Tanzania’s Vice-President Emmanuel Nchimbi has announced that he will resign and leave public life at the end of next week.
The 54-year-old disclosed his decision in a brief letter to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which he shared on Instagram. Sources at his office and State House confirmed the resignation.
According to the BBC, Nchimbi will become the first Tanzanian vice-president to voluntarily leave office since the country gained independence in 1964. His decision comes less than 10 months after he took office and amid reports of a disagreement with the president.
In his letter, Nchimbi recalled a promise he made when he became vice-president: he would resign if the president wanted a different deputy.
“I have become convinced, without doubt, that the president wants changes, and I have therefore decided to fulfil my promise,” he wrote.
He thanked President Samia, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and Tanzanians for their support. He also promised to remain a “good citizen of Tanzania” after leaving office.
Nchimbi was sworn in last November after serving as Samia’s running mate in the previous month’s election. The winning ticket secured about 98% of the vote, while the opposition rejected the result.
An official inquiry said at least 500 people died in violent protests that followed. Opposition figures and rights groups accused security forces of harsh crackdowns.
Before becoming vice-president, Nchimbi served as CCM secretary-general, held the information and home affairs ministries, and was ambassador to Brazil and Egypt.
Separately, tensions increased between South Africa and Rwanda over the DR Congo crisis, with Pretoria warning that further attacks would be a “declaration of war”.
