Tanzania's new cabinet members sworn in, urged to uphold national values

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged government leaders to prioritise the nation's interests over personal pursuits while serving in public office.

She said this on Friday, July 26, 2024, when swearing in four Cabinet ministers, three deputy ministers, one Permanent Secretary, one ambassador and two regional administrative secretaries following recent changes.

President Hassan said the government she leads believes that all humans are equal.

She emphasised that the new leaders should respect human dignity and serve the public.

“You have sworn before God, witnessed by authorities and the people. Everyone should reflect on the oath they have taken and remain faithful to the country as you pledged,” she said.

In a recent reshuffle, the President removed senior Cabinet ministers, notably January Makamba and Nape Nnauye, the former Foreign Affairs minister and Information, Communications and Information Technology minister, respectively.

The ministers who took the oath of office yesterday include Jerry Silaa (Information, Communications and Information Technology), Ambassador Mohamed Thabit Kombo (Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation), Deogratius Ndejembi (Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development), and Ridhiwani Kikwete (minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office [Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability].

Ambassador Kombo becomes the country's first Zanzibar-born foreign minister in about three decades.

Deputy ministers sworn in include Cosato Chumi and Denis Londo (Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation), and Deus Sangu, who will serve as Deputy Minister in the President’s Office [Public Service Management and Good governance].

Also sworn in were Eliakim Maswi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, and two regional administrative secretaries, Mary Makondo (Ruvuma) and Kiseo Nzowa (Kilimanjaro).

“I want to remind you that an oath strikes. If you disregard it, it strikes you back. Respect the oath you have taken. The oath includes several clauses, one of which states that you should not pursue personal interests before national interests.”

She continued; “To those who have been using their positions for personal gain, putting themselves before the nation, I ask you to stop. If you are in power, then correct yourself before I see it.”

She called on Mr Slaa to implement the 4R philosophy, oversee media freedom and collaborate with stakeholders in the sector.

“You have done a good job in the Ministry of Lands, despite some challenges. Continue collaborating with media sector stakeholders, as this is crucial for the nation.

Just as we build roads to connect cities and villages for easier communication, we must connect citizens by facilitating communication,” she said.

For Minister Ndejembi, who is taking over from Silaa, she instructed him to effectively address land disputes as his predecessor did.

“The previous minister did a good job, taking steps to resolve land disputes, and you should continue that work. You have performed well in a short time in the ministry I assigned you and participated actively in the pension calculation issue. Continue from where your predecessor left off in the Ministry of Lands,” she advised.

Mr Kikwete, the new minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office [Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability], was tasked with coordinating youth employment and managing social security funds.

“You were a commendable and effective deputy minister, and we have promoted you based on your performance.

Your major task in this ministry is to ensure youth employment.

Be a coordinator and ensure every sector provides employment.

“By December, I want you to have statistics on employment in every sector at your fingertips. Also, oversee the performance of social security and pension funds. Ensure that they manage workers money profitably. It is not the government's money. It belongs to people, not the government. Ensure the money is sustainable and not misused.”

In his instructions to the ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, she asked Ambassador Kombo and his team to work efficiently.

“This ministry serves as the eyes and ears of the government. It polishes the government’s image,” President Hassan told Amb Kombo.