Tanzania’s New Leader Sacks Director-General

Tanzania’s new President Samia Suluhu Hassan has suspended the director-general of the country’s ports authority after an audit report showed embezzlement of government funds at the state corporation.

This is her first key decision since assuming office.

President Samia announced the suspension of Deusdedit Kakoko after receiving an audit report for the financial year 2019/20.

She expressed concern that the ports authority had not accounted for about four billion Tanzanian shillings ($1.8m; £1.3m).

She ordered urgent investigations into the loss of public funds.

The president also warned that action would be taken against other state corporations, including Air Tanzania, which reportedly made a loss of 60 billion shillings ($26 million)

The auditor general’s report indicated that the revived national carrier had been making losses for the past five years.

President Samia took the action just two days after the burial of the former President John Magufuli, who is remembered for his drive against corruption in government.

First elected as Magufuli’s running mate in 2015, she was re-elected last year along with him and, according to the constitution, she should serve out the rest of the five-year term in the top job.

She becomes Africa’s only current female national leader – the Ethiopian presidency is a largely ceremonial role – and joins a short list of women on the continent to have run their countries.

The 61-year-old is affectionately known as Mama Samia – in Tanzanian culture that reflects the respect she is held in, rather than reducing her to a gendered role.

First elected to a public office in 2000, she came to national prominence in 2014 as the vice-chairperson of the Constituent Assembly, created to draft a new constitution. There her calm demeanour in managing occasional outbreaks of pandemonium and the way in which she dealt with some of the more outspoken members earned her plaudits.

In terms of personality she strikes a contrast with Magufuli.