The Republic of Tanzania inaugurated a female Muslim Samia Suluhu Hassan as its first female president on 19 March 2021. This is not altogether surprising because the dynamics of Tanzania as a country have become very interesting even as an emerging economy, according to available statistics.
Ikeanumba sources confirmed that Tanzania has a gross GDP of $62.224 billion (nominal) and $193.504 billion (PPP), its GDP is ranked 74th(nominal) 66th(PPP) as at 2020, while its GDP growth is at 5.4% (2018), 5.8% (2019), 2.5% (2020), 5.5% (2021). And its GDP per capita is$1,105 (nominal, 2019), $3,402 (PPP, 2019). It also belongs to several trade organizations such as AU, AFCFT (signed), EAC, SADC, WTO, and has an estimated population of 58,552,845 (as of 2020). Its most common industries are Agriculture 23.4%, industry 28.6%, and Services 47.6%, with inflation (CPI) of 3.9% (2020) and have an unemployment rate of 2.2%. it has a base borrowing rate of 12% (2014), with a population below the poverty line at 26.4% (2018), with 76.6% on less than $3.20/day (2017).
So, when it swore in former Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan as its President, it only cemented the notion that Tanzania is ready and headed for the future.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s ascension comes after the death of John Magufuli who died on 17th March 2021. Many have described 61-year-old Hassan as stepping out from the shadow of John Magufuli, especially because her responsibilities as Vice President were centered on acting as Magufuli’s main overseas representative. She championed more consensus-driven and diplomatic roles in her position then.
Samia Suluhu Hassan was born on 27th January 1960 in Zanzibar, she attended three different primary schools, between 1966 to 1968, and then Ziwani Primary school in Pemba from 1970 to 1971 and Mahonda Primary School in Unguja in 1972. She joined Ngambo and Lumumba Secondary School in Unguja from 1973 to 1975. Then the Zanzibar Institute of Financial Administration (ZIFA) where she pursued Statistics Studies in 1977. After her secondary education she worked as a clerk in the Ministry of Planning and Development, she also did several short courses on a part-time basis. Samia Hassan later attended the Institute of Development. Management (present-day Mzumbe University), where she studied Public Administration. Upon graduation with an Advanced Diploma in 1986, she was employed on a project funded by the World Food Programme and went further in 1992 and 1994, where she attended the University of Manchester and earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics. Much later in 2015, she obtained her MSc in Community Economic Development via a joint program between the Open University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire University.
Five years later in 2000, Samia Suluhu Hassan ran for public office and was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives. She was later appointed a minister by President Amani Karume and was the only high-ranking woman minister in the cabinet. She was re-elected in 2005 and re-appointed as a minister in another portfolio, then in 2010 she vied for election to the National Assembly, under the Makunduchi parliamentary constituency and won by more than 80%. President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as the Minister of State for Union Affairs and in 2014, she was elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution. She also briefly served as the second female interim Head of State in the EAC – 27 years after Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi. She is a member of the ruling social-democrat Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, and eventually became Tanzania’s first female vice-president after the 2015 general election, along with President Magufuli. They were re-elected to a second five-year term in October 2020. Unfortunately, on 17 March 2021, a sad Suluhu announced that Magufuli had died of a heart attack, an illness he had endured for the past ten years. On 19th March 2021, Samia Hassan was sworn in as Magufuli’s successor and will serve the balance of Magufuli’s second term. The delay in the start of Suluhu Hassan’s term came because the Constitution of Tanzania requires the vice-president to take the presidential oath before ascending to the presidency.
According to the Constitution, Hassan would only be eligible for one full term in her own right should she decide to contest at the next elections.
PERSONAL LIFE
In 1978, Samia Suluhu married Hafidh Ameir, an agricultural officer and they have 4 children. Her husband retired from civil service in 2014, and their daughter Want Hafidh Ameir (born 1982), is a special seat member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
Samia Suluhu Hassan despite being in public office for years has maintained a very private life, which would work in her favor as she seeks to make an impact on the country. She is calmer and less outspoken than Magufuli, which her citizens believe will positively aid her in certain decisions.
CHALLENGES SHE MAY FACE
Samia Suluhu Hassan was “looked down on” by her male colleagues because she was female, while in the Zanzibar House of Representatives. Yet, she managed to thrive and change their perceptions over time due to her dedication and hard work.
She also had some running oppositions with Magufuli, despite being a loyal supporter of the government agenda, yet she did not agree with all Magufuli’s policies wholeheartedly, as she didn’t deny that they were rumored tensions in her relationship with the President in 2016.
Somehow, she managed to carve out a significant role and level of responsibility for her position. She was also able to douse the concerns of the opposition leaders who had expressed concern about a possible “vacuum” when 18 March passed without Suluhu being sworn in.
EXPECTATIONS ON HER
Hassan’s to-do list is tough! This is basically because being a trained economist, the onus is on her to revive the economy of Tanzania and boost its productivity in its major sectors. This is a seemingly uphill task for her to achieve according to her critics who have described her as a consensus builder and soft-spoken politician, whose rule may set a different tone in Tanzanian politics. However, there are indications that Hassan may ultimately seek a break from her predecessor’s style of governance, which was made up of controversial televised speeches and brazen populism, especially in the way the late Magufuli continually denied the existence of Covid-19 in Tanzania.
Hassan popularly and respectively called Mama Samia gave an emotional speech during her televised swearing-in ceremony, where she described her sorrow “It’s not a good day for me to talk to you because I have a wound in my heart, today I have taken an oath different from the rest that I have taken in my career. Those were taken in happiness. Today I took the highest oath of office in mourning.” Needless to say, that Tanzanians expect that Hassan will use this opportunity to reshape the country.
One of the first challenges facing Hassan is the Covid-19 pandemic, as she is expected to take different drastic steps towards it from those her predecessor took by denying the existence of the virus. In the few days after her inauguration, Samia Suluhu Hassan didn’t disappoint Tanzanians as she took concrete steps in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Rob Ahearne, a Tanzanian researcher, Samia Suluhu Hassan was also expected to address some issues bothering on freedom of the press and authoritarianism which had created deep political divisions all done by Magufuli. But Magufuli’s anti-corruption agenda, emphasis on hard work, fractious relations with multinational mining giants, and significant investments in major public works, also were positives for the country.
Even opposition leaders expressed hope for Tanzania as Samia Suluhu Hassan took the reins of leadership, they also hope for an improved economy, and a fairer political environment though that may take a bit of time to achieve. Also, the damaging effect of the Covid-19 spread in the Tanzanian economy will be felt in the coming years, due to the long suppression of the spread of the virus, so Tanzanians may experience declines in production, consumption, and exports. Tanzanians are yet to embrace wearing face masks in public areas, and there has been no effort to procure or create their vaccines.
Then comes the major issue, which is for Tanzania to maintain the position of a beacon of peace in East Africa. This is key because it falls in line with the vision of Tanzanian Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who famously said: “In Tanzania, it was more than one hundred tribal units which lost their freedom; it was one nation that regained it”. So, there are expectations that Mama Samia would usher in a new era of bipartisan politics that would have a more friendly approach.
She did not disappoint as she immediately ordered the reopening of media that were closed during the time of President John Magufuli, in April a few days after her inauguration. “I am told you revoked licenses of some media outlets, including some online television stations. You should lift the ban but tell them to follow the law and government guidelines. Let us not give them a chance to say that we are limiting press freedom”.She also announced further that Tanzania would start following scientific procedures in handling the Coronavirus pandemic, going further to state her intention to form a special committee to advise the government on steps to take in the fight against Coronavirus. This again beamed a ray of hope for Tanzania even among the opposition.
HER NET WORTH
Samia Suluhu Hassan is currently estimated to be worth between $80m – $120m
