By Alkali Amana
Miriam Defensor Santiago, the renowned Former Judge of the International Criminal Court, once said that ‘research shows that when women are empowered as political leaders, countries often experience higher standards of living with positive developments in education, infrastructure, and healthcare’, and her words may well be the future for Tanzania which recently had a change of government within its political structure to seat H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan as the current President of the country, following the demise of late President John Magufuli.
Tasked to take on the reins of the apex seat in her country, Suluhu is no stranger to the demands of politics and her appointment is expected to empower Tanzania immensely and project it towards enormous growth and advancement in the coming years. Formerly the Vice President of the country under the able leadership of the country, H.E Suluhu announced herself to the political stage when she decided to run for public office in the year 2000 and she was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives. She was later appointed a minister by President Amani Karume where she served as the only high-ranking woman minister in the cabinet. In view of her rising profile, she was re-elected in 2005 and was re-appointed as a minister in another portfolio. She won a landslide victory during the elections in 2010 when she sought election to the National Assembly, standing in the parliamentary constituency of Makunduchi and winning by more than 80%, after which President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as the Minister of State for Union Affairs. However, her most recognized entry into the national scene came when she served in 2014 as the Vice Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution. Her efforts in the process through her calm demeanour and the leadership she reflected in managing occasional outbreaks of pandemonium and the way in which she dealt with some of the more outspoken members earned her plaudits for which she was widely appraised.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been described as diplomatic political figure with good negotiation skills, ably known among her colleagues for following the correct procedures and calmly managing conflicts among MPs. A testament to her prowess at leadership and governance can be seen in the words of January Makamba, an MP who worked with her in the Vice President’s office when, referring to her leadership ability, he said “I have observed at close quarters her work ethic, decision-making and temperament. She is a very capable leader”. As far back as 2005, the President, who was then the Minister of Labour, Gender Development and Children in Zanzibar, showed her capacity towards gender improvement when she overturned a ban on young mothers returning to school after giving birth. A firm believer in female leadership, upon assuming her present role, President Samia noted effectively that “To those that doubt that a woman can be President of Tanzania, I say to you that the one standing before you today is a woman, and President!”.
Suluhu’s journey towards Presidency began in July 2015 when the then Presidential nominee of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party chose her as his running mate for the 2015 election, making her the first female running mate in the party’s history. On 5 November 2015 she subsequently became the first female vice-president in the history of the country upon Magufuli’s victory in the election, both of them were re-elected for a second five-year term on 28 October 2020. On 17 March 2021, Suluhu took to the media to announce the demise of President Magufuli and she was sworn in as his successor on 19 March 2021, to serve the remainder of the second five-year term for which she stood with Magufuli to be reelected.
Upon her swearing-in, Suluhu became Tanzania’s first female President, and the is also the second Zanzibari to hold the post, while joining Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde to become one of two serving female heads of state in Africa. The future of Tanzania seems bright with the first steps of leadership Suluhu has demonstrated in calling for national peace and cooperation. In her first address to the nation, she admonished everyone to set aside any grievance and work towards a collaborative government which will move the country forward. “This is the time to stand together and get connected. It’s time to bury our differences and show love to one another and look forward with confidence” she is quoted to have said. She also assured Tanzanians that in the vein of her predecessor, late President Magufuli, ‘who always liked teaching’, she was prepared for the task ahead to lead Tanzania to exceptional heights.
With President Suluhu, Tanzania can look forward to a future under the leadership of an Amazon adept at governance with the assurance of a leader who will give her best to elevate her nation and see to its success, while representing the latest in a long line of African female leaders to have graced the continent.
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