Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has sacked two senior ministers, including the foreign affairs secretary, in a minor cabinet reshuffle.
The move comes ahead of a general election expected next year, with the sacked information minister saying in a viral video last week that “victory in an election is not necessarily determined by the number of votes at the ballot box.”
“Mahmoud Tabit Kombo has been appointed Member of Parliament and has been appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, replacing January Makamba, whose appointment was cancelled,” the presidency said in a statement late on Sunday, without elaborating on reasons for the dismissal.
According to the statement, Jerry Siraa, former Minister of Lands, Housing and Settlements Development, has been appointed to replace Nape Nnawe as Minister of Information, Communications and IT.
Last week, a video of Nnawe going viral included him saying that “victory in an election is not necessarily determined by the number of votes in the ballot box, but by who counts and announces the results.”
The video drew widespread criticism from both the opposition and the ruling party, with the latter saying the remarks did not reflect the party’s position.
Naue apologized for the video, saying he had intended his remarks as a joke but had been taken out of context.
But local media quoted opposition politician John Munika as saying the statement “showed it was planned within the government and ruling party”.
The cabinet reshuffle has also led analysts to speculate about the 2025 elections in which Hassan is expected to run.
“I think this is a power struggle ahead of next year’s general elections,” said Abel Kinyondo, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam.
The move follows her decision to appoint a new intelligence director in early July.
“Suleiman Abubakar Mombo has been sworn in as the successor to the retired Ali Idi Siwa,” the presidency said in a statement.
Hassan, who was then vice president, took office in 2021 following the death of John Magafuli.
Since taking power, Hassan has moved away from Magafuli’s authoritarian policies and embarked on political reforms, including easing some restrictions on the media and opposition parties.
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