As election season gathers momentum in Zanzibar, President Hussein Ali Mwinyi has sent a clear message to voters: politics should be about peace, unity, and policies that touch people’s lives.
On August 30, 2025, Dr. Mwinyi, who is seeking a second term as Zanzibar’s President under the ruling CCM, collected his nomination forms from the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC).
While the event drew large crowds of CCM supporters, his speech emphasized something more significant respectful campaigns and citizen-focused policies.
Rather than rallying supporters with attacks on opponents, Dr. Mwinyi highlighted the need for campaigns that protect Zanzibar’s traditions of peace and togetherness.
“Our politics must unite, not divide,” he said, pledging that his campaign will avoid hostility and discrimination.
For citizens, the promise signals an attempt to reduce political tensions that have historically marked election periods.
Many Zanzibaris still recall the unrest of previous elections, and Mwinyi’s assurance that CCM will uphold stability offers a measure of comfort to families and communities preparing for the vote.
Beyond peace, Mwinyi also placed citizens’ welfare at the heart of his message.
He pointed to progress achieved in his first term and said the new CCM manifesto (2025–2030) would build on those gains, particularly in job creation, social services, and economic empowerment.
For young people seeking opportunities, traders in Zanzibar’s markets, and families hoping for better schools and hospitals, such pledges raise expectations that campaigns will be less about politics and more about practical solutions.
By visiting the grave of Zanzibar’s first President, the late Abeid Amani Karume, Mwinyi also framed his candidacy as part of a broader national journey.
His symbolic gesture served as a reminder of Zanzibar’s political roots and the responsibility leaders have to preserve unity.
As the campaign period begins, citizens will now judge political parties not just by their rallies or slogans, but by how well they can articulate real policies that ease daily struggles.
Mwinyi’s call for civilized, policy-driven politics sets the tone, but the test lies in how those promises translate into tangible benefits for ordinary Zanzibaris.