Tanzania Vice President Resigns After Report Of Divisions Within Government

Tanzania’s vice president tendered his resignation on Tuesday, stating that he intended to honor the president’s preferences.

The political move comes shortly after authorities suspended a local newspaper for publishing reports detailing severe friction inside the administration.

Global monitors have repeatedly raised alarms regarding shrinking democratic space and civil liberties in the East African nation, which experienced deadly violence during last year’s presidential polls that claimed hundreds of lives.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured a sweeping victory with 98 percent of the total votes cast, though the electoral process faced heavy condemnation from international election observers.

“I have decided to retire from politics and public service,” Emmanuel Nchimbi said in a post shared on Instagram.

Writing in Swahili, Nchimbi confirmed that his departure from office takes official effect on September 4.

He further explained that he had pledged to Hassan that he would step aside if she preferred a different deputy, adding that he was “convinced beyond doubt that the president desires change”.

The presidency has not issued any formal statement regarding the announcement.

The development follows the recent suspension of Mwanahalisi, a critical news outlet that ran a story claiming Nchimbi resisted calls from the ruling party hierarchy to relinquish his post. Citing unnamed sources, the publication reported that the vice president, who has served for less than twelve months, engaged in policy disagreements with Hassan.

Hassan assumed the presidency in March 2021 after the passing of former leader John Magufuli and initially received international acclaim for rolling back strict curbs on opposition parties and news outlets. However, opposition figures now assert that her administration has reinstated the hardline measures of the previous era.

Tanzania currently holds the 117th position out of 180 nations on the global press freedom index compiled by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).