Rsported by
Faridah N Kulumba
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan made history on Friday 19 March 2021 when she was sworn in as the country’s first female president and the sixth Tanzanian president after the sudden death of President Magufuli. Soft-spoken Hassan 61 year old, i a Muslim woman who come from island of Zanzibar. According to Article 37 of Tanzania’s constitution, she will finish Magufuli’s second term of five years, which set to run until 2025.
Samia’s profile
Samia Suluhu Hassan is now the six president of Tanzania. She was born on 27 January 1960, now 61 year old. In 1978 she married Hafidh Ameir Sultanate of Zanzibar at present a retired agricultural officer, and they have 4 children. She studied statistics in Zanzibar institute of Financial Administration and later graduated from Mzumbe University in 1986, with Advanced Diploma in Public Administration.
She also attended University of Manchester where she received postgraduate diploma in Economics in 1994. Ms Hassan attended school at a time when very few girls in Tanzania were offered the opportunity of an education outside the traditional roles of wife and homemaker.
Her political career
Samia Hassan is the first president born in semi-autonomous Zanzibar. She started her political career in 2000 after she was elected as a special seat member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives for two terms. After she was elected to the National Assembly in 2010, winning the vote by more than 80%.
She was later appointed as the minister of state for union affairs by president Jakaya Kikwete, and in 2014 she was elected as the vice chair person of the Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting Tanzania/s new constitution.
Hassan rose through the ranks of the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi, until she was picked by Magufuli as his running mate in his first presidential election campaign in 2015.
After the election which they won, she became the first female Vice-President of Tanzania.
In 2020, Magufuli again picked her as his running mate, and they were re-elected in October in a disputed poll the opposition and independent observers said was marred by irregularities.
What Tanzanians expect from Samia Hassan
Hassan has been described as a much more diplomatic political figure and she is calm when managing conflicts. According to DW Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi said the significance of her background should not be underestimated in the context of Tanzanian politics.
Salim Ahmed a Tanzanian also trader in Uganda told African Report that they expect their new president to address the issue of Covid-19. “Although they say that president Magufuli died of heart conditions, but i still can not believe it due to the fact that romours are still circulating on different media most especially out side Tanzania, that he succumbed to Covid-19,” said Ahmed.
Tanzania’s relations with foreign countries
Tanzania has enjoyed warm and friendly relations with most countries around the world ever since it became independent in 1961.
United States-Tanzania relations
The U.S- Tanzania relation begun in 1961, and they have established partnership characterised by mutual respect and aspirations for a more peaceful and prosperous future. The two country’s relations was strained after Magufuli’s 2015 elections that was marred by widespred irregularities. This forced America to publicly express concern over the ongoing shrinking of democracy in Tanzania on media, civil society.
Despite all that, US the largest Tanzania’s bilateral donor remained committed to the government of Tanzania by providing development and asistance to Tanzania on health, economic, education and onsecurity iddues.
Tanzania relations to Israel and Palestine
Tanzania supported the United Nation position on Israel and Palestine to have two different sovereign nations that are free and secure. Tanzania and Israel signed a memorandum of understang recently aimed to cooperate in defense and security issues.
