CLAIMS by CCM Secretariat head of Ideology, Publicity and Training that the opposition Chadema is conducting a fund raising drive to purchase Mpox and Ebola viruses to prevent this year's general election is taking institutional parameters.

Leading opposition parties are petitioning the Registrar of Political Parties over the claims, with ACT-Wazalendo demanding in a letter that Amos Makalla, the departmental head who made the claims, be put to task over the claims.

In his remarks, the top propagandist had declared that the 'drop by drop' fund raising campaign is intended to obtain money to buy the viruses and spread them around so that the polls are not held as planned.

While party leaders and a welter of activists, visibly disturbed by the remarks, were seeking action from the registrar and from the CCM national chairperson, there were other stupefied reactions.

Some wondered if the claims were made in relation to discussions on preventing the polls from being held, as Chadema national chairman Tundu Lissu has repeatedly said that the 'no reforms, no election; isn't about boycotting the polls but preventing them from being held.

While the overall position of Chadema is to seek support from the country’s development partners and sympathetic local organisations, it is easy to imagine, or believe, any reports about outlandish methods of stopping elections by using the dangerous contagious viruses.

The CCM secretariat official similarly used the occasion to declare that the general election will be the last in which Chadema will still be the leading opposition party countrywide.

ACT-Wazalendo said in its petition that the CCM leader's remarks were reckless, baseless and intended to sow confusion in society.

"This declaration should not be taken as intended to harm Chadema alone but hurts the country's image and economy," it said, wondering what that position implies to foreign tourists wishing to visit the country.

Sisty Nyahoza, the deputy registrar, later in the evening said that the office operates on the basis of legal provisions and not from demands by pressure groups.

He said he had written to the ACT-Wazalendo secretary general Ado Shaibu on the issue. The registrar's office is not in a hurry to go to the media on what it is doing on the matter and shall communicate after it has looked at it in detail.

Meanwhile, the communications regulator says that FM radio broadcasting services currently reach 79 percent of the population, while the geographical coverage of FM signals stands at 56 percent.

Dr Jabir Bakari, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) director general, made this affirmation when releasing the findings of a nationwide survey on the state of communication services over the past four years.

Significant progress has been made while certain areas need improvement in FM radio broadcasting and telecommunications coverage, he said at a briefing where its findings were shared with relevant service providers.

The findings are expected to guide improvements in underserved areas and enhance communication access, he said, explaining that the survey assessed availability of telecommunications, broadcasting and internet services across different regions.

The situation highlights the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen communication infrastructure and ensure equitable access to information, he said, stressing TCRA efforts to close the coverage gaps.

“Our goal is to ensure that every citizen, regardless of their location, has access to reliable communication services, including radio and internet connectivity,” he declared, noting that TCRA is closely working with service providers to address identified gaps and expand communication coverage in remote areas.

The findings mark a significant step toward improving communication infrastructure in Tanzania and reflect the government’s dedication to enhancing information access and connectivity nationwide.

The report underscores the government's commitment to improving communication infrastructure as a key driver of social and economic development. Efforts are already underway to expand the reach of broadcasting signals and enhance internet penetration, particularly in remote and rural areas.

TCRA's findings provide a clear roadmap for service providers to prioritize investments and technological upgrades in underserved regions, ensuring more inclusive access to communication services across the country, he stated.