SECAM Official Calls for Strong Institutions to Safeguard Democracy in Africa, Weighs In On Tanzania Elections

Nairobi, 26 November, 2025 / 10:22 PM

African governments must strengthen institutions of governance to prevent political unrest and ensure fair elections on the continent, the President of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS) has said.

In an interview with ACI Africa on Tuesday, November 25, Bishop Bernadine Francis Mfumbusa cautioned that countries preparing for elections on the continent could encounter challenges similar to those seen in Tanzania if their institutions remain weak. He made reference to the deadly protests that erupted in Tanzania during the country’s disputed October 29 vote that according to foreign observers, fell short of democratic standards.

“The lesson is very clear. We need strong institutions,” the CEPACS President told ACI Africa on the sidelines of the meeting for Communication Coordinators and Directors of Catholic-owned television and radio stations on the continent. 

He warned that “if it’s only the presidency or parliament that holds power while courts and other bodies cannot operate independently, the system fails.”

“Transparency, accountability, and civilian control of security forces are essential for fair elections,” the Bishop emphasized, adding, “We need to have militaries that are independent and controlled by civilians, but the command structure should be clear.”

He observed that the police force in Tanzania “has been infiltrated in ways we don’t understand.”

The CEPACS official cautioned that failure to strengthen institutions that allow citizens to have fair elections could lead to a cycle of political unrest, as citizens across the continent may imitate scenarios observed elsewhere.

“People have seen what is happening in Tanzania; they will copy it elsewhere. Governments must work hard to ensure transparency and accountability in those institutions of power,” said the Catholic Church leader and went on to describe the recent incidents in Tanzania as “surprising and anguishing.”

He told ACI Africa that the events of October 29, the election day in Tanzania, and the following days were unexpected in a nation historically regarded as peaceful.

“The big question we are asking now is: how did this happen? What are we missing?” Bishop Mfumbusa said and highlighted the urgent need for reflection and dialogue at all levels of society in the East African nation.

He said, “We really need to start a national dialogue now. We should discuss and build peace on foundations that can sustain us probably for the next 200 years.”

“The government has made their own moves,” the CEPACS President, who is the Local Ordinary of Tanzania’s  Catholic Diocese of Kondoa, said, referring to President Samia Suluhu’s appointment of a panel to investigate the protests that erupted during and after the October 29 presidential poll. 

He went on to emphasize the need for an independent investigative team that includes religious leaders and experts in conflict resolution, saying such a body would help restore public trust and uncover the truth behind what members of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) on November 15 described as “brutal and inhumane killings.”

The 63-year-old Catholic Church leader expressed fear that it might be “very difficult to trust” those in the commission as it is currently constituted, “because they are part of the establishment.”

Bishop Mfumbusa, however, offered a message of hope to the people of God in Tanzania, saying, “If you look at the story of the people of Israel—the way they traveled in the desert—when you look at the history of the early Church in the New Testament, there were storms, there were difficulties. But it was through overcoming the difficulties that the Church grew; that the people of Israel strengthened their faith.”