Former SADC Executive Secretary appointed as Defense minister in Tanzania's cabinet reshuffle

DODOMA, Tanzania

President of Tanzania, Samia Hassan, has on Sunday September 12, made a mini-cabinet reshuffle kicking out three cabinet ministers and appointing former SADC Executive Secretary to her cabinet.

In the reshuffle, the immediate former Executive Secretary of Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Stergomena Tax (pictured above) becomes Minister of Defense and National Service, two days after she was appointed and sworn in as Member of Parliament.

She served as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of East African Cooperation from 2008 to 2013 when she was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community at the 33rd Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi.

She becomes first female ever to serve in the sensitive position and replaces Elias Kwandikwa who died on August 2, this year while undergoing treatment in Dar es Salaam.

The reshuffle and new appointments were announced through a statement issued by Director of Presidential Communication, Jaffar Haniu.

In the changes that saw three former cabinet ministers rebound to the cabinet includes appointment of Bumbuli Member of Parliament, January Makamba as Minister for Energy replacing Medard Kalemani.

Prior to the latest appointment, Makamba had served as Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environmental Affairs), before his appointment was revoked by late President John Magufuli.

Makame Mbarawa has been appointed to the ministry of Works and Transportation replacing Leonard Chamuriho.

Mbarawa served as the Minister of Communication, Science & Technology from 2010 to 2015, thereafter served as the Minister of Water and Irrigation in the Magufuli administration for eleven days before being transferred to head the infrastructure docket.

President Hassan also appointed Ashatu Kijaji as Minister of Communication and Information Technology replacing Faustine Ndugulile whose appointment has been revoked, she earlier served as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

In another development, the President has also appointed the former Principal Judge of the High Court, Eliezer Feleshi, as the new Attorney General, replacing Adelardus Kilangi who has been appointed ambassador.

According to the statement, the new AG and other new appointees will be sworn in on Monday, September 13, at State House Chamwino, in the capital city of Dodoma. - Africa