Tanzania’s Vice President, Dr Emmanuel John Nchimbi, has urged Tanzanians to continue demanding a new Constitution with national consensus, saying it is the foundation for strengthening human rights, good governance and democracy in the country.
Speaking at the opening of the 15th General Assembly of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Network (THRDC) in Dar es Salaam on Friday, Dr. Nchimbi said if he were allowed to tell Tanzanians only one thing, he would tell them: “Fight for a new Constitution.”
The statement comes as the debate on a new constitution continues in Tanzania. The process of writing a new constitution began in 2011 under President Jakaya Kikwete but stalled in 2014 before a referendum. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said the process will be revived before 2030, while the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) manifesto for the 2025 elections also promises to continue the process.
“Fight for a Constitution that has the agreement of all stakeholders, a Constitution that is consistent across the nation, a Constitution that will take us forward for the next 50 years and that every Tanzanian will be proud of because it cares about human life and respects the rights of its citizens,” he said.
The Vice President said human rights are not just a matter of law but touch the daily lives of every Tanzanian.
“Justice is a mother who wants her child to be safe, a father who wants to feed his family with dignity, a young person who wants to be heard, a citizen who wants to express his opinion without fear, a suspect who deserves to be treated according to the law, a police officer who goes to work expecting to return safely to his family and a journalist who wants to do his job. Even if he has no title, no money or anyone to speak for him, he still has dignity, and because he has dignity, he has value. That is where human rights begin,” he said.
He said that although citizens and various groups present many demands at the same time, the basis for resolving them is to have a Constitution that is acceptable to all.
“If you listen to the many claims of various people, you find that they have planned many things at the same time. You have to choose the big thing that can carry everything in the country. It is the Constitution,” he said.
For years, activists, opposition parties and some citizens have continued to push for a new Constitution from the current one of 1977, saying it would help strengthen accountability, democracy and the protection of human rights, although there have been differing views on how and when to proceed with the process.
