro, said in her campaign speech. “Inclusive leadership is key to achieving that goal, and that’s exactly what I plan to offer.”
Born in 1975, Ms Semu has served several posts within ACT-Wazalendo, including secretary-general and deputy national chairperson (Tanzania Mainland).
In 2022, she was appointed Prime Minister of the party’s shadow cabinet, which was created to ensure accountability within the government.
