Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan
On Wednesday, Tanzania went to the polls to elect a new president. And President Samia Suluhu Hassan (65), the first female leader of the East African country which is a member of the southern African bloc, SADC, showed she is cut from the same cloth as her male counterparts around the continent, arresting and blocking opposition from the race, resulting in the election becoming a one-horse race.
The “tyrant in a hijab”, as she has been referred to by critics, Hassan, one of only two female presidents in Africa, has turned out to be the worst leader in Tanzanian history, using autocratic means to cling to power since coming to office after the death of John Magufuli in 2021.
The country is on the edge as violence stalks its cities, with the youth putting on an unprecedented show of defiance and protesting against the sham election. As the roads burn, Hassan has responded by switching off the internet so the world doesn’t witness her tyranny.
With all the continent’s former liberation movements facing imminent collapse, what we are seeing in Tanzania has played itself out elsewhere. Just this week, Paul Biya (92) of Cameroon maintained his grip on power in the Central African country, extending his 43-year stay in power by another seven years following a shambolic election in which he was too old to even campaign.
Also this week, Ivory Coast’s Alassane Outarra (83) secured a fourth term with 89.77% of the votes.
Next month, Ugandans will also go to the polls and it is a foregone conclusion that octogenarian leader Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (81) will be declared winner, extending his 39-year rule even further.
In Zimbabwe, Zanu PF has endorsed 83-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term extension to 2030 despite a spirited effort by his main rival within the party, Constantino Chiwenga, to block the unconstitutional move. Mnangangwa assumed power through a coup in November 2017 which ended the brutal rule of Robert Mugabe, president since 1987.
In Mozambique, Frelimo was accused of stealing elections last year when Daniel Chapo claimed victory. Supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane took to the streets to protest against what they termed systematic rigging.
In Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (73) of SWAPO, the country’s first female president, had her victory challenged in court as the opposition decried an electoral process that favoured the ruling party.
In September, 92-year-old Peter Mutharika pipped Lazarus Chakwera to become new president of Malawi, cementing Africa’s unenviable title of a geriatric continent, ruled by old men and women who will do anything to stay in power. Hassan now joins this brutal boys club.