President Samia Suluhu Hassan has implemented reforms that have changed Tanzania’s direction since taking office in 2021. She faced her first major challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic, taking a different approach from her predecessor, who dismissed the virus as a hoax.
Tanzania has undergone significant changes since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office nearly two years ago. She has introduced numerous reforms that have steered the country in a new direction from that of her predecessor, the late Dr John Pombe Magufuli, who was nicknamed “the bulldozer” for his uncompromising leadership style.
President Samia was sworn in as Tanzania’s first female president just two days after Magufuli’s death, whom she had served as vice president. Magufuli and Samia were re-elected in the disputed October 2020 general election, which was fiercely contested by the main opposition party Chadema.
After taking office, President Samia declared a period of national mourning and urged unity among Tanzanians. She called for them to work together towards building the new Tanzania that her predecessor had envisioned. President Samia stated, “This is the time to stand together and be united. It’s time to bury our differences, promote love among us and look into the future with confidence. This isn’t the time to start pointing accusing fingers at one another. We should hold hands and move forward in building a new Tanzania that President Magufuli endeavored to build.”
However, Tanzania has since taken a different direction from the hard-line policies of Magufuli in various areas, with President Samia presiding over significant reforms. President Samia’s first major challenge upon taking office was the Covid-19 pandemic, which her predecessor, Magufuli, had dismissed as a hoax and refused to acknowledge. President Samia appointed a committee of experts to advise her on measures to keep Tanzanians safe, taking a different approach from Magufuli’s hardline stance.
