Tanzania’s Vocal Msigwa Defects to CCM, Blasts Chadema for Abandoning Core Values

By Adonis Byemelwa

Former Iringa Urban MP (Chadema), Peter Msigwa, has announced his defection to the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), citing a perceived loss of principles and legitimacy within Chadema to criticize the ruling party.

Msigwa, whose clip went viral for declaring he would burn his house and vehicles if he ever joined CCM, has now dramatically reversed his stance.

He stated that given the current circumstances, he saw no reason to continue opposing and instead decided to align with the government to promote peace, stability, and freedom of speech.

Msigwa made these remarks on Sunday, June 30, 2024, during a press conference shortly after being declared a new member of CCM.

"Since we have lost our principles and legitimacy to criticize CCM, as a rational person, I have decided it is better to join CCM," he said.

The pastor-cum-politician argued that Chadema is losing its appeal to the public, describing the party as merely jumping on issues without a clear agenda.

He pledged to work with other CCM cadres to tour the country and expose what he termed as the artistry and deceit within Chadema. "We talk about democracy within the party, yet there is none. We speak against corruption, yet it exists within the party.

We advocate for justice, yet there is none within the party," Msigwa declared. He said he could no longer endure deceiving people that CCM was bad when, in his view, the leaders within the opposition party were the ones at fault.

However, Msigwa admitted that his initial decision to join Chadema was driven by the principles it stood for, which he claimed no longer existed.

John Mrema, Chadema's Director of Communications, Protocol, Publicity, and Foreign Affairs, responded to Msigwa's defection by stating that the party's intelligence had already reported on his behavior and there were clear signs that he would join CCM.

 "We were just waiting for the right time, and that time has come today. Since he has decided to join CCM, we will continue to build our party," Mrema said.

Mrema linked Msigwa's recent actions within Chadema to efforts aimed at increasing his value before leaving. Emphasizing his point, Mrema said, "Even in CCM, if Pastor Msigwa does not get a position, he will leave."

Regarding Msigwa's appeal against Joseph Mbilinyi, popularly known as Sugu, who defeated him in the Nyasa Regional Chairmanship election, Mrema stated that it was supposed to be heard by the National Executive Council (NEC) since Msigwa was a member of the central committee.

 "We were waiting for all elections to be completed before convening the NEC to discuss Msigwa's appeal. We couldn't address his appeal alone because others might arise, and holding frequent NEC meetings is costly," Mrema explained. With Msigwa's decision, he noted that the process of hearing his appeal had essentially ended.

Msigwa's departure has pained the Northern Zone Chairman of Chadema, Godbless Lema, who expressed his wish that Msigwa had remained with the party.

"I wanted us to continue working together, but it's an individual's decision, and you can't stop it. Msigwa was like a brother to me; I wanted us to stay on the same team (Chadema)," said Lema, who is also a member of Chadema's central committee, as Msigwa was formerly.

Paul John Ngoni, a Chadema cadre based in the Lake Zone, lashed out at Msigwa's criticism of democracy within Chadema.

He says while he (Msigwa) claims there is no democracy, does the place he has defected to, CCM, offer democracy? Have they ever held a democratic and competitive election for their national chairman?

“Has a sitting president ever faced an internal challenger? The answer is no. In CCM, the process is merely about confirmation—once given the chairmanship, it is just confirmed by their constitution. Is this the democracy Msigwa seeks?” asks Ngoni

He adds: “Msigwa has also claimed that Chadema has become a one-person show. If this was the case, why did he never resign during his many years as a senior leader within Chadema? Did this so-called one-person show only become apparent after he lost the Nyasa Regional Chairmanship election?”

He says Chadema has an eternal chairman, yet the founder of CCM, Julius Nyerere, led the party for 37 years, from its days as the Tanganyika African Association (TAA) through its transformation into TANU and eventually CCM.

Nyerere was the leader from 1953 when he was in Makerere, Uganda, and upon his return to Tanzania, he transformed the party into TANU in 1954.

He continued as the leader and chairman, eventually merging ASP and TANU to form CCM in 1977, where he remained chairman until 1990 when he handed over to Mwinyi.

 From being chairman of TAA, TANU, and CCM, it took 37 years. Since 1990, the chairman of CCM has always been the sitting president. Is this the democracy Msigwa does not criticize?

Msigwa has complained about a helicopter bearing the image of chairman Freeman Mbowe. Does he not see the thousands of motorcycles distributed by CCM adorned with President Samia's picture? Wasn’t the CCM helicopter once covered with images of John Magufuli? Does he not consider this a problem within CCM, but only sees an issue with Chadema's helicopter?

As Tanzania approaches the 2025 elections, political turncoats like Msigwa are becoming more common. These defections raise questions about the motivations behind such dramatic shifts in allegiance. Are these moves driven by genuine ideological changes, or are they strategic maneuvers to secure political survival and power?

The landscape is rife with speculation as more politicians switch sides, each promising their defection is in the best interest of the nation. This phenomenon highlights the volatile nature of Tanzanian politics, where personal ambitions often intertwine with the broader political narrative.

Paul Ngoni succinctly captures the sentiment: "Hunger and the lust for power are formidable forces. Nevertheless, we wish him all the best, and we will meet again—mountains do not meet, but humans do."