Kikwete worked with traitors, President-elect Magufuli claims

Tanzania’s President-elect Dr. John Pombe Magufuli Joseph has accused his predecessor Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of working with moles during his two five-year terms at the helm of power.

Dr. Magufuli, who was speaking outside the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) offices in Dar es Salaam after receiving his certificate of election from the National Electoral Commission (NEC), said that despite Kikwete growing the party, he worked with ‘traitors’ who did not mean well for the party from the onset.

The tough-speaking President-elect said the ‘traitors’ – better known as ‘Wasaliti’ in Swahili, derailed the party’s progress by leaking important information to the opposition as well as individuals who wanted to see CCM ousted from power.

The CCM luminary promised to embark on a massive cleaning of the party once he is sworn in as the fifth President of the United Republic of Tanzania on Thursday, November 5^th. The process, explained Magufuli, would ensure that those remaining in the party share CCM’s ideologies and will always protect it.

Magufuli, who will take over from Kikwete as the party chair once his term expires in 2017, said the sanctity, growth, development, policies, ideologies and the love for the party must be guarded jealously. He added that anybody deemed to be a mole must be dealt with mercilessly.

He, however, congratulated the outgoing Head of State for keeping the party intact even during the most trying moment when its stability was threatened by defection of some key personalities to the opposition including former Prime Ministers Edward Ngoyai Lowassa and Fredrick Sumaye.

He also thanked the party’s Secretary General, Abdirahman Kinana, for what he termed as building a strong foundation for the party during very turbulent political moments in the country.

Dr. Magufuli noted that Mr. Kinana, and other party leaders like Deputy Secretary General Luwavi and CCM’s 2015 Presidential Campaigns Manager January Makamba, were the forces behind the victory.

Magufuli was elected President on Sunday and the official announcement was made on Thursday after garnering over 8.8 million votes, representing 58% of the total votes cast.

His closest challenger Mr. Edward Lowassa of Chadema garnered slightly over six million votes, representing 39.9%.

Dr. Magufuli now replaces Dr. Kikwete and will be deputized by Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan.