Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken the oath of office as Tanzania’s first female president on Friday, 48 hours after the death of her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli from heart complications at the age of 61.
She becomes the East African nation’s sixth president who will be eligible to run for another term in 2025 when Magufuli’s second tenure runs out.
Taking the oath in Dar es Salaam, sporting a black suit and a red hijab and in the presence of a full house at State House, Ms. Hassan paid tribute to Mr Magufuli, describing him as a patriot and a mentor who had prepared her for this unexpected leadership role.
The Zanzibari-born former gender activist who was Magufuli’s vice president since 2015, spoke of being under no illusion about the mammoth task on her shoulders.
Ms Hassan called on Tanzanians to unite in this moment of grief and stop the blame game while there are development targets to realise.
Her late predecessor would be buried on March 25th at his hometown of Chato in Geita region, northwest Tanzania.
A few weeks ago, Samia Suluhu Hassan never expected to succeed John Pombe Magufuli so soon as Tanzania’s president albeit in an interim role for the remainder of his second five-year term which runs out in 2025.
As vice-president she began assuming that role by being the most senior official to broke the heart-rending news to Tanzanians that President Magufuli had died of a cardiac arrest, aged 61.
She will name her deputy after her ascension to the presidency, a move ordained by the country’s constitution which she helped draft while serving as deputy head of the constituent assembly charged with this task in 2014.
Ms. Hassan, a married mother of four who has been serving as Vice President since November 2015 is seen as an unwavering politician.
“In a few weeks and months perhaps we will be talking about her as Tanzania’s iron lady thanks to her stoic leadership qualities which give her away as a stubborn negotiator” said one political observer.
The UK-trained Ms. Hassan previously served as a Minister of State, Vice Presidents Office in charge of Union Affairs.
Born in Zanzibar in 1960, Ms. Hassan was Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment in Zanzibar between 2005 and 2010.
In 2000-2005 she was the Minister of Youth Employment, Women and Children Development in Zanzibar.
Ms. Hassan became Tanzania’s first-ever female Vice-President after the 2015 general elections when she was Magufuli’s running mate under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
Before her tenure as VP she served as the Member of Parliament for Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 2015.
Prior to this, she was minister in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar in the administration of President Amani Karume.
Observers say it would be interesting if Ms Hassan would continue with Magufuli’s controversial Covid-19 policy which saw Tanzania withhold crucial data on the country’s coronavirus count and relaxed measures aimed at curbing the spread of the ailment.
WN/as/APA