Wikipedia

Hussein Mwinyi

Hussein Ali Mwinyi (born in Unguja 23 December 1966) is the 8th president of Zanzibar.[1] The son of former Tanzanian president Ali Hasan Mwinyi, he is a member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) political party.[2]

Honourable Dr
Hussein Mwinyi
Mwinyi in 2014
8th President of Zanzibar
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 November 2020
Vice PresidentOthman Masoud Sharif (first)
Hemed Suleiman Abdalla (second)
Preceded byAli Mohamed Shein
Minister of Defence and National Service
In office
20 January 2014 – 3 November 2020
Preceded byShamsi Vuai Nahodha
Succeeded byElias John Kwandikwa
In office
13 February 2008 – 7 May 2012
Preceded byJuma Kapuya
Succeeded byShamsi Vuai Nahodha
Minister of Health and Social Welfare
In office
7 May 2012 – 20 January 2014
Preceded byHadji Mponda
Succeeded bySeif Rashidi
1st Minister of State for Union Affairs
In office
6 January 2006 – 13 February 2008
Vice PresidentAli Mohamed Shein
Succeeded byMuhammed Seif Khatib
Deputy Minister of Health
In office
2000–2005
PresidentBenjamin Mkapa
Member of Parliament
for Kwahani
In office
December 2005 – 2020
Member of Parliament
for Mkuranga
In office
October 2000 – 2005
Succeeded byAdam Malima
Personal details
Born (1966-12-23) 23 December 1966 (age 57)
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Political partyCCM
SpouseMama Mariam Mwinyi
RelationsAbdullah Mwinyi (brother)
Parents
ResidenceZanzibar State House
Alma materMarmara University (MD)
Hammersmith Hospital (PhD)
ProfessionPhysician
Medical practiceMuhimbili Hospital (1993–95)
HKMU (1998–2000)

Presidency

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2020 election

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Link to main article: 2020 Zanzibari general election

Mwinyi joined the presidential race in June 2020.[3] In the primary, he beat running mates Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, former Chief Minister of Zanzibar, and Dr. Khalid Mohamed, who served as the Permanent Secretary for the Second Vice President. The CCM’s 164 National Executive Committee members voted in July 2020, with 78.65% in favor of Mwinyi’s nomination to lead the party in the General Election. In order to prevent accusations of corruption, the intra-party election was broadcast live on television. Several NEC delegates cited Mwinyi’s marketability to voters as a primary reason for their choice.[4] The General Election took place on October 28, 2020, in which Mwinyi defeated 14 electoral candidates by collecting 76.27 percent of the vote. 88 percent of Zanzibar's 566,352 registered voters turned out.[1] The CCM or a version of the CCM has not lost an election since Tanzanian independence in 1961. Seif Sharif Hamad, opposition candidate for the political party ACT-Wazalendo, attempt to organize protests against the election result, soon after which he was arrested. Additionally, Zitto Kabwe, leader of ACT-Wazalendo, claimed that a member of the party's Central Committee was hospitalized by Zanzibari soldiers. These incidents are within the context of the 2020 Tanzanian election that took place simultaneously, an election that was deemed as having "credible allegations" of fabricated results by the United States government.[5] Still, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission chairman Hamid Mahmoud Hamid claimed that the election was carried out peacefully, and candidate Juma Ali Khatib of the TADEA opposition party gave Mwinyi his congratulations for winning the election, saying "through the ballot boxes God has appointed you to lead Zanzibaris."[6] Current Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also a member of the CCM party along with Mwinyi, praised Seif Sharif Hamad's political "peace and tranquility" on the one year anniversary of Mwinyi's election victory after Hamad's death in February 2021.[7][8]

Corruption

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On the campaign trail, Mwinyi promised to fight political corruption, saying shortly after being nominated for the CCM flagbearer that “crooked public servants should be extremely intimidated because we are going to crackdown on corruption”.[9] Under his administration, 289 cases have been prosecuted by the Zanzibar Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Authority, or ZAECA, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds saved from being embezzled or laundered.[10] This includes the suspension, but not removal, of Zanzibar Social Security Fund director Sabra Issa Machano, and an official for the Tanzania Revenue Authority. Mwinyi was noted by current ZAECA director Mussa Haji Ali as being the first President of Zanzibar to visit the office since its establishment in 2012.[11]

Development

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While his goals for Zanzibar's economic development were criticized by some as "not practical", Zanzibar has seen far higher GDP growth in each quarter of 2021 than in the corresponding period in 2020.[12] In January 2022, the government allocated 149 billion Tanzanian shillings (equivalent to 68 million US Dollars) to develop the archipelago’s blue economy, buying various fishing equipment.[10] In addition, he established Zanzibar's first Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, which was praised by experts for aiming to address the adverse effects of climate change on the country's seaweed industry.[13] He has also made it easier for small business owners to sell their products by expanding permits to thousands of businesses that otherwise would have been shut down by authorities, permits that according to Mwinyi can further be used to secure loans from banks.[14]

Women's rights

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After being the first African state leader to join the HeForShe United Nations alliance, he was named the HeForShe 2021 Champion by the UN Women Tanzania.[15] Hosan Addou, UN Women Country Representative to Tanzania praised Mwinyi for continuing to implement the Wanawake Wanaweze ("Women Can" in Swahili) phase ii that supports women taking on leadership roles in politics.[16] In his first year in office, he eliminated the possibility for bail for all sexual offenses, and said that "We will place greater emphasis on eliminating various forms of violence against women, especially those in rural areas, and also improve social services, reduce maternal mortality, as well take water closer to women" [14][17]

Relationship with China

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Link to main article: China-Tanzania relations

Mwinyi has had a positive relationship with China since he was the Minister of Defense and National Service for Tanzania. During talks with the former Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guangli, Mwinyi noted the "good relations" between China and Tanzania, relations that Liang said have been "sound and smooth...over the past 45 years".[18] China is the largest foreign investor in Zanzibar according to Mwinyi, with $7.6 billion in funds.[19] This especially includes medical support. China invested tens of millions of dollars into Zanzibari hospitals, as well as donating COVID-19 vaccines and providing a small team of medics that over the course of the last ten years treated over 100,000 patients.[20]

Relationship with Tanzania

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Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the former Vice President who took over after former President John Magufuli's death, posted on her Instagram a photo of Mwinyi on the one year anniversary of his election win, along with the Swahili caption that translates to "we trust you and wish you all the best in building a better Zanzibar. I promise you more cooperation."[21] Despite pushes from some Zanzibaris for independence from Tanzania, Mwinyi has called for the retention of the current relationship between the two governments as ensuring commerce, saying "Zanzibaris are the main consumers of rice from Mainland, including Morogoro, thus we should continue to maintain our union by ensuring that our people are provided with the opportunity to do business without being disturbed."[22]

Personal life

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He is married and has four children.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hussein Mwinyi wins Zanzibar Presidency". The Citizen. 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2022-04-15.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Yussuf, Issa (July 25, 2015). "Tanzania: Saada Mkuya, Hussein Mwinyi Fight for Nomination in Isles". AllAfrica. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  3. ^ "Defence minister Hussein Mwinyi joins the race for Zanzibar presidency". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam. 17 June 2020. ProQuest 2414027880.
  4. ^ a b "How Hussein Mwinyi won the race for Zanzibar ticket". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam. 11 July 2020. ProQuest 2422364268.
  5. ^ "US cites 'credible allegations' of fraud in Tanzania election". CNN. Reuters. 30 October 2020.
  6. ^ Zanzibar, Masato Masato in (2020-10-30). "Tanzania: It's Mwinyi for Zanzibar". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  7. ^ Dodoma, Nelly Mtema in (2021-06-30). "Tanzania: CCM Salutes Samia, Mwinyi". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  8. ^ Kamagi, Deogratius (2021-11-07). "Tanzania: Samia - Rally Behind Mwinyi". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  9. ^ "Hussein Mwinyi pledges to fight against corruption as he lands in Zanzibar". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 15 July 2020. Gale A635550652.
  10. ^ a b Christopher, Josephine (13 January 2022). "Mwinyi: Zanzibar's blue economy on right track". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam. ProQuest 2619152247.
  11. ^ Reporter, Daily News; Zanzibar (2020-12-24). "Tanzania: Mwinyi Acts Tough On Graft". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  12. ^ "Zanzibar's economy grows by 2.2 per cent in 2021 first quarter | Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority". www.zppda.go.tz. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  13. ^ Reporter, Sunday News; Zanzibar (2020-11-23). "Tanzania: Hussein Mwinyi Hailed for Picking Cabinet Ministers". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  14. ^ a b Reporter, Dailynews (2021-11-10). "Tanzania: Optimism High As President Mwinyi Marks One Year in Office". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  15. ^ "President of Zanzibar, H.E. Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, Announced as HeForShe Champion | HeForShe". www.heforshe.org. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  16. ^ "Tanzania: UN Lauds Samia, Mwinyi On Gender Parity". AllAfrica. Tanzania Daily News. 22 June 2021. Gale A666014036.
  17. ^ "Samia and Mwinyi's plans to uplift women". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 9 March 2022. Gale A696171948.
  18. ^ "China, Tanzania pledge closer military ties -- china.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  19. ^ "Mwinyi: What we are doing to attract more investment". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 8 December 2021. Gale A685819889.
  20. ^ Masato, Masato; Zanzibar (2021-09-22). "Tanzania: Mwinyi Appreciates Chinese Medics Role". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  21. ^ Tanzania's new president charts new Covid-19 course for the country, 2021-04-06, retrieved 2022-04-29
  22. ^ Reporter, Dailynews (2021-10-18). "Tanzania: Mwinyi Touts Upholding Union". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
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