Author: KATARE MBASHIRU
AfricaPress-Tanzania: BUSINESSSPERSONS had yet another reason to smile as they continuously minted cash for a better part of yesterday when Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) cadres arrived from different parts of the country to attend a crucial party meeting.
CCM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meets here today to endorse candidates for Parliamentary as well as the Zanzibar House of Representatives seats.
Dodoma City was buzzing since Monday as CCM cadres started arriving to attend a series of meetings which come to an end today.
Majority of them were seen at the party’s headquarters in the city purchasing their traditional green and yellow clothes, a common dress code among party cadres during meetings.
Vendors at the party headquarters were busy minting cash, with the city apparently in a festive mood with business booming thanks to the rising number of visitors.
The vendors were grateful to the ruling party for giving them an opportunity to obtain their daily bread.
“I sell up to 50 clothes per day, that is why I wish every day Dodoma should have the CCM meetings,’’ said Aneth Mwaluko, a businesswoman selling the party’s outfits at CCM headquarters popularly known as White House.
The situation was the same for owners of restaurants in the city who said that business boomed since the party cadres started arriving in the city.
Dodoma’s Central Business District (CBD) temporarily became a city of green and yellow as various popular Streets were fully decorated with CCM flags as part of preparations for the party’s meeting.
At the Dodoma’s main bus stand, travellers were complaining that they had challenges on where to stay as many popular hotels and lodges had been fully booked.
There is a hotel crisis, an experience that usually occurs when the ruling party is conducting its series of meetings.
“I called the manager of one of the popular hotels in the city for booking but he informed me that all rooms had already been booked,’’ one James Amos told the ‘Daily News’ during an interview.
Security has been heightened to ensure that no group could disrupt the meeting. Police were yesterday making patrols at every corner of the country’s capital.
The CCM’s NEC meeting is scheduled to be held today at Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre.
Prior to this meeting, President John Magufuli who is also the CCM Chairman led the Central Committee (CC) meeting on Tuesday.
Yesterday, led by the CCM Vice Chairman (Mainland), Philip Mangula, the ethics committee of the party met to fine-tune ethical matters that arose during the party primaries.
