Tanzania's President
John Magufuli sacked the country's information minister on
Thursday, the first cabinet change since taking office in late
2015.
Magufuli, nicknamed "the Bulldozer" for his strict
leadership style, launched a reform drive soon after he was
elected by dismissing dozens of senior public officials over
allegations of corruption and inefficiency.
The president removed Nape Nnauye as the country's Minister
of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports just days after the
minister ordered a probe into an alleged raid on a private
television station by a senior government official on March 17.
Harrison Mwakyembe was appointed information minister while
Palamagamba Kabudi was named justice and constitutional affairs
minister, the portfolio previously held by Mwakyembe.
No reason was given for the cabinet changes, but some
analysts said there were reports of friction among some
government officials over Magufuli's strict leadership style.
On Thursday, police officers prevented Nnauye from holding a
planned press conference at a Dar es Salaam hotel after his
sacking.
"I don't expect to see any major rift that could affect the
performance of the government as a result of conflicts between
some government officials," Benson Bans, a Dar es Salaam-based
political analyst told Reuters.
"Recent opinion polls give Magufuli an approval rating of
over 80 percent so he is still very popular among Tanzanians and
has a mandate to push through his reforms."
