Ali Hassan Mwinyi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ali Hassan Mwinyi
Mwinyi in 2007
2nd President of Tanzania
In office 5 November 1985 – 23 November 1995
Prime Minister	Joseph Warioba John Malecela Cleopa Msuya
Vice President	First Vice President Joseph Warioba John Malecela Cleopa Msuya Second Vice President Idris Abdul Wakil Salmin Amour
Preceded by	Julius Kambarage Nyerere
Succeeded by	Benjamin William Mkapa
3rd President of Zanzibar
In office 30 January 1984 – 24 October 1985
Preceded by	Aboud Jumbe
Succeeded by	Idris Abdul Wakil
First Vice President of Tanzania
In office 30 January 1984 – 5 November 1985
President	Julius Nyerere
2nd Vice President	Vacant
Preceded by	Aboud Jumbe
Succeeded by	Joseph Warioba
Personal details
Born	(1925-05-08)8 May 1925 Kivure, Pwani Region, Tanganyika Territory (now Tanzania)
Died	29 February 2024(2024-02-29) (aged 98) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Political party	CCM
Spouse	Siti Mwinyi ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	12 (including Hussein)
Alma mater	Open University of Tanzania

Ali Hassan Mwinyi (born May 8, 1925 – died February 29, 2024) was an important Tanzanian leader. He served as the second president of the United Republic of Tanzania. His time in office was from 1985 to 1995. Before becoming president, he was the Interior Minister and Vice President. He also led the main political party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), from 1990 to 1996.

During his presidency, Tanzania started to change its economic rules. He made it easier for businesses to import goods. He also encouraged private companies to grow. During his second term, Tanzania began to allow more than one political party. This change happened because people both inside and outside the country wanted reforms. Mwinyi was sometimes called Mzee Rukhsa, which means "Everything goes." He worked to make the economy more open and free.

Early Life and Education

Ali Hassan Mwinyi was born on May 8, 1925. His birthplace was Kivure, a village in the Pwani Region of Tanzania. He grew up in this area. Later, he moved to Zanzibar for his primary school education. He attended Mangapwani Primary School there.

He then went to Mikindani Dole Secondary School in Zanzibar. From 1945 to 1964, he worked in schools. He was a tutor, a teacher, and then a head teacher. During this time, he also continued his own studies. He earned his General Certificate of Education through a special program. This was between 1950 and 1954.

Mwinyi also studied for a teaching diploma. He went to the Institute of Education at Durham University in the United Kingdom. He returned to Tanzania in 1962. After his return, he became the principal of Zanzibar Teaching Training College. Soon after, he decided to enter politics.

Leading Tanzania: The Presidency

In October 1985, President Julius Nyerere retired. He chose Ali Hassan Mwinyi to take his place. Nyerere remained the head of the ruling party, CCM, until 1990. This sometimes caused disagreements. The government and the party had different ideas about economic changes.

When Mwinyi became president, Tanzania's economy was struggling. The country's wealth was not growing fast enough. People's incomes were falling. There was a shortage of basic goods. Tanzania also had a lot of foreign debt. Many people felt that Nyerere's Ujamaa policies had not helped the economy. These policies included the government owning major businesses. They also involved moving people to communal farms. Only one political party was allowed.

At first, some thought Mwinyi would continue Nyerere's policies. But Mwinyi and his supporters wanted changes. They aimed to open up the market. They also wanted to rethink the old socialist ideas. Mwinyi brought in new people who supported reforms. He even changed some cabinet members. The Prime Minister, Joseph Warioba, also supported these new plans. In 1986, Mwinyi promised to talk with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. He wanted agreements that would help Tanzanian citizens.

Working with Global Financial Groups

In 1986, President Mwinyi reached an agreement with the IMF. Tanzania received a loan of $78 million. This was the first foreign loan in over six years. Other countries also agreed to help Tanzania with its debt. They allowed Tanzania to pay only a small part of its debts for five years.

Mwinyi asked donor countries to forgive Tanzania's debts completely. If that was not possible, he asked for more time to pay. He suggested ten to twenty-five years. He believed that by then, Tanzania's economy would be strong enough. He also asked for lower interest rates on loans.

Mwinyi said his talks with the IMF were for the people. For example, he agreed to reduce public institutions. But he insisted this must be done slowly and carefully. He refused to freeze pay raises for government workers. He also kept free public services.

Later, Mwinyi made more agreements with the IMF. These were called structural adjustment facilities. The World Bank also provided money for reforms. These reforms helped farming, industry, and banking. In 1989, Mwinyi started a new phase of reforms. He wanted to improve social services. He especially aimed to spend more on education.

Introducing Multi-Party Politics

In 1991, Tanzania started moving towards a multi-party system. Mwinyi asked Chief Justice Francis Nyalali to lead a group. This group would find out if people supported the current single-party system. In 1992, the group gave its report to the President. They suggested that Tanzania should have many political parties.

Even though only a small number of people directly supported this change, many wanted some kind of reform. The commission pointed out twenty laws that needed changing. These changes would help Tanzania become a multi-party system. Mwinyi supported this idea. The CCM party also approved these changes in February 1992. However, not all twenty laws were changed. Some older laws remained, like the Preventative Detention Act.

Fairness and Governance

During Mwinyi's presidency, there were growing concerns about fairness in government. People felt that unfair practices were increasing. This led to some international donors pausing their aid in 1994. In the 1995 election, opposition parties used these concerns to gain support. The CCM candidate, Benjamin Mkapa, also used this issue. He was seen as someone who was not involved in these problems.

Views on Apartheid

In 1989, Mwinyi spoke about Apartheid. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa. Mwinyi strongly supported strict actions against South Africa. He asked Western countries to help African nations. These nations were called "frontline states." They faced challenges from the South African government. Mwinyi believed these actions would help end Apartheid. He felt that some leaders were not doing enough. He hoped future leaders would take stronger action.

Personal Life and Passing

Ali Hassan Mwinyi married Siti Mwinyi in 1960. They had twelve children together. This included six sons and six daughters. After he retired, Ali Hassan Mwinyi lived a quiet life. He continued to live in Dar es Salaam.

Mwinyi passed away on February 29, 2024. He was 98 years old. He died from lung cancer at a hospital in Dar es Salaam.

Honours and Awards

Honours

Order		Country	Year
	Order of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere	Tanzania	2011

Awards

• King Faisal Prize of Saudi Arabia for Service to Islam in 2022.

Honorary Degrees

University	Country	Degree	Year
The Open University of Tanzania	Tanzania	Doctor of Letters	2012
The East African University	Kenya	Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management	2013

Legacy

Eponyms

• Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, a major road in Dar es Salaam
• Ali Hassan Mwinyi Stadium, Tabora
• Schools:
  • The Ali Hassan Mwinyi Islamic Secondary School in Tabora Region
  • The Mwinyi Secondary School in Pwani Region
  • The Ali Hassan Mwinyi Elite School Dar es Salaam Region

See also

In Spanish: Ali Hassan Mwinyi para niños