Africa-Press – Tanzania. AS Tanzania approaches the much-anticipated general elections, let us all pause for a moment, not to hold our breath in fear, but to breathe in responsibility.
Yes, fellow Tanzanians, it is that time again. Time to shine our shoes, not sharpen our tongues; time to dust off our voter IDs, not hurl insults; time to pick ideas, not fights.
Let us start with the obvious: Go vote. Staying at home and complaining on social media achieves exactly nothing, unless you are aiming to trend for all the wrong reasons.
Elections are your chance to shape the future of your community, your region and your nation.
A single vote may seem small, but combined with millions, it builds governments, or brings them down. To our beloved politicians, a word to the wise: Don’t campaign like you are starring in a personal revenge movie.
Tanzania is not a pawn for mudslinging, name-calling, because such do not develop a country.
Stop dragging your opponents’ families, ex-business partners and teenage mistakes into the spotlight. This is politics, not a gossip column. Sell us your vision, your ideology, your solutions, not your grudges.
A decent campaign is built on policy, not pettiness. So, let us leave the shouting matches and side-eyes in the past. Tanzanians are asking tough questions.
Are you ready with real answers? To political parties across the spectrum, let us address the elephant in the campaign tent: Hired goons.
No, bringing in musclemen with intimidating faces and mysterious “security credentials” does not make your party look powerful, it makes you look paranoid. If you need extra security, the system is ready to assist.
Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners and the Police have clear instructions to coordinate and respond wherever needed.
Leave the job of protection to those trained to do it. Also, let us talk about the unspeakable, yet widely whispered: Bribery.
From free soda bottles to ‘allowances’ hidden in brown envelopes, voter bribery is not just illegal, it insults the intelligence of the voter.
The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), the ball is in your court. Be alert, be present and act fast.
This is your time to show Tanzanians that corruption has consequences, even during campaign season. To voters: Your vote is not for sale.
Not for cash, not for a free tshirt, not for a fake promise of “development.” Demand manifestoes.
Study them. Compare. Think. Then vote with your brain, not your belly. Above all, let peace guide us before, during and after the vote. No candidate is worth burning tyres for.
No party is worth losing a friend over. Democracy means we can disagree without being enemies.
After the final vote is counted, we will all still share the same streets, same buses, same struggles and same hope. So, this election season, be loud with your vote, not your fists.
Be bold with your ideas, not your insults. And remember: Leaders come and go, but the nation remains.
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