Africa-Press – Tanzania. AT a time when global debate is increasingly shaped by sweeping judgments and binary narratives, Tanzania has found itself portrayed in stark and troubling terms.
A recent critique in The Economist reflects a broader tendency to compress complex national realities into sharp-edged conclusions. Yet Tanzania’s story, particularly under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, demands a more measured appraisal.
To view the country solely through the lens of political tension is to overlook the deeper currents shaping its trajectory.
Under President Samia and the long-governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Tanzania’s evolution reflects a layered narrative: one rooted in continuity, tempered by reform, sustained by stability and increasingly defined by regional influence. In uncertain times, especially economically, geopolitically and socially — the question is not whether a nation faces challenges.
All do. The question is how leadership navigates them. On that measure, Tanzania’s record warrants careful scrutiny rather than caricature. Since independence in 1961, Tanzania has stood apart in East and Central Africa for one defining attribute: peace.
While neighbours have experienced coups, prolonged insurgencies or civil strife, Tanzania has maintained political continuity and social cohesion.
That stability is not accidental. It is the product of deliberate nation-building that began under Julius Nyerere and has been preserved, adapted and modernised by successive CCM administrations. President Samia’s tenure must be assessed against this long arc of statecraft rather than through the prism of a single electoral cycle.
A reformist beginning, a pragmatic continuation When President Samia Suluhu Hassan assumed office in 2021, she stepped into leadership at a moment of strain: a pandemic-weakened economy, disrupted global supply chains and cautious international partners.
Her initial months were marked by deliberate recalibration. Political dialogue with opposition leaders resumed. Previously suspended media outlets were allowed to operate again.
Tanzania re-engaged multilaterally, restoring a measure of diplomatic warmth that translated into renewed development cooperation and investor confidence.
Symbolism was matched with substance. President Samia embarked on high-level engagements in the United States and Europe, positioning Tanzania as open for business and constructive diplomacy.
Her participation in global forums, including climate and investment summits, signalled a leadership intent on reconnecting Tanzania to international capital and policy networks.
At home, she strengthened ties with religious leaders, civil society and the private sector, reinforcing a consultative tone. Yet reform did not mean retreat from state authority.
As the country moved closer to the 2025 elections, political rhetoric sharpened and isolated incidents of unrest surfaced. In a nation of more than 60 million people, bordered by countries that have experienced periodic instability, the government’s calculus has been clear: democratic competition must not erode the foundations of peace.
Maintaining order while upholding constitutional processes is a difficult balance — but it is central to governance in a diverse, rapidly urbanising society.
Tanzania’s enduring stability remains its strongest strategic asset. Unlike several neighbours, it has not experienced widespread postelection violence or military intervention. Power transitions have followed constitutional procedures. Institutions — from the civil service to the central bank — have maintained operational continuity.
That steadiness has had measurable economic impact. Tanzania has consistently ranked among the faster-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa, supported by infrastructure-led expansion.
The Standard Gauge Railway is gradually linking Dar es Salaam to the interior, reducing freight times and integrating domestic markets.
Upgrades at the Port of Dar es Salaam are increasing cargo handling capacity, reinforcing Tanzania’s role as a maritime gateway for Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Road and bridge projects across the country are shortening travel times for farmers and traders, directly affecting household incomes.
Energy and extractives policy has also evolved. Under President Samia, long-stalled negotiations over liquefied natural gas have advanced, unlocking the commercial potential of substantial offshore reserves.
In mining, regulatory reforms have sought to ensure greater local participation and revenue transparency while maintaining Tanzania’s attractiveness to global investors. The approach has been neither ideological nor abrupt; it has been calibrated.
Domestically, rural electrification programmes have expanded grid access into previously underserved communities, supporting small enterprises and agro-processing.
Agricultural modernisation initiatives, from irrigation schemes to fertiliser access, aim to lift productivity in a sector that employs the majority of Tanzanians.
Industrial parks and special economic zones are designed to encourage value addition rather than reliance on raw commodity exports. Regionally, President Samia has reinforced Tanzania’s standing within the East African Community, promoting trade facilitation and cross-border infrastructure.
Her diplomatic posture has been measured but active, underscoring Tanzania’s role as a stabilising anchor in East and Central Africa. Taken together, these policies reflect continuity with adaptation: reformist in tone, pragmatic in execution.
They point not to a leadership preoccupied solely with political consolidation, but to one pursuing structural transformation while guarding the peace that underpins it. Women’s leadership and symbolism President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s rise to the highest office carries weight far beyond protocol.
As Tanzania’s first female head of state, and one of the few women to lead a nation in Africa — her presidency represents a generational shift in political imagination.
For millions of Tanzanian girls watching from classrooms in Kigoma, Mtwara or Arusha, leadership is no longer an abstract male preserve; it is embodied in someone who speaks with familiarity and authority from State House. Her symbolism has been reinforced by appointments and policy direction.
Women have been elevated to senior ministerial portfolios, key administrative posts and strategic institutions. Gender-focused financing initiatives have expanded access to credit for women entrepreneurs, particularly in agriculture and small-scale trade.
Programmes supporting girls’ education and reentry into schooling systems have strengthened pathways for long-term empowerment. But the significance of her leadership is not confined to domestic optics.
On the continental stage, President Samia has emerged as a measured, pragmatic voice. Within the East African Community, she has supported deeper economic integration, infrastructure connectivity and trade facilitation.
Her diplomacy has emphasised dialogue over confrontation, economic cooperation over isolation. In a region where politics can often be defined by strongman archetypes, President Samia’s leadership style — consultative, composed and deliberate — has offered a different template. It blends firmness with restraint, symbolism with institutional grounding.
The result is a presidency that is not only historic in identity, but consequential in posture: projecting Tanzania as steady at home and constructive abroad, while quietly reshaping perceptions of who can lead at the highest level.
Security and rule of law No state is immune from security challenges. The question is not whether force is ever used, but whether it is bounded by law and oversight. Tanzania’s constitution and legal framework provide mechanisms for review and accountability.
Allegations surrounding election-related incidents have prompted calls for investigation — and that process, rather than rhetorical escalation, is the proper democratic pathway. It is also worth recalling that unchecked unrest carries consequences: economic disruption, reputational damage and social fracture.
The calculus of governance involves preventing such spirals. In many parts of Africa, the absence of decisive early action has led to prolonged instability.
Tanzania’s leadership has signalled that it will not allow that trajectory. Popular mandate and organisational depth CCM’s endurance, now spanning more than six decades, reflects more than incumbency.
It reflects deep organisational roots, rural networks and an ability to adapt policy frameworks over time.
From the socialist experiments of the 1970s to market liberalisation in the 1990s and today’s infrastructure-led growth, the party has demonstrated ideological flexibility anchored by a core emphasis on unity.
Public opinion surveys over the years have repeatedly shown substantial support for CCM, particularly outside metropolitan centres. Electoral competition exists, but the ruling party’s reach remains formidable. International observers often apply uniform democratic templates to diverse political contexts.
Tanzania’s political culture, shaped by post-independence consensus-building and avoidance of ethnic fragmentation, differs from more adversarial systems. Its gradualist approach to reform has prioritised cohesion over confrontation.
This does not preclude debate or dissent. It does, however, suggest that stability is valued not merely by elites but by citizens who remember the turbulence that has afflicted parts of the continent.
Yes, no administration is beyond criticism, and robust debate strengthens institutions, yet sweeping labels risk obscuring tangible gains: expanded infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, enhanced regional integration and preserved peace.
President Samia’s leadership embodies a balancing act — reform without rupture, firmness without chaos, engagement without surrendering sovereignty. Tanzania today remains peaceful, economically ambitious and diplomatically active. In a region where fragility is often the norm, that continuity is not trivial. It is strategic.
Rather than reducing Tanzania’s trajectory to caricature, a fair assessment recognises both challenges and achievements.
On balance, the evidence suggests a nation striving, imperfectly but steadily, towards prosperity and cohesion under experienced leadership.
For East and Central Africa, Tanzania remains a pillar of stability. And in uncertain global times, steady hands matter.
Source: Daily News – Tanzania Standard Newspapers
