Profile: Meet Samia Suluhu Hassan, the VP set to succeed Magufuli, becoming Tanzania’s first female President

Tanzania’s 10th Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to replace fallen leader John Pombe Magufuli, becoming the country’s first female president.

Samia Suluhu Hassan will also become the fifth substantive female president in Africa.

The list of female African presidents includes: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia ( January 2006 – January 2018), Joyce Hilda Banda, President of Malawi (April 2012 – May 2014), Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (June 2015 – March 2018), and Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia (October 2018 – Present).

Magufuli, Tanzania’s fifth president, died in a Dar es Salaam hospital on March 17.

The 61-year-old president succumbed to heart complications.

Now, Samia Suluhu Hassan will take over as Tanzania’s sixth president for the country’s constitution states: “Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the term of five years.”

Magufuli won a second term in 2020.

Here is a quick look at Samia Suluhu Hassan’s profile

Tanzania first female president Samia Suluhu Hassan Profile

Born on January 27, 1960

Education

1966-1968: Chwaka Primary School in Unguja

1970-1971: Ziwani Primary school in Pemba

1972: Mahonda Primary School in Unguja

1973-1975: Ngambo and Lumumba Secondary School in Unguja

1977: Zanzibar Institute of Financial Administration (ZIFA) (read Statistics studies)

1986: Joined Institute of Development Management- IDM (present Mzumbe University) in Morogoro for advanced studies in Public Administration.

Later: National Institute of Public Administration in Lahore, Pakistan.

1991: She joined the Institute of Management for Leaders, Hyderabad in India for a Certificate Management Course

Later: University of Manchester in London for graduate studies (Postgraduate Diploma in Economics).

2004-2005: Masters Degree in Community Economic Development through a joint-programme between the Open University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire University, US.

Family

Husband Hafidh Ameir, a retired agriculture officer

Children: three sons and a daughter named Mwanu Hafidh Ameir

Daughter Mwanu Hafidh Ameir is a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives

Work

Ministry of Planning and Development

1992: worked for a Project funded by the World Food Programme (WFP) 

Political Career

2000: Samia was elected as a member of the Zanzibar House of Representative for a special seat

2000: Appointed as Minister by Zanzibar President Amani Karume; she was the only high-ranking woman Minister in the Cabinet

2005: re-elected and re-appointed minister

2010: Won Makunduchi constituency National Assembly seat with over 80 per cent.

2014: Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete appointed Samia Minister of State for Union Matters

2014: Elected Vice Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly committee tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution

July 2015: Ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Presidential nominee John Magufuli chose Samia as his running mate for the 2015 General election (became CCM’s first female presidential running mate)

November 05, 2015: Assumed office as 10th Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania

March 17, 2021: Acting and incoming sixth President of the United Republic of Tanzania