President Samia Suluhu Hassan speaks with Mama Maria Nyerere shortly before departing for Luanda, Angola, on July 31, 2026. President Hassan is expected to officiate at the inauguration of the Julius Kambarage Nyerere Referral Hospital, named in honour of Tanzania's founding President, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. PHOTO I COURTESY OF STATE HOUSE
Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan leaves for Angola today (Friday, July 31, 2026) on a two-day working visit, during which she and Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço will jointly inaugurate a referral hospital in Luanda named after Tanzania's founding President, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.
The inauguration of the Julius Kambarage Nyerere Referral Hospital is widely seen as a tribute to Nyerere's enduring contribution to Africa's liberation struggles and the longstanding diplomatic ties between Tanzania and Angola.
According to State House, the ceremony will also be attended by members of Nyerere's family, led by Mama Maria Nyerere.
Angola's decision to name the hospital after Mwalimu Nyerere reflects his pivotal role in supporting the country's struggle for independence. As one of Africa's foremost champions of liberation, Nyerere offered political, diplomatic and material support to liberation movements across southern Africa.
Tanzania provided sanctuary, training facilities and diplomatic backing to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and other liberation movements, while Nyerere consistently advocated for Angola's independence in regional and international forums.
The move also recognises Nyerere's broader contribution to the liberation of southern Africa, including Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, earning him widespread respect as one of the continent's leading statesmen.
Beyond the hospital launch, President Hassan is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President Lourenço on strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest between Tanzania and Angola.
She will also attend a fundraising gala dinner hosted by Africa's First Ladies to support social and economic initiatives aimed at empowering women and young people across the continent.
According to the Directorate of Presidential Communications, the visit forms part of ongoing efforts to deepen the historic and fraternal relationship between Tanzania and Angola, forged during the struggle for the liberation of southern Africa.
The two countries have maintained close political ties since Angola gained independence in 1975, with their relationship rooted in shared support for African freedom and solidarity.
