Metamorphosis of CCM:From Chama Cha Mapinduzi,to cha Majambazi,and now Chama Cha Mafisadi

So CCM has turned 34!

It's almost certain that you'll end up in confusion,if not a severe headache,or to make matter even worse feeling nauseated when you take time to reflect  on where this exceedingly corrupt party came from.I remember back in the days when CCM used to be as important as one's religious faith.Of course,people were coerced into having a blind faith in the sole party by then but that does not diminish the fact that the party was to a larger extent serving the masses regardless of their bank balances.

But,any sensible discussion on how CCM transformed itself from a people's party to a clique of political thugs should not try to avoid the role of Baba wa Taifa in getting all of us to this unknown destination.I have great respect to Mwalimu but his failure,intentionally or short-sightedly,to realise that some of his closest allies were actually wolves in sheep skin.You don't have to be a political analyst to discover that the likes of Kingunge Ngombale Mwiru,who were like Nyerere's brothers,were preaching to the public about Ujamaa na Kujitegemea while they were secretly praying for Mwalimu to disappear so that they could tunr our country into shamba la bibi.And shmba la bibi we truly are now!

Some scholars have gone further to a point of claiming that Nyerere's decision to ng'atuka in 1985 was actually a vailed admission of his failure to turn Tanzania into a socialist state.They also contend that his decision to appoint Ali Hassan Mwinyi as a successor was a calculated move to obscure Nyerere's own failures.And that move seemed to have paid dividends as it is the Mwinyi-era,and not Nyerere's, that is often portrayed as a the starting point of Tanzania's journey to nowhere.

It could as well be argued that in choosing Mwinyi as his successor,Nyerere was continuing his tradition of appointments based on personal allegiance rather than being merit-driven.Let's be honest.What convinced him that Tanzania would have been in safe hands under Mwinyi's leadership,bearing in mind that the country's fragile and aid-dependent economy was in shambles?

Do I think  Nyerere's leadership  was as poor as his predecessors?Not really.The major issue I have with the way he ruled the country is his blind faith in some crooks who  surrounded him,fooling him and the masses that they had strong faith in Ujamaa na Kujitegemea while in fact the were worse than the Mob.

However,at least Nyerere seemed to be concerned about the welfare of the nation and the people he led.And although he retired without making a public apology for his failure in realising the Ujamaa na Kujitegemea dream,his commitment to Tanzanians of all walks of life was truly unsurpassed.

Fast forward two decades later,and we have a political party that not lacks strong leadership but also has willingly made itself a hostage to the worst kind of characters.When you have a weak party leader like Jakaya Kikwete,sitting in midst of crooks who bankrolled their dirty money between 1995 to 2005 to assure he becomes the 4th President of Tanzania,come what may,the Judiciary comprised of a substantially high number of appointees who hold their allegiance to Kikwete as a person,and a Legislative body full of people who bought their way into power by splashing illegally amassed funds,the result is no better than having a Mafia state.

To make matter even worse,the instruments for good governance and public service are also severely infected with a congregation of unscrupulous people whose only mission is to multiply their number of nyumba ndogos,mansions,fleets of luxury cars and deposits in their fat bank accounts.

And contrary to popular belief that age comes with wisdow,the older CCM gets the more corrupt and useless it becomes.And as every young and old sinner seems to realise that the ruling party offer a safe haven as long as one is ready to buy ukamanda wa vijana,CCM's coming birthdays will continue to bring painful memories to every mlalahoi while the fisadis laugh their way to the bank.