Tanzania political system part 1 by Winnie Msamba 662126

Tanzania is a country of immense cultural and political complexity, with a rich history
and an impressive array of cultures and languages. It is also a country of immense potential
and opportunity for growth. When discussing the politics of Tanzania, the evaluation of
Tanzania's transformation trajectory must consider the political Union that the country's
(formerly Tanganyika) mainland and semi-autonomous Zanzibar created (consisting of two
main islands: Pemba and Unguja) (BTI, 2022). Every region of the Union has its parliament,
government, and budget. The Union between the mainland and Zanzibar is contested by some
politicians and some Zanzibar population groups. Among other things, they argue, Zanzibar
is underrepresented within the Union, marginalized in terms of politics and culture, and
abused economically by the mainland. There are a variety of requests they make, ranging
from more autonomy to independence for Zanzibar. 
As Tanzania strives for a more prosperous and equitable future, the importance of
multiculturalism should not be overlooked. Multiculturalism is a concept that emphasizes the
value of cultural diversity and promotes mutual respect and understanding between different
ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups (Kaiser, 2001). In Tanzania, this concept is reflected in
its politics, with a wide variety of political parties, including those representing different
ethnicities and religious and ideological groups. To guarantee that the rights and interests of
all citizens are represented in the political system, this diversity is crucial. An increased effort
has been made in recent years to include various cultures in politics. The initial step was the
adoption of a National Constitution in 1977 that guaranteed everyone the right to equal
representation in the government, regardless of ethnicity (Freedom house , 2022).
This was followed by the introduction of the Local Government Act of 1982, which
allowed for more local autonomy in the form of district councils. This allowed for the
creation of more representative local governments, which are often more attuned to the needs
of their respective populations (Freedom house , 2022). The 2010 Constitution of Tanzania
has further solidified the rights of minority ethnic groups. It has introduced measures such as
the direct election of local government leaders, the establishment of special commissions to
address the interests of minority communities, and the devolution of powers to local
authorities. 
In conclusion: Multicultural solutions require policies that recognize group rights
while preserving a coherent imagined community. Such as providing local autonomy in a
national context through decentralization and self-government which has been used by the
Tanzanian Government to keep the union born in 1964 in place.
Citation

BTI (Ed.). (2022). Bertelsmann Stiftung 2022 Tanzania Country Report. BTI 2022. Retrieved
February 1, 2023, from https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-report/TZA#pos1

Freedom house (Ed.). (2022). Tanzania: Freedom in the world 2021 country report. Freedom
House. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from
https://freedomhouse.org/country/tanzania/freedom-world/2021

Kaiser, P. J. (2001, June). From "Imagined Community" to Multicultural Mosaic: "The

Politics of Difference" in Tanzania. African Journal of Political Science / Revue
Africaine de Science Politique , June 2001, Vol. 6, No. 1 (June 2001), pp. 89-104.
Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/23495261