Dr Wilbrod Slaa
As much as I would like to appease Dr. Slaa’s fanatical base that he is heading to Ikulu comes 2015 but the truth ought to be told much earlier …that they are merely pegging their aspirations on a Titanic ship advancing us to nowhere.
Dr. Slaa will continue to stir a multitude of political dust but when that political melee has settled in a decisive 2015 ballot box, he will not be the last man standing, at all. I have ten reasons that convince me to change tack now and salvage the hopes of many misguided political pundits:-
1) Political trailblazers rarely fulfill their dreams, and Dr. Slaa is no different.
Naysayers will swiftly sight Abdul Wade; an ex-Senegalese president, whose ascendance to power was relentlessly subdued by the ruling clique. Four times Wade was rigged out of presidency, but during his baldness’ years Lady Luck smiled tenderly onto him and he achieved what was by then a seemly impossible task! Dr. Slaa coterie of fan base hopes for lightning to strike twice in Bongoland; but what they tend to overlook is, in a specific case of Senegal, Wade was facing the same draconian ruler whom the society at large had grown weary of. CCM keeps on changing presidential torch bearers every ten years, and any lingering doubt of repeating Wade’s touché here in Bongoland ought to be sobered after this narrative. Every new presidential candidate CCM invokes will assuage many of voters’ quest for a new beginning notwithstanding that hope is a mirage!
Political trailblazers do ascend to power when the conditions are shaped by a history that demands a complete reversal of fortunes. In our specific case, voters prefer incremental change at the expense of fundamental “about-turn” because though our majority’s well-being is going down the drain but we; in equal dosage of frustrations, do not trust either side of political aisle to do us justice. Mistrust and suspicions run high in the minds of many a voter……….
Where there is a crisis of confidence in the minds of voters, the incumbent regime carries the day. And CHADEMA ought to begin weighing up their future without Dr. Slaa as their presidential hopeful. After-all, Dr. Slaa is only a reformer in lip-service but in reality he is no different from CCM mandarins he has sworn to replace. And here is my considered view:-
2) What comes around often goes around.
Of all of the fatal errors of judgment CHADEMA and in particular Dr. Slaa did, in the aftermath of a bungled 2010 general elections, was a refusal to face CCM in a court of law as they had previously promised. Days after the CCM leaning NEC had declared JK as the eventual winner of the presidential race; the adamant Dr. Slaa popped up and remonstrated that CHADEMA had sufficient evidence to challenge CCM in a court of law!
Dr. Slaa had promised “a mother of all legal battles” but he delivered a “mother of all legal retreats.”
It is this brazen cowardice and uttering promises with no intention of fulfilling them which will dwell onto many voters’ mind in 2015. A trailblazer is a bullfighter particularly when the going is tough, but for Dr. Slaa a toughie going reduces him into a quitter! The crux of the matter remains: why Dr. Slaa raised helluva bellicosity while he knew he had no spine to carry on that altercation to a decisive conclusion? Well, many a voter is now sadly beginning to regard Dr. Slaa is not a matador they had hoped for but a very cheap politician who is just like the rest of them, all!
Dr. Slaa’s fanatical following found solace in a constitutional scapegoat that was selective and entirely uninformed of past, monumental precedent well manicured by the High Court! The High Court ruling in favour of ccm and Mkapa in 1995 presidential legal challenge – from a frivolous legal challenge brought forward by Mrema, Lipumba and others- succinctly declared the Court will always entertain and adjudicate on all presidential election results if there is sufficient evidence NEC had announced the result not in accordance with the election law.
Where CHADEMA legal pettifoggers prefer to hide themselves behind a detached constitutional sub-clause that debar presidential election outcomes from judicial review but in the same constitutional limb that the High Court derived her ruling is categorical evidence: presidential election rigging will not be condoned by the judiciary!
When CHADEMA is confronted with these undeniable facts, they often cite their determination to veer away from making this nation “ungovernable” something they had willfully attempted when they walked out of Kikwete on the inauguration of the Augusta House! Can a court challenge really make this nation “ungovernable”? If Mrema and his close confidantes did not harm us in their court challenge of 1996 why should Dr. Slaa and CHADEMA fare differently if it is not cheap propaganda?
This reckless disregard of verbal promises is very difficult to ignore because politicians are voted into office based on their oral utterances. So what comes around as betrayal often goes around as the same once one squeezes himself into public office…………………to the chagrin of many a plaudit!
3) Past actions foretell future conduct.
When divinely oaths are left in shards and years of conjugal and emotional devotion meant nothing you have to wonder what else is valuable in the stony heart of Dr. Slaa. Even when confronted with a call to national duty and vie for presidency in 2010, Dr. Slaa’s gimlet eye saw a business opportunity there! Even there of all the places, one can scheme for some serious cash. Out of that, he elevated his party position to the Member of Parliament status as far as emoluments are concerned!
Many of CHADEMA followers cry foul and deprecate no sooner Dr. Slaa’s character issues surface! They are forceful when they claim character frailties are not synonymous with CHADEMA or Dr. Slaa alone, for that matter. I agree, but when personal failures keep on resurfacing and are extremely resurgent, one has to begin wondering whether Dr. Slaa’s character misnomers are not accidental or coincidental for that matter with the rising of his political fortunes.
If the oaths witnessed by the Most High are inconsequential and if lifetime promises of marital bliss can be mortgaged for elusive security of a youthful concubinage without a whiff of emotional remorse……then the most depressing question ought to be: can we ever hope to be safe and secure in such unsteady hand? What about constitutional imperatives that are bestowed on similar circumstances? It is a dilemma only Dr. Slaa himself can shed some light there ….Can he distance himself from insecurities that have dogged all his entire life and bequeath us with solid stability that has eluded him altogether?
4) Promises made were willfully not honoured!
When you see any human soul is keen to make promises with others including our Creator only to abandon them with a huff, then ask yourself is that kind of demeanor limited to his personal life? Or is it a manifestation waiting to wallow all of us in similar betrayal scenarios?
5) Do not be deceived. Our collective destiny is on the youth!
Some pundits include greying politicians; have defended old age as symbol of wisdom. I entirely share the same perspective if silver haired head is obtained in a form of righteousness. Most of our politicians are notorious at taking bribes and mortgage us to the highest bidder! Cases of looting have filled our political space and few politicians are willing to risk it all and rebuke the oppressor. Where Dr. Slaa earned a name for himself as he brandished his “list of shame” but such zealousness is nowhere to tackle official graft now decimating his employers in CHADEMA.
One thing I agree with Mzee Samuel Sitta when he was pitching tent for “oldie is gold” was a new leader has to be conversant with legal and economic challenges facing the nation but that has to be aided with one caveat of my own: A crop of elderly politicians roaming amok this nation are part of a problem and cannot be part of our future collective destiny. They have to retire with Kikwete in peace not waiting the wrath of voters to send them packing in shame.
Since Dr. Slaa is either unwilling or unable to rebuke injustice in his own party how can we trust him with a much heavier duty of national rebuilding?
6) Maladministration inside Chadema reflects poorly on him!
When top CHADEMA bosses got away with misuse of public funds that ensue their way through government subventions, Dr. Slaa as the party executive boss was aware and possibly benefited from those scams to keep mum. Public procurement laws are without a figment of fear continuously treated with contempt as shenanigans swill public resources with gusto. Even the registrar of political parties who is known for reckless utterances looks the other way because CCM is perhaps the largest culprit on that. Since CCM remains the “untouchables” as far as maladministration of public funds is concerned then CHADEMA feels emboldened enough just to replicate the wickedness now synonymous with CCM!
But for CHADEMA to be taken serious they need to walk the talk. Otherwise, their “people’s power” political gimmick will sooner than later be confined into history books where it truly belongs.
In this kind of political environment, voters have right to ask themselves whether voting out CCM will be replacing her with the monster in CHADEMA, for what reasons? Is it not better to stick with the devil we are accustomed to than the tiger in sheep skin waiting for an opportune moment before it pounces?
7) “People’s power’ cannot fool all of us, all the time!
From CCM’s “Maisha bora kwa kila mtanzania” which is now translated as only leaders are “Mtanzania” and the rest of us are a piece of losers to CHADEMA’s illusive “people’s power,” which manifests itself during public meetings and nowhere else. In fact, no sooner the multitudes gathering at CHADEMA public meetings evaporate, top CHADEMA brass is never shy to upend voters’ power well captured at the ballot box! Vexatious claims of subjugation of the CHADEMA central committee have always come handy to defend encroachment of “people’s power!”
If CHADEMA’s “people’s power” is just a ruse to hoodwink powerless voters now at the mercy of the ruling CCM, why should we think Dr. Slaa once in power will behave anyway differently?
Well, an adage which reminds us “Charity begins at home” may have the likes of Dr. Slaa and Chadema in mind when he endowed us with such a gem of wisdom.
8) CHADEMA drinks wine but expects CCM regime to drink water!
When it comes to constitutional imperatives, CHADEMA believes too much authority is vested in the office of the president, and rightly so. CHADEMA would like power to diffuse to lower arms of government to improve on active participation of many players in the public arena. I share those sentiments.
Also, they view abuse of public office is an upshot of too much power has corrupted the holder of that office. All these loftier considerations make sense but when CHADEMA is littered with the same malaise betiding our government the main concern has to be “Is CHADEMA public image really not constrained by a deceitful messenger in sheepskin?”
In this kind of myriad of touting a “politically correct” message but with no intention of living it yourself, can Dr. Slaa really be trusted?
9) Lack of visionary leaders inside CHADEMA!
In this constitutional deceit, CHADEMA seemed to hold the upperhand during the 2010 elections, but once in the official opposition mantle CCM has hijacked their message and hungrily owned it!
CHADEMA failing to appreciate those CCM days were really numbered fell into that old trick in public administration “divide and rule”. Where CCM numbers in the Augusta House is a by-product of electoral rigging CHADEMA were muzzled in a risible manner!
CCM maneuvered an adulterated opposition where CCM “B” of the likes of CUF, NCCR-MAGEUZI and UDP acquired unprecedented status! In the beginning CHADEMA relied on “people’s power” to get out of that treacherous mess but since they did not believe or exercise the same in their own backyard ultimately CHADEMA were begrudgingly co-opted in this constitutional charade!
CHADEMA’s biggest point on constitutionalism now has faded like a flower because of being greedy for a morsel of bread and a piece of silver dangled by CCM led government.
Where CHADEMA top brass love to punish wayward councilors with party evictions one wonders whether that is democracy in the first place while themselves fall over to dine with “the mighty and powerful” in the enemy of their choice: CCM.
Dwelling on constitution, I keep ask myself whether CHADEMA will ever rise to occasion and question the legitimacy of this constitutional process when they are knee-deep in the CCM rot?
The only thing now they are eager to talk about is time table of constitutional process to be truncated at 2013 as if it matters, at all. Well, we have our cases of political morons and Chadema certainly has its share too…………..
10) We all reap what we sow! “Garbage in, garbage out.”
Without an ideology to unite CHADEMA beyond empty electoral banners, one wonders how long they can hold on without winning the pot of power and it is almost obvious CHADEMA lacks what it takes to convince voters they are a credible power alternative to CCM stupefying rot…….CHADEMA ought not to deceive herself, she will at the end reap electoral defeats until it truly transforms itself into a credible alternative to festering wounds CCM has been inflicting upon our collective lot….day in, day out……
Source: Jamii Forum byRutashubanyuma
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