- The sitting head of State Samia Suluhu announced his death on Thursday evening.
- Suluhu announced that the former president succumbed to cancer.
Image: HANDOUT
Former Tanzania President Ali Hassan Mwinyi has died aged 98.
The sitting head of State Samia Suluhu announced his death on Thursday evening saying he breathed his last around 5.30 pm.
Suluhu announced that the former president succumbed to cancer.
He was the President of Tanzania between 1985 to 1995.
Mwinyi took over from Tanzania's founding president Julius Nyerere.
He had been receiving medication at a London Hospital before he returned to Tanzania where he continued with medication.
President Suluhu has declared a 7-day mourning period during which flags will be raised at half-mast.
"On behalf of the Tanzania government, I send my condolences to the family, friends and the people of Tanzania on this big loss," she said.
President Suluhu announced that Mwinyi will be buried on March 2, 2024 at Uganja the Highland of Zanzibar.
His son Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, is the current President of Zanzibar, the Tanzanian archipelago.
Mwinyi was born in May 1925 in the village of Kivure, Pwani Region, where he was also raised.
He then moved to Zanzibar and got his primary education at Mangapwani Primary School in Mangapwani, Zanzibar West Region.
Mwinyi then attended Mikindani Dole Secondary School in Dole, Zanzibar West Region.
From 1945 to 1964, he worked successively as a tutor, teacher, and head teacher at various schools before deciding to enter national politics.
Mwinyi earned his General Certificate of Education through correspondence (1950–1954) and then studied for a teaching diploma at the Institute of Education at Durham University in the United Kingdom.
In 1962, he was appointed principal of Zanzibar Teaching Training College in Zanzibar West Region.
He married Siti Mwinyi in 1960, with whom he had six sons and six daughters.
In retirement, Ali Hassan Mwinyi stayed out of the limelight and continued to live in Dar es Salaam.
Before becoming the president, Mwinyi served as the Interior Minister and Vice President.
He also was chairman of the ruling party, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 1990 to 1996.
Former President Nyerere retired in October 1985 and picked Mwinyi to be his successor.
Nyerere remained chairman of the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), until 1990.
During Mwinyi's terms, Tanzania took the first steps to reverse the socialist policies.
Often referred to as Mzee Rukhsa "Everything Goes", he pushed for the liberalisation of morals, beliefs and values.
Mwinyi was honoured with the Order of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere in 2011.
It is the highest award of the Tanzanian Honours System and is named after Julius Nyerere, the nation's first president.
In 2022, he was awarded the King Faisal Prize of Saudi Arabia for Service to Islam.