Africa-Press – Tanzania. AS the political season kicks into full gear with campaigns officially opening on August 28th, Tanzanians across the nation are already feeling the vibrations.
Posters will soon go up, slogans will be polished and yes – WhatsApp groups are heating up ready for the campaigns.
Again, Presidential candidates from various parties have collected their forms and the stage is being set.
But before we dive headfirst into the whirlwind of promises, rallies and memes, let us take a deep breath and agree on a few home truths.
Here in this campaign season, let us normalise the most radical thing in modern politics: mature disagreement. Supporting different parties is not a sign of betrayal.
Criticising a policy is not an act of war. And no, you won’t melt if someone supports a different candidate than you. Tanzania deserves a politics of ideas, not insults.
Critique intelligently, engage respectfully and for heaven’s sake, let us keep off political insults.
To the youth of Tanzania: politics is not a platform of calling politicians names.
It is not your job to become a part-time bouncer for your party. Attend rallies, ask tough questions, clap, when necessary, but don’t fight.
Don’t throw stones. Don’t let politicians rent space in your head or your fists.
The country needs thinkers, not thugs. Let us remind ourselves: political parties will come and go, but Tanzania is forever.
The man you are insulting today might be your minister tomorrow. Or your boss, stay sharp, stay peaceful. It is easy to chant “Haki! Maendeleo! Mabadiliko!” But can you explain what those mean in real terms? Campaign season is not a concert.
Let us demand clear manifestos, not just catchy jingles. If a candidate can promise roads, jobs, and rain in Arusha, let us ask how.
Don’t let them sell you dreams on credit. And while we are at it, don’t be that guy who attends every rally just for the free T-shirt. Attend with your brain turned on. Know what you are clapping for.
Let us not allow campaigns to tear us apart along tribal, religious, or regional lines. Tanzania is bigger than any one party, any one leader.
The ballot box is not a battlefield. It is a classroom and we are all students of democracy. Whether you are in Dodoma, Mwanza, Zanzibar, or Mtwara, kindly preach peace.
Remind each other that we have only one flag, one anthem, one home. Let us prove to the world that Tanzanian politics can be hot without burning the house down.
By and large, as August 28th approaches, let us ready our ears for promises, but sharpen our minds for policy.
Let us ask questions, stay informed, and most of all, stay united. If we must shout, let us shout for peace.
If we must fight, let us fight for better healthcare, education, and jobs not for politicians who will forget our names after October. Because at the end of it all, Tanzania comes first.
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