What difference are they going to make?

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday made changes to the Cabinet as she seeks to consolidate her government in a deliberate move to reform her leadership trajectory.

In the changes, announced by Chief Secretary Moses Kusiluka, President Hassan created the new post of Deputy Prime Minister and appointed Dr Doto Biteko to the position.

Apart from holding the new role as Minister for Energy (replacing Mr January Makamba, who has been moved to the Foreign Affairs docket), Dr Biteko, formerly the Minister of Minerals, will be responsible for the coordination of government business in his new role as Deputy Prime Minister.

The 45-year-old politician, who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukombe in Geita, is seen as one of the ministers who have been effective in working on the directives of President Hassan during the past years that he has been the minister for Minerals.

With his smooth execution of the President’s directives, the Mineral sector has been growing steadily during the past two years, with several notable investments to write home about.

For instance, in April this year, the government signed Framework Agreements worth $667 million (about Sh1.54 trillion) with three mining firms in a landmark development that would see the country surpassing its target of mining contributing at least ten percent of the economy.

Official figures from the Ministry of Mining shows that the contribution of the mining sector to Tanzania’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been growing, reaching 7.2 percent in the 2020/2021 financial year from 6.7 percent in 2019/2020 financial year.

Dr Biteko said in April during an event to sign agreements with three

Australian firms that so far the contribution of the sector to the GDP stood at 9.7 percent.

During the past few years, apart from attracting investment, the government has implemented several strategies, including promoting the role of small scale miners, improving the regulatory framework to ensure transparency, and organizing fora that bring together local and foreign mining stakeholders to discuss cooperation strategies to unlock and advance opportunities for development in the sector.

There has also been a considerable focus on value addition to minerals by encouraging companies to establish processing plants in the country.

The other notable change in the elevation of the Ukonga MP Jerry Silaa becomes the new Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, replacing Dr Angelina Mabula who has been dropped.

Analysts say having been on the top seat for over two years, President Hassan does not only know who supports her policies and who does not but she also understands ways of consolidating her power and uniting the country at the same time.

At a time when debate was hot on the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Tanzania and the Emirate of Dubai on port operations, Mr Silaa exhibited his profound prowess in defending the deal which has gone through the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary arms of government on various occasions.

“The Presidency is an institution. The President needs someone who will show complete allegiance to him/her. She also needs someone who can deliver value to the political grouping and this way, Dr Biteko and Mr Silaa have shown that they are capable of performing,” said a political analyst and lecturer at the University of Dodoma, Dr Paul Loisulie.

He said like in any other political grouping, it was an open secret that there will always be differences in the CCM. As such, being the leader, the President will always act in a manner that she deems fit for the general good and future of her party.

“In my view, the appointment of Dr Biteko as Deputy Prime Minister sends a strong message that the President was up to unite the country and that people should do away with assumptions that she was sidelining politicians from certain zones,” he said.

Dr Biteko, along with the newly appointed Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Alexander Mnyeti (MP for Misungwi), hail from the vote-reach Lake Zone.

A close ally of former President John Magufuli, Mr Mnyeti’s appointment sends a message that President Hassan has nothing personal against his predecessor’s confidants.

“If you ask me, going by what was being said about Mr Mnyeti in the past, one would not have expected to see him being appointed if it was not for the current president’s desire to see unity in the party,” said Dr Loisulie.

The appointments, however, come with responsibilities. “They are to show that they can deliver. They should also help in winning the hearts and minds of people in their respective areas so they can rally behind the government,” he said.

Apart from Dr Biteko, Mr Silaa, Mr Makamba and Mr Mnyeti, yesterday’s changes also saw Dr Stergomena Tax leaving the Foreign Affairs docket to return to the Ministry of Defense and National Service where she replaces Innocent Bashungwa who has been named Minister of Works.

The Works docket becomes a separate ministry following the disbandment of what used to be known as the Ministry of Works and Transport to create two different ministries in that order.

Prof Makame Mbarawa, who used to be the Minister for Works and Transport, will now be the Minister for Transport.

Dr Damas Ndumbaro, who was the Minister of Constitutional and Legal Affairs, has been relocated to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports switching dockets with Pindi Chana.

Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa has been named as minister of State in the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PROLAG), while Mr Anthony Mavunde is promoted from the role of Deputy Minister for Agriculture to become the Minister for Minerals.

New faces

Apart from Mr Silaa and Mr Mnyeti, the President has also appointed MS Judith Kapinga (Special Seats) as the Deputy Minister for Energy an obvious effort to tap into youths’ leadership talents.

Mkinga MP Dustan Kitandula becomes the Deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism while his Mufindi South counterpart, Mr David Kihenzile, is the new Deputy minister for Transport. As for the new Permanent Secretaries (PS) and their deputies, Prof Godius Kahyarara will now be the PS for the Transport Ministry, returning from the post of Regional Administrative Secretary for Geita.

Prof Kennedy Gastorn is the new PS at Foreign Affairs ministry responsible for the East African Cooperation Affairs docket. Ms Mwajuma Juma is new Deputy PS in the Water ministry.

Dropped

Apart from Dr Mabula also dropped in the President’s lineup is Mary Masanja and Atupele Mwakibete. Ms Masanja was the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism while Mr Mwakibete was the Deputy for Transport in the then Ministry for Works and Transport.