Augustino Lyatonga Mrema is a Tanzanian politician and chairman of the Tanzania Labour Party party; and currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Vunjo constituency.
Education
From 1955 until 1963, Mrema attended primary and secondary education at Moshi, thereafter joining Street.Patrick Teachers training college also in Moshi where he finished his Secondary education in 1965. In 1968 Mrema sat for the Cambridge University O-level examinations He joined the Kivukoni Political College, after which he was sent to Marangu for further training.
Career
He is the second of five siblings. Mrema has been in the Tanzania Government, National Security Organisation and the CCM party since 1966. He held various positions including: Rural Civics Teacher 1974-1980 Teacher at the National Security College 1980-1982 Assistant Deputy for National Security in the Dodoma Region 1982-1984 Chief Deputy for National Security in Dodoma Region 1983-1984 Chief Deputy for National Security in Shinyanga Region 1985-1987 He was able to retain his seat in 1990 without stiff competition.
The fact that he was an Member of Parliament enabled the president to appoint him to various cabinet positions.
From 1990 to 1995 Mrema held various cabinet and high level government positions: Minister of Interior 1990-1994 Deputy Prime Minister 1993-1994 Minister of Labour, Development and Sports 1994-1995 Running again as the TLP presidential candidate in the 14 December 2005 elections, Mrema was fourth out of ten candidates, winning 0.75% of the vote.
Politics
Even though Mrema has contested every presidential election in Tanzania since the country instituted a multiparty system in the early 1990s, his political career started in 1985 when he tried to run for Member of Parliament in his home district of Kilimanjaro. Mrema left CCM in 1995 and joined a new political party National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi. He finished third behind incumbent President Benjamin Mkapa of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and Ibrahim Lipumba of the Civic United Front (CUF), capturing 7.80% of the vote, this time on the ticket of the TLP.
Membership
Mrema is a member of the Chaga tribe from Kiraracha Village near Mount Kilimanjaro.