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Tanzania: Zanzibar No State, Emphasises CCM Man
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
19 July 2008
Posted to the web 19 July 2008
Rodgers Luhwago
Dar es Salaam
An official of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, has joined the debate on Zanzibar's political status, stressing that the archipelago is not a sovereign state.
Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the CCM acting head of propaganda unit, Mr Richard Hiza Tambwe, said both constitutions of the United Republic of Tanzania and Zanzibar recognise Zanzibar as being part of the system of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Showing supporting documents, he said according to Chapter One, Section 1 of the Zanzibar constitution of 1984 ( Ed. 2003), Zanzibar is part of the United Republic of Tanzania. Mr Tambwe explained that CCM supported responses given by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda in Parliament since legislators, especially those from Zanzibar and the opposition, began fielding questions to both the Union and Zanzibar governments over Zanzibar's political status.
Adducing evidence, the propagandist said in mid 1980's the current Civic United Front (CUF) secretary general, Maalim Seif Sharrif Hamad, was accused of committing treason against the Zanzibar government but was acquitted on the grounds that Zanzibar was not a sovereign state. He said judges who presided over the case clearly said that treason could only be committed against a sovereign state.
A similar ruling was issued by the Court of Appeal of Tanzania under a panel of three judges in a treason case that involved Machano Khamis Ali and 18 others against the Zanzibar government in the year 2000. The judges were the late Justice Kahwa Lugakingira, Justice Augustino Ramadhani and Justice Robert Kissanga. Justice Ramadhani is the current Chief Justice of Tanzania.
Mr Tambwe said those currently questioning the Zanzibar political status in the existing Union framework were now coming up with arguments against the Union itself. He said responses by the prime minister should not have brought about any dispute among members of the public and in the country's political arena."It is better to understand that, under normal circumstances, the statement made by Premier Pinda should not have created any debate or dispute if it was not in the interest of a few individuals to revive an addendum closed some years back", he said.
He continued: "Why didn't those disputing the fact that Zanzibar is not a sovereign state today appeal against the verdicts issued by the High Court and Court of Appeal of Tanzania when they ruled in favour of Maalim Seif and Machamo Khamis Ali & others in their cases against the Zanzibar government?" He said after the unification of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964 both countries surrendered their sovereignty to the new country called Tanzania. What came later was an agreement on how the two sides could run their internal political affairs, he noted.
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He said the system of Republic adopted by Tanzania in 1964 is not new in the world as it is also applied in China between mainland China and Hong Kong. "It would be wise to wind up this debate which has no advantage to our nation", Mr Tambwe added.
Those who objectively understand the real meaning and concept of "federation" or "confederation" will not have problem in understanding who is right and who is wrong in this debate. I really wonder to see people still discussing this issue.where will we reach if some TANGANYIKANS will start to have the same demand? For me Tanganyika is not a sovereign state and this apply also to ZANZIBAR. Now we have TANZANIA let us keep it by understanding the real meaning of UNION.
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