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Tanzania President Magufuli fires Environment, Union Affairs Minister Makamba

What you need to know:

  • President John Magufuli has fired his Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environmental Affairs), Mr January Makamba and replaced him with Mr George Simbachawene.
  • The latter resigned from Dr Magufuli’s cabinet in 2017.
  • President Magufuli has also appointed the Nzega Urban MP, Mr Hussein Bashe, as Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

Dar es Salaam. The Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environmental Affairs), Mr January Makamba, has been fired.

President John Magufuli announced on Sunday - through the Director of Presidential communications, Mr Gerson Msigwa - that Mr Makamba’s position will now be filled by Mr George Simbachawene.

Mr Simbachawene who doubles as Kibakwe Member of Parliament (MP), resigned from Dr Magufuli’s cabinet in 2017 while serving as Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government Authorities).

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Mr Simbachawene, along with the then deputy minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Mr Edwin Ngonyani, resigned in 2017 shortly after President Magufuli ordered officials who were implicated by the Committees formed by the Speaker of National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai, to investigate tanzanite and diamond mining handed over their reports to the Head of State.

But in an interesting turn of events, President Magufuli fired Mr Makamba early on Sunday, July 21, 2019, and named Mr Simbachawene as the latter’s successor.

“The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr John Pombe Magufuli has appointed Mr George Boniface Simbachawene as Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environmental Affairs). Mr Simbachawene is replacing Mr January Yusuf Makamba whose appointment has been rescinded,” reads the State House Statement.

In his latest appointments, President Magufuli has also appointed the Nzega Urban MP, Mr Hussein Bashe, as Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

Mr Bashe is replacing Mr Innocent Bashungwa (Karagwe - CCM) who was appointed Minister of Industry and Trade on June 8, 2019.

In the headlines