Analysis: How Butiku stole the limelight from Judge Warioba (1)
BYASE LUTEKE
Dar es Salaam
WE are living in interesting times and enjoying every moment of it. When we thought the excitement and dust raised by the List of Shame was settling down we got a dramatic treatment from a rather strange source.
Nobody expected Mr Joseph Butiku to come from relative political obscurity to propel himself straight to the political centre stage of this country. Mr Butiku has stolen the limelight from Judge Joseph Warioba, who hitherto, was highly regarded as the anti-graft crusader until a few weeks ago.
Judge Warioba seriously undermined his own cause and public standing when he exhibited his true character as a double talker when it comes to serious national issues. No one expected the respectable former prime minister to oscillate from one firm position in the morning to another shaky one in the evening, particularly on corruption matters.
By coming out openly to take sides with the List of Shame and defend Mr Mkapa on the abuse of office assertion, Judge Warioba has sung his political swan song. When it became clear that Judge Warioba was going down and out as a serious anti-graft crusader, Mr Butiku jumped onto the ring to salvage the situation.
It seems Mr Butiku does not believe in shadow boxing as a fighting tactic. As we shall see shortly, the old man stormed onto the stage throwing punches while stinging like a bee and flying like a butterfly as the boxing legend Muhamad Ali used to boast.
Mr Butiku decided to break his silence on the current political crisis in the country on 14 October 2007 during a public discussion held at the University of Dar es Salaam. The timing and the subject in question was perfect because it coincided with the commemoration of the 8th anniversary of Mwalimu J. K. Nyereres (RIP) death.
The anti-graft and good leadership ethics topic was Mwalimus personal crusade in his entire adult life. When his time came to speak, Mr Butiku did not mince words at all.
He put former president Benjamin Mkapa under the spotlight as he was equally spot on. Mkapa, come clean? he demanded. Silence is sending a wrong signal he chastised! This was in response to recent revelations about Mr Mkapas unethical behavior while he was the head of state.
Mr Butiku was not yet done. From Mlimani he went on the campaign trail. His next stop was at a TV talk show; he subsequently gave an interview to the local newspaper and addressed a press conference where he let the genie out of the bottle. Mr. Butiku unleashed a two-year old letter, which he wrote in 2005 to the then president Mkapa in his capacity as the CCM national chairman. Some prominent politicians have followed Mr Butikus anti graft footprints and the media has since been having a field day.
The no-reply letter was kept a secret, save for his few CCM colleagues. It is baffling that it never leaked to the ever prodding local press for two years! No doubt Mzee Butiku decided to make it public after more than two years of waiting for an answer came to a naught. Mzee has indeed opened a can of worms. Forget about Dr Slaas kid stuff at Mwembe Yanga a month ago, Mr Butiku is zeroing in on the lions. Those who are the mightiest in this country, to be precise.
Mr Joseph Butiku is the current executive director of Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF), a former regional commissioner, permanent secretary and a former presidential private secretary (PPS) of the late president J.K. Nyerere. We can therefore conclude that as a close confidant of the Father of the Nation, Mr Butiku knows what he is talking about when he says Mwalimu abhorred corruption to the core. Mr Butiku is wondering very loudly how Mr. Mkapa who entered State House as Mr. Clean could end up being accused of being unscrupulous, contrary to his mentors expectations!
According to the former PPS, Mr. Mkapa was an incognito and against all odds was literally baby seated, carried and spoon-fed by Mwalimu all the way to the highest office in the land. To observers this is not just an ordinary call to order but a complete dress down of the former president. It takes a man and half to do that, especially if you are pointing and wagging your finger to the former president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Quite frankly very few people, if any, expected this kind of reaction from a man who we can say his political shelf life was fast approaching a sell by date. In his twilight years Mr Butiku has nothing to hide or fear. Given his stature in this country he is not the type of a person who can be gagged easily. The old man is un-tishable to use contemporary Kiswanglish.
Mr Butikus letter to Mkapa is a must read for those who keenly follow the political dynamics in this country. His letter was reproduced in the Tanzania Daima Newspaper of 17 October 2007. In this long letter written in August 2005, it is quite obvious that Mzee Butiku was incensed by five key issues which his deep conviction required the immediate attention of top CCM leadership.
Dear readers, in order to be on the same wavelength with this writer, it is important to note that this letter was coming shortly hot on the heels of the CCM nominations of the presidential candidates which took place in May 2005. Mr. Kikwete was chosen as CCM flag bearer for the general election slated for October 2005.
Mr Butiku could no longer fathom what he saw as serious shortcomings during what the Americans call primaries to nominate the CCM presidential candidate for 2005 general elections. He therefore decided to fire a salvo at Mr. Mkapa in his capacity as the CCM chairman. Here we go.
According to Mr Butiku, once Mr Mkapa was at the helm of CCM as a chairman, he started behaving like a rogue village chief turning the party into his personal fiefdom. Mr Butiku charges that under Mkapa, CCM rules, principles, procedures and guidelines were being circumvented without wider consultations and the chairman was leading the party according to his personal whims. For example, during the presidential primaries in Dodoma the chairman suddenly and without consultations and good reasons changed CCM voting procedures. Despite the fact that a one-delegate-three votes formula had been re-affirmed at the previous CCM meetings, this method was discarded in favour of a one-delegate-one vote system. Ironically this is the procedure which was used during 1995 CCM presidential primaries where Mr Mkapa emerged on top for the Ikulu race. Mr Butiku is wondering as to why what was good for goose suddenly couldnt be good for the gander? The change of goal posts at the eleventh hour was clearly aimed at short changing certain candidates, Mr Butiku alleges.
Mr Butiku gives us some amusing insight on the CCM undercurrents. Apparently chairman Mkapa and his vice chairman, Mr. John Malecela did not see eye to eye. This was a big source of instability and possibly petty squabbling within the top leadership of the party! The hate and more hate (not love) relationship between the two came to the fore during the presidential primaries in May 2005. We are told that Mr. Mkapa single-handedly scuttled Mr Malecelas presidential candidacy and bulldozed and bamboozled the CCM Central Committee (CC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to drop a once-upon-a-time worlds wise man from the presidential race. However, it is clear in this letter that Mr Malecela did not take it lying down. He put up a spirited fight which culminated in a shouting match between him and the chairman which left the CC and NEC delegates holding their noses and faces in shame! Hapo mpo?
Under Mr Mkapa, Mr Butiku goes on, CCM has slowly but surely transformed itself from being a revolutionary and proletariat party into a capitalist and petty bourgeoisie politicking tool. Corruption, a taboo in the old CCM, has now taken centre stage rationalized under a cleverly crafted takrima law to justify vote buying and jockeying for positions in the party. Money speaks became the new CCMs buzzword. Mr Butiku does not mince words. He says Mr Mkapa openly and without any remorse looked the other side when certain candidates through their well-known branded ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) were openly dispensing cash for votes to the CCM general conference delegates. Mr Butiku does not hide the fact that he believes that the eventual winner of the CCM presidential race was clearly nominated on a corruption platform. How can such a leader pursue an anti-graft stance when he is from the same mould? He asks.
Mr Butiku goes further to allege that during the presidential primaries chairman Mkapa deliberately shunned from taking action against open xenophobic tendencies which marred the nomination exercise. In particular Dr, Salim A. Salim, one of the CCM presidential contenders, was singled out and targeted simply because of his colour and historical background. Mzee Butiku says that this fact alone must have made the late Mwalimu turn in his grave given the fact that one of the CCM cardinal principles is anti racism. To add salt to injury Dr. Salim was not given a chance to argue his case in the CC and the NEC when issues of Dr Salims colour and his previous party affiliation were brought up. Mr Butiku thinks this was the last nail in the coffin of Dr Salims presidential candidacy on a CCM ticket.
Mr Butiku is of the view that under Mr Mkapas watch, CCM had become a top-down management outfit. Collective leadership was put on a backburner because the chairman preferred to lead in isolation, Mr. Butiku charges. Top leaders of the party were no longer interacting with the chairman freely and requests to have party meetings went unattended in the chairmans in-tray only to be sent to the trash bin. The once amiable Mkapa had become quite unsociable and no member could dare cross his path during party deliberations. As a result monologue replaced dialogue during CCM party meetings. In short, chairman Mkapa was CCM and the CCM was for Mr. Mkapa! Mr Butiku concludes.
Source: ThisDay
BYASE LUTEKE
Dar es Salaam
WE are living in interesting times and enjoying every moment of it. When we thought the excitement and dust raised by the List of Shame was settling down we got a dramatic treatment from a rather strange source.
Nobody expected Mr Joseph Butiku to come from relative political obscurity to propel himself straight to the political centre stage of this country. Mr Butiku has stolen the limelight from Judge Joseph Warioba, who hitherto, was highly regarded as the anti-graft crusader until a few weeks ago.
Judge Warioba seriously undermined his own cause and public standing when he exhibited his true character as a double talker when it comes to serious national issues. No one expected the respectable former prime minister to oscillate from one firm position in the morning to another shaky one in the evening, particularly on corruption matters.
By coming out openly to take sides with the List of Shame and defend Mr Mkapa on the abuse of office assertion, Judge Warioba has sung his political swan song. When it became clear that Judge Warioba was going down and out as a serious anti-graft crusader, Mr Butiku jumped onto the ring to salvage the situation.
It seems Mr Butiku does not believe in shadow boxing as a fighting tactic. As we shall see shortly, the old man stormed onto the stage throwing punches while stinging like a bee and flying like a butterfly as the boxing legend Muhamad Ali used to boast.
Mr Butiku decided to break his silence on the current political crisis in the country on 14 October 2007 during a public discussion held at the University of Dar es Salaam. The timing and the subject in question was perfect because it coincided with the commemoration of the 8th anniversary of Mwalimu J. K. Nyereres (RIP) death.
The anti-graft and good leadership ethics topic was Mwalimus personal crusade in his entire adult life. When his time came to speak, Mr Butiku did not mince words at all.
He put former president Benjamin Mkapa under the spotlight as he was equally spot on. Mkapa, come clean? he demanded. Silence is sending a wrong signal he chastised! This was in response to recent revelations about Mr Mkapas unethical behavior while he was the head of state.
Mr Butiku was not yet done. From Mlimani he went on the campaign trail. His next stop was at a TV talk show; he subsequently gave an interview to the local newspaper and addressed a press conference where he let the genie out of the bottle. Mr. Butiku unleashed a two-year old letter, which he wrote in 2005 to the then president Mkapa in his capacity as the CCM national chairman. Some prominent politicians have followed Mr Butikus anti graft footprints and the media has since been having a field day.
The no-reply letter was kept a secret, save for his few CCM colleagues. It is baffling that it never leaked to the ever prodding local press for two years! No doubt Mzee Butiku decided to make it public after more than two years of waiting for an answer came to a naught. Mzee has indeed opened a can of worms. Forget about Dr Slaas kid stuff at Mwembe Yanga a month ago, Mr Butiku is zeroing in on the lions. Those who are the mightiest in this country, to be precise.
Mr Joseph Butiku is the current executive director of Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF), a former regional commissioner, permanent secretary and a former presidential private secretary (PPS) of the late president J.K. Nyerere. We can therefore conclude that as a close confidant of the Father of the Nation, Mr Butiku knows what he is talking about when he says Mwalimu abhorred corruption to the core. Mr Butiku is wondering very loudly how Mr. Mkapa who entered State House as Mr. Clean could end up being accused of being unscrupulous, contrary to his mentors expectations!
According to the former PPS, Mr. Mkapa was an incognito and against all odds was literally baby seated, carried and spoon-fed by Mwalimu all the way to the highest office in the land. To observers this is not just an ordinary call to order but a complete dress down of the former president. It takes a man and half to do that, especially if you are pointing and wagging your finger to the former president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Quite frankly very few people, if any, expected this kind of reaction from a man who we can say his political shelf life was fast approaching a sell by date. In his twilight years Mr Butiku has nothing to hide or fear. Given his stature in this country he is not the type of a person who can be gagged easily. The old man is un-tishable to use contemporary Kiswanglish.
Mr Butikus letter to Mkapa is a must read for those who keenly follow the political dynamics in this country. His letter was reproduced in the Tanzania Daima Newspaper of 17 October 2007. In this long letter written in August 2005, it is quite obvious that Mzee Butiku was incensed by five key issues which his deep conviction required the immediate attention of top CCM leadership.
Dear readers, in order to be on the same wavelength with this writer, it is important to note that this letter was coming shortly hot on the heels of the CCM nominations of the presidential candidates which took place in May 2005. Mr. Kikwete was chosen as CCM flag bearer for the general election slated for October 2005.
Mr Butiku could no longer fathom what he saw as serious shortcomings during what the Americans call primaries to nominate the CCM presidential candidate for 2005 general elections. He therefore decided to fire a salvo at Mr. Mkapa in his capacity as the CCM chairman. Here we go.
According to Mr Butiku, once Mr Mkapa was at the helm of CCM as a chairman, he started behaving like a rogue village chief turning the party into his personal fiefdom. Mr Butiku charges that under Mkapa, CCM rules, principles, procedures and guidelines were being circumvented without wider consultations and the chairman was leading the party according to his personal whims. For example, during the presidential primaries in Dodoma the chairman suddenly and without consultations and good reasons changed CCM voting procedures. Despite the fact that a one-delegate-three votes formula had been re-affirmed at the previous CCM meetings, this method was discarded in favour of a one-delegate-one vote system. Ironically this is the procedure which was used during 1995 CCM presidential primaries where Mr Mkapa emerged on top for the Ikulu race. Mr Butiku is wondering as to why what was good for goose suddenly couldnt be good for the gander? The change of goal posts at the eleventh hour was clearly aimed at short changing certain candidates, Mr Butiku alleges.
Mr Butiku gives us some amusing insight on the CCM undercurrents. Apparently chairman Mkapa and his vice chairman, Mr. John Malecela did not see eye to eye. This was a big source of instability and possibly petty squabbling within the top leadership of the party! The hate and more hate (not love) relationship between the two came to the fore during the presidential primaries in May 2005. We are told that Mr. Mkapa single-handedly scuttled Mr Malecelas presidential candidacy and bulldozed and bamboozled the CCM Central Committee (CC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to drop a once-upon-a-time worlds wise man from the presidential race. However, it is clear in this letter that Mr Malecela did not take it lying down. He put up a spirited fight which culminated in a shouting match between him and the chairman which left the CC and NEC delegates holding their noses and faces in shame! Hapo mpo?
Under Mr Mkapa, Mr Butiku goes on, CCM has slowly but surely transformed itself from being a revolutionary and proletariat party into a capitalist and petty bourgeoisie politicking tool. Corruption, a taboo in the old CCM, has now taken centre stage rationalized under a cleverly crafted takrima law to justify vote buying and jockeying for positions in the party. Money speaks became the new CCMs buzzword. Mr Butiku does not mince words. He says Mr Mkapa openly and without any remorse looked the other side when certain candidates through their well-known branded ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) were openly dispensing cash for votes to the CCM general conference delegates. Mr Butiku does not hide the fact that he believes that the eventual winner of the CCM presidential race was clearly nominated on a corruption platform. How can such a leader pursue an anti-graft stance when he is from the same mould? He asks.
Mr Butiku goes further to allege that during the presidential primaries chairman Mkapa deliberately shunned from taking action against open xenophobic tendencies which marred the nomination exercise. In particular Dr, Salim A. Salim, one of the CCM presidential contenders, was singled out and targeted simply because of his colour and historical background. Mzee Butiku says that this fact alone must have made the late Mwalimu turn in his grave given the fact that one of the CCM cardinal principles is anti racism. To add salt to injury Dr. Salim was not given a chance to argue his case in the CC and the NEC when issues of Dr Salims colour and his previous party affiliation were brought up. Mr Butiku thinks this was the last nail in the coffin of Dr Salims presidential candidacy on a CCM ticket.
Mr Butiku is of the view that under Mr Mkapas watch, CCM had become a top-down management outfit. Collective leadership was put on a backburner because the chairman preferred to lead in isolation, Mr. Butiku charges. Top leaders of the party were no longer interacting with the chairman freely and requests to have party meetings went unattended in the chairmans in-tray only to be sent to the trash bin. The once amiable Mkapa had become quite unsociable and no member could dare cross his path during party deliberations. As a result monologue replaced dialogue during CCM party meetings. In short, chairman Mkapa was CCM and the CCM was for Mr. Mkapa! Mr Butiku concludes.
Source: ThisDay