Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s First Female President Preaches Unity After Magufuli’s Death

Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female president, on Friday called for Unity after her swearing-in ceremony. These events were caused by the sudden death of President John Magufuli from an illness reported to be a heart issue.

Hassan, 61, from the island of Zanzibar, will complete Magufuli’s second five-year term that will end in 2025.

The swearing-in ceremony in Dar-es-Salaam saw neither she nor a majority of the attendees wear a mask. The Covid-sceptic nation never observed SOPs like social distancing. The former president had declined to accept the reality of the pandemic and so did the rest of the country.

‘’I can assure Tanzanians that there is nothing that will go wrong during this time. We will start where Magufuli ended,’’ she said in a brief speech after taking the oath of office.

This makes Hassan the only other current serving female Head of State in Africa alongside Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zwede. Zwede’s work is majorly ceremonial whereas the president in Tanzania becomes the head of government as well.

Tanzanians said the times to see women as weak are long gone. One referred to the female gender as able and more than capable. The outside world knew little of Samia Suluhu Hassan until she appeared on TV on Wednesday to announce Magufuli’s death.

However, people have asked questions regarding the truth surrounding the death of the 61-year-old. Rumors had it that the Covid-sceptic leader had sought treatment of Covid-19 abroad. The main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu insists his sources said Magufuli had covid-19 and had died a week before.

Check Also;

• Uganda To Mourn Magufuli On President’s Orders
• John Pombe Magufuli, The Only African President Who Hasn’t Set Foot Outside Africa Since His Election As President
• Magufuli Announced Dead, Tanzania To Mourn for 14 days

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