Ali Hassan Mwinyi, the former schoolteacher who led Tanzania as its second president after independence, has died at age 98.
Current President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced Mwinyi’s death in a hospital in Dar es Salaam on Friday. She said he had been receiving treatment for lung cancer.
Dear citizens, it is with great sadness that I announce the death of the retired President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who passed away today, Thursday 29 February 2024 at 11:30 pm, at the Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital, Dar es Salaam, when he was being treated for Lung Cancer, a translatation of President Hassan’s statement read.
“On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, I offer my condolences to the family, relatives, friends and all Tanzanians for this great tragedy for our nation. Our country will be in a period of seven days of mourning, where flags will fly at half-mast starting tomorrow March 1, 2024.
“The late Ali Hassan Mwinyi will be buried on March 2, 2024 in Unguja, on the island of Zanzibar.”
Mwinyi served as president from 1985 to 1995 after taking over from Tanzania’s founding leader Julius Nyerere.
He helped dismantle Nyerere’s policies of socialism and nationalization, instead embracing a free market economy and some political liberalization.
President Hassan declared seven days of national mourning in honour of the former president. The national flags will fly at half-mast throughout Tanzania for the duration of the seven-day mourning period.
