Alliance for Change and Transparency

The Alliance for Change and Transparency (Swahili: Chama cha Wazalendo, lit. 'Party of Patriots'), sometimes known as the ACT–Wazalendo, is the third-largest political party in Tanzania.^[8] It received its permanent registration in May 2014.^[9]

Alliance for Change and Transparency Chama cha Wazalendo (Swahili)
Abbreviation	ACT
Leader	Zitto Kabwe[1]
Chairperson	Juma Duni Haji
Secretary-General	Ado Shaib
Spokesperson	Salim Biman
Vice chairperson	Dorothy Semu
Registered	5 May 2014
Headquarters	Dar es Salaam
Youth wing	Ngome Ya Vijana
Women's wing	Ngome Ya Wanawake
Ideology	Democratic socialism[2] Social democracy[3] Factions: Ujamaa[4][5]
Political position	Left-wing
Regional affiliation	Africa Liberal Network[6]
International affiliation	Progressive International[7]
Slogan	Taifa kwanza!
Bunge	4 / 393
Zanzibar HoR	4 / 81
Election symbol
Open palm
Website
Party website
Politics of Tanzania Political parties Elections

Background

The party was founded in 2014.^[10] The party fielded its first presidential candidate in the 2015 general election with Anna Mghwira and won one seat in the national assembly. Prominent members of the party are MP Zitto Kabwe, Seif Sharif Hamad, Othman Masoud Sharif, Bernard Membe, Juma Duni Haji, Ismail Jussa, Selemani Bungara, Zahra Ali Hamad, Subeti Khamis Faki, Saleh Nassor Juma, Omar Ali Shehe, Haji Mwadini Makame, Asha Abdu Haji, Nassor Mazrui, Juma Kombo Hamad, Masoud Salim, Ally Saleh, Ali Salim Khamis, Hamadi Maalim, Khalifa Mohammed Issa, Mohamed Juma Khatib, Twahir Awesu Mohammed, Khatib Haji, Haji Kai, Othman Omar Haji, Nassor Omar, Yussuf Salimu Hussein, Abdalla Ali, Yussuf Khamis, Mgeni Jadi Kadika and Abubakar Khamis Bakary.^[11][12] Zitto who formally joined the party in March 2015 following his expulsion from Chadema.^[4]

The party got a second boost in March 2019 when Seif Sharif Hamad defected from his party Civic United Front with other members and joined ACT due to a court ruling against control of his previous party. Currently the party is the leading opposition party in the Zanzibar House of Representatives parliament holding political grounds together with Chama Cha Mapinduzi in a government coalition in Tanzania semi-autonomous Islands of Zanzibar archipelago.^[13]

Election history

Presidential elections

Election	Party candidate	Votes	%	Result
2015	Anna Mghwira	98,763	0.65%	Lost N
2020	Bernard Membe	81,129	0.55%	Lost N

Bunge elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/−	Position	Result
2015	323,112	2.22%	1 / 393	1	4th	Opposition
2020	81,129	0.55%	5 / 393	4	3rd	Opposition

References

1. "Be ready for big surprise, says Zitto". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
2. "ACT profile". ACT Wazalendo. 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
3. @ACTwazalendo (5 May 2014). "ACT-Tanzania is a political party founded on the social democratic principles with the aim of promoting change and transparency in Tanzania" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
4. Kabendera, Eric (28 March 2015). "Return of Ujamaa as Zitto Kabwe defects to new party". TheEastAfrican. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
5. Azizi, Arash (2017-04-04). "Democratizing Ujamaa". Jacobin. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
6. "Our Member Parties". Africa Liberal Network. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
7. "ACT Wazalendo". Progressive International. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
8. Mwangonde, Henry (4 March 2014). "TZ gets new political party, pledges wider democracy". The Citizen (Tanzania). Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
9. "New Political Party Enters Scene With 'Mature Politics' Pledge". Daily News (Tanzania). 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
10. "Member : Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT)". tcd.or.tz. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
11. "BREAKING: WAGOMBEA 11 WA ACT WAZALENDO WAPIGWA CHINI ZANZIBAR NA ZEC NA 1 CCM". KTV TZ (in Swahili). 19 September 2020.
12. "ACT receives 21 defecting MPs". The Citizen. 21 June 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
13. "More than meets the eye in Seif's move to join ACT-Wazalendo". The Citizen. Retrieved 2020-06-15.

External links

• ACT-Tanzania on Twitter
• ACT Constitution