Why Samia’s visit to the Vatican matters to Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s forthcoming state visit to the Vatican is expected to strengthen the provision of social services by the Catholic Church, especially in education and health.

President Hassan is expected to meet with Pope Francis during the visit scheduled for February 11 and 12, Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister January Makamba said on Sunday.

The Head of State will also tour Indonesia from January 24 to 26, as well as Norway on February 13 and 14.

President Hassan’s visit to the Vatican will be the first by a Tanzanian head of state since 2007 when Mr Jakaya Kikwete   toured the Holy See.

Addressing a news conference in Dar es Salaam, Mr Makamba said President Hassan would visit the Vatican at Pope Francis’ invitation.

“In 2016, the late President John Magufuli invited Pope Francis to Tanzania. Unfortunately, the pontiff was unable to come that year due to health reasons. However, he has reciprocated by inviting Tanzania’s sitting Head of State, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan.”

 Mr Makamba said through the Catholic Church, the Vatican has been supporting the provision of education in the country, noting that the Church owns 240 nursery schools, 147 primary schools, 245 secondary schools, 110 vocational training centres and five universities.

Mr Makamba said through collaboration between the government and the Church, leaders and experts in various fields have been nurtured.

The Church also operates at least 473 health facilities across the country and thus plays an important role in the war against disease in addition to producing health experts.

Speaking exclusively to The Citizen on Sunday, Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) president Gervas Nyaisonga said President Hassan’s visit to the Vatican was important because Church adherents were also governed by secular leaders at the national level.

“There is a need therefore to strengthen relations and communication between the leaders of the two sides,” he said in a telephone interview.

“It is also worth noting that some projects executed by the Church have been embedded in national development programmes and deliberations during next month’s visit should go a long way in improving efficient utilisation of resources,” Bishop Nyaisonga added.

Various institutions could be directing their resources to some groups and leaving out others in what could be described as poor allocation and utilisation of resources, he said.

Bishop Nyaisonga added that President Hassan and Pope Francis would meet as the leaders of their respective jurisdictions and the visit would have nothing to do with religion.

On education and health services provided by the Church in Tanzania, Bishop Nyaisonga said the two leaders were likely to discuss hurdles that impede the delivery of services in the two key sectors.

“We, as TEC, have no agenda to communicate to the Vatican since this will be a visit by the Head of State. If it were the Pope who was visiting Tanzania, then we would have been in a position to state any challenges we are facing,” he added.

Bishop Nyaisonga said, however, that the two leaders may agree on some policy issues, which the Church in Tanzania would have to implement.

On the procedure that would be used to select the five representative who would accompany the President on her visit, Bishop Nyaisonga added that this would be known in due course.

Tour of Indonesia

Mr Makamba said President Hassan’s visit to Indonesia was aimed at strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as promoting bilateral cooperation in agriculture, education, trade and investment.

“The Head of State will be accompanied to Indonesia by a delegation of at least 100 businesspeople. She will also meet with members of Indonesia’s association of women chief executive officers.

“Several agreements will be signed, including one between the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) and its Indonesian counterpart and another between the University of Dar es Salaam and Bangor University. Agreements will also be signed on trade and investment, the blue economy and agriculture, among other areas,” Mr Makamba added.

Visit to Norway

Mr Makamba said President Hassan’s visit to Norway would be the first by a Tanzanian president since Mr Jakaya Kikwete toured the Nordic country in 2015.

Tanzania and Norway have been cooperating through a development programme in energy and oil and supporting the Tanzania Revenue Authority, Public Finance Management Reform Programme, women engineers, tourism, trade and investment.

“The objective of the visit is to strengthen cooperation and expand areas of cooperation,” he said.

Mr Makamba added that Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu Guozhong will visit Tanzania from January 22 to 24; Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa will be on a tour of the country from January 23 to 25 before Polish President Andrzej Duda visits on February 8 and 9.