ALI HASSAN MWINYI: 'MR PERMISSION' - THE MAN WHO OPENED UP TANZANIA
DAR ES SALAAM - Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania's second president, was fondly known as Mzee Rukhsa - "Mr Permission."
The former leader, who died on Thursday at the age of 98, had a reputation for allowing a long list of things which had been denied by his predecessor - such as multiparty democracy, independent media, free trade and the private ownership of televisions.
In 1985, when he was first sworn in, Tanzania's economy was struggling, reeling from the ruinous effects of founding President Julius Nyerere's socialist policy known as ujamaa, as well as the war against neighbouring Uganda that toppled Idi Amin.
Ujamaa, Swahili for familyhood, involved collaborative working where everything was communally owned, including land, while people lived in communal settlements.
But after more than two decades under Nyerere, the country faced a shortage of essential goods including food and clothing. Foreign exchange was scarce and Tanzania was deep in debt.
Mwinyi had been handpicked by the charismatic Nyerere. Despite the economic crisis, he was still respected in the country as the founding father. Nyerere's vision had managed to unite the country made up of more than 120 ethnic groups.
His successor was seen as a shy, compromise candidate who was unlikely to rock the boat.
Some saw him as a puppet of Nyerere, who despite stepping down as president, stayed on as the leader of the ruling party, which still had a tight grip on the affairs of the state.
The Economist magazine is quoted as saying at the time that people should not "expect many changes in Tanzania's lacklustre economy when [he] takes over as president… Mr Mwinyi is Mr Nyerere's man".
Nyerere himself had introduced Mwinyi as "a righteous man, impartial and respectful, [who] has never sought fame or used his position to advance his ambition".
But he soon dismantled the ujamaa policy and many of the restrictions under his predecessor's regime.
He opened up the economy, allowed other parties to run in elections, enabled independent media to exist and permitted the sale of televisions to individuals, which previously had only been communally owned.
He also began talks with the International Monetary Fund about getting financial support.
With the economy on the brink of collapse, the reforms were seen as having as saved the economy.
"He appointed ministers and valued our input greatly. He encouraged everyone In 2021, current President to contribute ideas to find Samia Suluhu Hassan described solutions," he told the BBC. him as a leader worthy
Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, an of emulation, saying he opposition politician who was "a reformist [and] a role worked as Mwinyi's economic model to many of us". adviser, remembers She was speaking during him as a calm person who the launch of his memoir, respected human rights. aptly called Mzee Rukhsa the
But Mwinyi's leadership Journey of My Life. was not without criticism some Mwinyi was born on 8 May of his policies, including 1925 in Tanganyika, which allowing political leaders was then a British colony. In to run private businesses, 1964, three years after independence, were criticised for opening it united with the up the way for high corruption islands of Zanzibar to form levels during his presidency. Tanzania. When Mwinyi was four
Mwinyi also faced accusations years old, his family moved that he favoured Muslims to Zanzibar, where his father in government jobs. He wanted him to study Islam wrote later in his memoirs and become a religious leader. that these allegations hit him hard. But instead, he took up
And although he introduced teaching, before entering multiparty democracy, politics in the 1960s. He then allowing opposition held a number of government parties to contest elections, positions including as none of them have managed a minister and as an ambassador to dislodge the ruling CCM before becoming Zanzibar's party from power. president in 1984 and
He stepped down fro0m3/03/2th02e4n,1s7u:0c4ceeding Nyerere the the presidency in 1995 at the following year. age of 70, having served two He is survived by his two terms at the helm. wives and a number of children,
From then on, Mwinyi including Zanzibar's kept a low profile but was current President Hussein occasionally present and Mwinyi. spoke at public events with some of his presidential successors.