DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has resigned after less than a year in office, a move analysts attribute to a significant power struggle with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the nation’s first female head of state.
Nchimbi tendered his resignation on September 4, according to a statement released Tuesday. The presidency acknowledged the departure and confirmed that constitutional procedures would be initiated to appoint a new deputy. In his letter, Nchimbi stated he was “fully convinced” the president desired a different running mate, pledging to remain a “good citizen of Tanzania.”
The resignation marks a rare rupture in a country long regarded for its stability under the decades-long rule of the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. Observers suggest the friction stemmed from disagreements over governance, particularly the government’s severe crackdown on protests surrounding the October 29 local government elections.
“The two were not on good terms,” said Tito Magoti, a human rights attorney and independent analyst based in Dar es Salaam.
A post-election inquiry documented 518 deaths resulting from the violence, a toll that stunned a nation typically known for its tranquility and thriving tourism sector. Security forces, including the military, were deployed to suppress unrest in major urban centers, with gunfire reported in residential areas. The government also imposed a multi-day internet shutdown, a measure President Hassan later apologized for and vowed not to repeat.
The commission investigating the violence, led by former Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman, warned in its April report that the actual death toll was likely higher, as some families buried victims without involving authorities. The commission recommended a specific probe into the use of firearms, citing testimony that individuals were shot inside their homes.
President Hassan, in office since 2021, has faced mounting criticism for running virtually unopposed after her two primary challengers were disqualified or barred from contesting. Her main political rival, Tundu Lissu, remains detained on treason charges he denounces as politically motivated.
CCM has governed Tanzania continuously since independence from Britain in 1961, maintaining a fusion of party and state that extends to control over the security apparatus. Hassan herself ascended to the presidency smoothly following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021—a transition that bolstered the country’s reputation as an oasis of political stability in the region.
