Unresolved Class Struggles: The Root Cause of CHADEMA’s Internal Conflicts

I am neither surprised nor disturbed by the conflicts arising within political parties. It is a normal phenomenon and, in fact, a testament to vitality. It means people are not mere puppets and have not sold their minds solely for personal gain. However, without transparency and proper management, such vitality can lead to destruction as people end up trading insults instead of addressing the root causes of conflict.

What is disheartening is that, in today’s world, conflicts often end with those protecting the interests of the ruling class removing leaders loved by the public because they pose a threat to the ruling class’s power and interests.

In the United Kingdom, politician Jeremy Corbyn was immensely popular and had repeatedly stood on the right side of history—starting from opposing apartheid in his youth, opposing the Iraq War, supporting Palestinians against Zionist oppression, and more.

He showed that the real enemy of ordinary people is not immigrants but the ruling class that enriches itself on their backs. For this reason, the entire ruling class, including members of his own party, in close collaboration with journalists and their media outlets, fabricated endless lies and excuses to remove him.

Similarly, Bernie Sanders was the only person capable of stopping Trump, but he also threatened the ruling class within the Democratic Party. That is why they fielded candidates who supported the system, and we all know the results. Conflicts arise when people awaken and start defending the interests of the underprivileged. In such cases, the privileged will do everything in their power to silence them.

Analyzing Conflicts

In this context, I believe conflicts should be viewed from three perspectives. I’m not just referring to this particular party currently under scrutiny—this applies to all political parties.

1. Conflicts Between Individuals or GroupsWe examine the personal characteristics of those involved. This is what we are doing now with CHADEMA, and it has its importance. However, personal differences are often symptoms of a deeper issue, not the issue itself.
2. Revelation of Hidden ProblemsAs we are seeing now, conflicts often bring to light various accusations, which may be true or false but affect not only party members but also the public’s perception of these parties. Hidden matters become visible, leaving us stunned. If even one-tenth of these allegations are true, there is a significant problem, and we begin asking questions.

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Why did many intelligent individuals leave? They were labeled traitors, but maybe… Why, when the ruling party is using strategies to work nationwide and reach rural areas, do opposition campaigns often end in just one or two districts?

It is clear that they lack the financial resources of the ruling party. However, I recall speaking with someone who was among the first to join TANU. He had also realized that CCM was no longer his home.

I asked him why he didn’t join others to form a new party. He laughed and said:
“Back in the day, we walked from village to village mobilizing people, without even allowances. Now I’m old; can I really do that? It’s the job of the next generation.”

Indeed, as the scholar Frantz Fanon said,
“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”

How about the generations following the independence fighters—both within the ruling party and the opposition? You have the answer!

The Ideology Question

This brings us to the third perspective, which is not specific to one party—the question of ideology. Interests alone may be enough to unite people, especially those in positions of power. Why should I abandon the benefits I have to enter the wilderness without knowing if I’ll succeed?

Truly, half a loaf is better than none. Also, no political party is perfect in this world, so let me endure the existing flaws—or not just endure but attempt to correct them from within.

However, unattended issues grow like cancer. Over time, the question of ideology will arise even in parties not born out of class struggles but those relying on state subsidies. In this context, I see the current conflict in CHADEMA primarily as an ideological and class issue. It is a struggle that has been present since the party’s inception.

On one side, the party was founded by people with capitalist ideologies who opposed the ruling party’s socialist policies. They openly stated that capitalism was the liberation of all.

However, most citizens saw something different. They viewed the party as a refuge for all who were tired of the ruling party’s system, thus supporting it—not because of ideology but because they desired change. And certainly not changes that would benefit capitalists.

I see this fundamental clash as the core of this conflict. Are the people’s hopes aligned with the ideological vision of the party’s founders? Perhaps that’s why we don’t see clear policies—because, underneath, there is no agreement on them.

Thus, we truly see individuals because they matter too. We are indeed shocked by the squabbles and the “secrets being revealed,” leaving us wondering how these people coexisted all these years.

But I believe the fundamental issue is a struggle that will affect all political parties as the gap between the underprivileged and the privileged widens, and promises of a better life remain unfulfilled—not because they haven’t been implemented yet but because they are unimplementable.

At the end of the day, what matters most is not faces but policies!