Wednesday 22 August 2012

Lessons from Dr. Kafumu Election Petition Loss

Nicodemus Minde 
The High Court of Tanzania stripped Igunga MP off his parliamentary seat. Dr. Dalali Kafumu who 'won' the Igunga by election last October after the magnate Rostam Aziz threw in the towel, has lost the election petition. The presiding judge said that CCM was guilty of of “bribing” voters after the government distributed relief food during the campaigns. Judge Shangali said: “It is hard to understand why maize was distributed during campaign season. Is it to imply that Igunga residents were much more hungry during the campaigns? (see The Citizen newspaper). 

This is yet another indication of CCM dwindling fortunes. The myriad of CCM woes which still continue to expose their role in electoral malpractice. This is a victory for the judiciary which is now a degree of independence despite the numerous interferences from the ruling party. With the process of drafting a new constitution on going, I hope that the need for more judicial independence is looked into. The judiciary has been at the mercy of CCM machinations for long now. 

The move by Dr. Kafumu not to appeal the decision and to ditch politics for good is another victory for professional progress. It sounds to me that Dr. Kafumu who was the commissioner for minerals before joining politics was forced to sacrifice his profession for politics. Reading from various Tanzanian media sources, Dr. Kafumu recently teamed up with several friends to launch the Earth Sciences Institute of Shinyanga (ESIS). This private technical institution is registered by the National Council for Technical Education of Tanzania to offer courses in exploration, mining engineering, mineral processing and gemology. 

Dr. Kafumu is teaching us a great lesson today. Many professionals are compromising their jobs for politics. I understand that politics needs intellectuals and great minds. However, let it be a balancing act and not an avenue to seek political fame and amass more wealth. Thank you Dr. Kafumu, now you can serve the nation in a more professional manner. 

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