Tanzania's ruling party sacks 12 senior officials accused of sabotage

The party of Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has sacked 12 senior members, demoted six, warned four others and one pardoned a day to its Sunday congress for suspicion of being saboteurs.

The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party on Saturday announced the disciplinary action which according to its publicity secretary, Humphrey Polepole, was reviewed by various party organs.

“The penalties meted out by the NEC (National Executive Committee) are final, there is no room for appeal and the penalties start today. Therefore those who are on their way to attend the Special General Congress (on Sunday) will not be allowed to participate although they will be given all the upkeep costs,” Polepole told local media.

The actual acts of sabotage were not spelled out by the party which has been in power since Tanzania’s independence in 1962.

Among the sacked officials includes the party’s Women Wing chairperson and Central Committee member Sophia Simba and the regional party chairman of the capital Dar es Salaam, Ramadhani Madabida.

The party’s chairman President John Magufuli opened the NEC meeting on Saturday calling on members to accept changes including the removal of regional secretaries as part of measures to reduce committee members from over 300 to 163.

“We should think of our party’s interests … There is no cause for alarm. The proposed changes are a normal thing to giant institutions like ours,” local media The Citizen quotes Magufuli.