{"id":184073,"date":"2021-03-22T11:36:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T09:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/tanzanias-samia-hassan-has-the-chance-to-heal-a-polarised-nation\/"},"modified":"2021-03-22T11:36:38","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T09:36:38","slug":"tanzanias-samia-hassan-has-the-chance-to-heal-a-polarised-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/tanzanias-samia-hassan-has-the-chance-to-heal-a-polarised-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanzania’s Samia Hassan has the chance to heal a polarised nation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Samia Suluhu Hassan becomes the first female president in Tanzania taking over from President John Magufuli who died<\/a> on 17 March 2021.<\/p>\n

Born in 1960, she hails from Makunduchi<\/a>, an old town on Unguja island, in Zanzibar. Her father was a teacher and her mother a housewife. After graduating from high school she studied public administration and later obtained a Masters in community economic development. <\/p>\n

She began her political career in 2000 when she was elected as a special seat member<\/a> in the Zanzibar House Representatives. Special seats are reserved for Tanzanian women leaders under the country\u2019s quota system. <\/p>\n

She then served as the minister of gender and children in former Amani Karume\u2019s government. Karume was the president of Zanzibar \u2013 an autonomous region of Tanzania \u2013 between 2000-2010. Hassan also served as the minister of youth employment, and of tourism in Karume\u2019s cabinet.<\/p>\n

Then in 2010, she was elected member of parliament for Makunduchi, sitting in the National Assembly of Tanzania, and was appointed minister of state for union affairs by President Jakaya Kikwete. <\/p>\n