President John Magufuli has been sworn-in for a second term after winning the last week’s Tanzanian presidential election by a landslide.
The 61-year-old took the oath of office at a sports stadium in the capital, Dodoma.
Magufuli had won 12.5 million (votes-84 per cent of the votes cast) against Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu’s 13 per cent which was 1.9 million votes. Lissu dismissed the election as fraudulent.
“In line with the electoral laws, whatever happened yesterday was not an election. It was a gang of people who decided to misuse the state machinery and cling back to power,” he said in a televised address last Thursday.
The election commission denied that the election was rigged
Following the swearing, Magufuli held up a ceremonial spear and shield to signify the beginning of his presidency, which will run from 2021 to 2025, amid cheers from Tanzanian citizens.
“Mimi, John Pombe Magufuli nitatimiza kazi kwa bidii na moyo mkunjufu bila uoga, upendeleo wala chuki. (I John Pombe Magufuli, vow to serve Tanzanian citizens diligently without fear, favour or hate).”
He will be deputised by Samia Suluhu Hassan.
More than 12 countries have been represented at the ceremony, as well as delegates from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community. They included former Tanzanian Presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Jakaya Kikwete, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Burundi’s Prime Minister Alaine Bunyoni, Botswana’s VP Slumber Tsogwane and Mozambique Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário.
Zanzibar’s President Hussein Ali Mwinyi is also present.
Kenya was represented by Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community and Regional development Adan Mohammed, and Interior CAS Hussein Dado.
At the weekend, President Uhuru Kenyatta sent a congratulatory message to Magufuli following his re-election.
Uhuru said Magufuli’s re-election demonstrates the deep love, confidence and trust the people of Tanzania have in his leadership.