Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on March 06, 2025.
SADC Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika signals continued support for DRC, final decision on SAMIDRC Pending
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened a virtual Extraordinary Summit on Thursday, March 6, 2025, bringing together heads of state and government from the Organ Troika, SAMIDRC troop-contributing countries, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The summit focused on the security situation in the DRC, as well as reviewed the report on the SAMIDRC mandate in DRC.
The summit was chaired by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who also serves as the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation. Other leaders in attendance included DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zambian President and outgoing Chairperson of the SADC Organ Hakainde Hichilema, and Malawian President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
A statement released by the SADC Secretariat indicated that the final decision on the future of the SAMIDRC mission would be made at an upcoming Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government. The statement further noted that the summit had reviewed the Defence Sub-Committee’s report and forwarded its outcomes and recommendations to the main summit for further deliberation.
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Tanzania mourns Professor Philemon Sarungi, former Defense Minister
Tanzanians are mourning the passing of Professor Philemon Sarungi, who passed away on March 5, 2025. Born on March 23, 1936, Sarungi was one of the country’s leading specialist surgeons before transitioning into politics, where he served in various ministerial roles, including Minister of Education, Minister of Health, and Minister of Defense.
“It is with great sorrow that we mourn the passing of our beloved Prof. Philemon Sarungi, who once served as the Minister of Defense. On behalf of the Ministry of Defense and the National Service, I extend my condolences to the family, relatives, and friends. We will always cherish his contributions to the nation. May God rest his soul in eternal peace,” wrote Stergomena Tax, the current Minister of Defense, on her X page.
Politician and former ACT Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe described Sarungi as one of his earliest mentors when he first joined Parliament in 2005.
“When I was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2005, I had three senior mentors in Parliament who voluntarily guided me. Mzee William Shelukindo taught me the proper way to draft parliamentary questions. Mzee Jackson Makweta and Prof. Philemon Sarungi would often take me out for tea or coffee to analyze my parliamentary contributions and show me areas where I needed to improve,” Zitto wrote on his X page.
While Sarungi chose a quiet political life after his retirement, his daughter, Maria Sarungi, is one of the most prominent activists in Tanzania and East Africa.
Biteko meets oil and gas sector executives on the sidelines of East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition 2025
Tanzania’s Deputy Prime Minister, Doto Biteko, met with several executives from the oil and gas sector on the sidelines of the 11th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition 2025.
Among those he met was Wang Juteng from CNOOC. During their discussion, Biteko encouraged CNOOC to participate in Tanzania’s fifth oil and gas licensing round, which is set to open in May this year.
Biteko also held talks with Nick Lenstra, CEO of Canadian company Rock Mountain, which has signed an MOU with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation for a study and stakeholder consultations on converting natural gas into liquefied form for various uses, including aviation fuel.
Additionally, Biteko met with Farhiya Warsame, CEO of Rashal Energies, a company involved in constructing CNG pipelines from Kisemvule to Mbagala in Dar es Salaam. He emphasized the government’s commitment to expanding CNG filling stations to facilitate the transition to natural gas and increase its accessibility to more citizens.
Lissu says ‘imperial presidency’ in Uganda and Tanzania constitutions is Julius Nyerere’s legacy, throws jabs at Museveni’s regime
Tanzanian politician and Chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, Tundu Lissu, has argued that the constitutional legacy of Julius Kambarage Nyerere in Tanzania and Uganda is evident in the establishment of an “imperial presidency” in both countries.
Lissu made these remarks during a public lecture at Makerere University, as part of a discussion on the Constitutional Legacies of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in Uganda and Tanzania. The event was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Uganda and the Human Rights and Peace Centre of Makerere University.
Lissu explained that Tanganyika, under Julius Nyerere’s leadership, transitioned from a parliamentary democracy in 1962 to a republican form of government with an executive presidency that wielded powers similar to European monarchies before the 18th century. He asserted that this shift set a precedent for Uganda, which gained independence a few months before Tanzania became a republic.
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