AfricaPress-Tanzania: UNLIKE previous swearingin ceremonies of incoming presidents, yesterday’s event for installation of Samia Suluhu Hassan as the sixth Tanzanian President was unique.
Held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, the atmosphere was calm as invited leaders wore sad faces— mourning the departed President John Magufuli.
The live-broadcast ceremony was conducted at a conference hall with a limited number of invitees, including Z anzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai.
Other top leaders in attendance were former presidents Jakaya Kikwete, Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Amani Abeid Karume as well as heads of security forces.
Invited delegates and the media started arriving from around 8am for the crucial historic event of swearing-in the first female Tanzanian President after the death of Fifth President Dr Magufuli, whose burial is set to take place at his home village in Chato district on Thursday next week.
By 10am, every invited guest was already seated, eagerly waiting to see the incoming President taking the oath of office.
As they waited, an aidede- camp to-be of Mama Samia stepped in and stood at one side of the hall, indicating that the incoming president was about to enter.
A few minutes later, Ms Hassan came in and proceeded to the red chair and table in front of the audience and immediately received the Holy Book of Q uran and the oath from Chief Secretary Dr Bashiru Ally.
She recited the oath before Chief Justice Ibrahim Juma. After completing swearingin, she signed the oath of office, which was followed by a military rendition from soldiers stationed just outside the hall.
She was then accompanied by heads of security forces outside the hall where she inspected a military guard of honour and received a 21-gun salute.
When she was still outside, the flag of the president was brought into the hall and placed at the back of her chair—decorating her with more symbols of the presidency.
The brand new president of Tanzania returned to the hall where the invited guests sat patiently waiting for her return from receiving the presidential honours before addressing the nation in her new capacity as the Head of State.
In a voice filled with sadness and consternation, she told the attentive guests and the whole nation how she values the contributions of her predecessor, and how he had shaped her as a leader in the country.
