Mwinyi explains successes, challenges of GNU in Zanzibar

The President of Zanzibar, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has explained how he formed a government of national unity and the obstacles he encountered in fulfilling that mission.

In an interview with the managing director of Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL), Bakari Machumu, Dr Mwinyi said his first mission when he came to power was to bring peace and stability to the islands.

"I believed that without bringing peace and stability, we could not have achieved anything. That's why I started with the government of national unity,” Dr Mwinyi said at the Mwananchi Thought Leadership Forum (MTLF) in Zanzibar on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

He noted that it was not an easy task.

“There were so many discussions, but thank God it was possible, and we were able to form a government of national unity," he said at the forum that was held to mark his three years in office.

He said that after forming a government of national unity, the next challenge was implementation because it required the willingness of the people, especially the public sector workers, to change.

"Some of them were reluctant to change and adapt to new ways of doing things,” he said.

He said that throughout the period of forming a national unity government, he focused on listening to and cooperating with all parties.

"We listened to each party and cooperated with them, and that’s why we have been able to succeed because we do the things that people want," he revealed.

He went on to say that there are still obstacles facing the country at the moment, but there is still hope to end them before he ends his leadership phase.

"We have tried our best, and we hope to do a lot before 2025."

He added, "In this period, there are many successes and many opportunities, but there are also challenges. My expectations of serving the people of Zanzibar during this period have reached a good point."

However, speaking about the elimination of bias in government employment, he said he has eliminated the status of bias and castes within the country.

"We have made great efforts to eliminate these classes in Zanzibar society," he said.