ACT-Wazalendo has declared its readiness to mount a serious challenge against the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in the upcoming 2025 General Election, vowing to restore democracy, social justice, and economic dignity for Tanzanians.
Speaking at the party’s Special National Congress held at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam today, ACT-Wazalendo Secretary General Ado Shaibu said the party has drawn critical lessons from over three decades of multiparty politics in the country.
"Since the 2020 general election, we have focused on strategic planning by assessing both the successes and failures of the opposition over the years. We now have the political, ethical, and strategic weapons needed to bring about democratic leadership change," he stated.
Shaibu emphasized that ACT-Wazalendo is not approaching the 2025 elections with mere enthusiasm but with a deep understanding of historical challenges and the resolve to confront them head-on.
Meanwhile, party leader Dorothy Semu, addressing delegates at the congress, reaffirmed the party's commitment to electoral participation, not out of sentiment, but as a matter of principle.
“We have chosen to participate not out of love for the system but out of commitment — a commitment to defend the right to vote and to restore the value of each ballot so that every citizen has the power to choose their leaders,” said Semu.
Reflecting on past boycotts by opposition parties, Semu argued that abstaining from elections has never delivered real change.
“True transformation comes from those willing to step into the arena. And we, ACT-Wazalendo, are in this fight to win it. The CCM government has failed to properly manage the economy, public services, and good governance,” she added.
Semu further criticized the ruling party, saying: “Millions of Tanzanians remain trapped in poverty, unemployment, and uncertainty. They lack access to quality services, live in fear, are silenced, and are repeatedly promised a better tomorrow that never comes. This country continues to serve the interests of the few at the expense of the many.”
In his keynote remarks, party chairman Othman Masoud Othman, who also serves as the First Vice President of Zanzibar, said the congress was not just an ordinary political gathering but a critical turning point for reclaiming citizens’ voices and authority in governance.
“This meeting is about giving Tanzanians back their voices — voices that have long been stifled and denied,” said Othman.
He stressed that the party’s gathering was not aimed at plotting electoral strategies or nominating candidates, but at laying the groundwork for restoring political power to the people — particularly the power to elect and hold their leaders accountable.
“A human being denied both the right to elect and to question their leaders lives in bondage, even if they dwell in a palace,” he said.
He also urged delegates not to betray citizens by lacking vision or shirking their responsibility in this pivotal moment.
“Let us not fail Tanzanians. This congress is not about building candidates or seeking votes for ACT-Wazalendo. It’s about establishing a policy and political direction that liberates Tanzanians from the bondage of having no say in their future,” Othman stressed.