Tabitha Siwale, Tanzania’s pioneering female cabinet minister, passed away at 86 on March 12, 2025, at Hindu Mandal Hospital in Dar es Salaam.
Born in 1939 in Mbeya Region, Siwale broke gender barriers in Tanzanian politics. Appointed by President Julius Nyerere in 1975 as Minister of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development, she later served as Minister of Education from 1980, succeeding Nicholas Kuhanga. In 1982, she returned to the Ministry of Lands until her ministerial retirement in 1984, remaining a Member of Parliament until 2000.
Beyond politics, Siwale chaired and served on various institutional boards in Tanzania. She founded the WAT Savings and Credit Cooperative Society and was headmistress at Bwiru Girls’ and Korogwe Girls’ secondary schools. In 2000, an American institution honored her with the Woman of the Century Award for her contributions to Tanzania.
Siwale’s funeral is scheduled for March 15 at Kinondoni Cemetery, Dar es Salaam. Mourners are gathering at her Mikocheni kwa Nyerere residence.
Her legacy as a trailblazer for women’s leadership in Tanzania endures, inspiring future generations.
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