Rashidi Kawawa

Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa
Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa
Prime Minister of Tanzania
	In office; 2 March 1972 – 13 February 1977
President	Julius Nyerere
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Edward Sokoine
Second Vice President of Tanzania
	In office; 26 April 1964 – 13 February 1977
President	Julius Nyerere
1st Vice President	Abeid Karume; Aboud Jumbe
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Idris Abdul Wakil
Prime Minister of Tanganyika
	In office; 22 January 1962 – 8 December 1962
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Julius Nyerere
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
Personal details
Born	27 May 1926; Matepwende, Ruvuma Region, Tanganyika Territory
Died	31 December 2009 (aged 83); Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Resting place	Wazo, Kindondoni District,Dar es Salaam
Nationality	Tanzanian
Political party	CCM
Other political; affiliations	Tanganyika African National Union
Spouse(s)	Sofia Kawawa (m. 1951) ; Asia Kawawa
Children	Rehema, Hawa, Mfaume, Khadija, Fatima, Farida, Rashidi, Sophia, Vita, Zalia, Zamaradi, Mariam, Habiba, Zainabu, Abdallah, Ema, Asha
Nickname	Simba wa Vita (the Lion of War)

Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa (27 May 1926 – 31 December 2009) was the second Tanganyikan Prime Minister, Preceded by Julius Kambarage Nyerere from 22nd Jan 1962 to 9th Dec 1962 when the post was abolished and the first Tanzanian Prime Minister from 17th Feb 1972 to 13th Feb 1977, succeeded by Edward Sokoine .^[1]

Early life and education

Mr. Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was born in Matepwende village, Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region on February 27, 1926. At 1935, he enrolled in the Tunduru Urban School in Lindi. From 1942 to 1947, he attended Middle School Dar es Salaam Central School before continuing his education at Tabora Boys School between 1951 and 1956.^[2] In 1951, he married Sofia Kawawa.

Political career

Rashid Kawawa was one of the founders of the Federation of Workers in 1955, where he was elected as the first General Secretary, before joining the Uhuru movement. It was in this capacity that he began to take a more active role in the Tanganyika independence struggle, mobilizing employees. He was previously the Secretary General of the Government Employees Federation (TLF). Mzee Kawawa left his work at the Workers' Federation in February 1956 because he was a government employee, which banned him from acting in politics, and opted to join the TANU movement to seek Uhuru.^[3]

In 1957, he was a member of TANU's 24th Central Committee, and in 1960, he was Vice President of TANU. When Mwalimu Nyerere opted to go to the provinces to create a party and engage in political activities, he was nominated as Tanganyika's Second Prime Minister on January 22, 1962. He served in that capacity until December 8, 1962. He was reappointed to that office on March 2, 1972, and served until February 13, 1977, when Mr. Edward Moringe Sokoine took his place.^[4]

Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was named Minister of Local Government and Housing in the President of TANU's Government of Power in 1960. He then became prime minister in January 1962, as a minister without a special ministry, when Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere resigned in order to boost TANU.^[5]

Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was chosen Vice President in December 1962, when the country became a republic under President Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.He was then appointed as the Second Vice President and Minister of Defense following the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. During that time, he made significant contributions to the establishment of the Tanzanian People's Defense Force (JWTZ), laying the groundwork for the Force. In addition, he founded the Nation Building Army.^[6]

Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was appointed Prime Minister of Tanzania in 1972, a position he held until 1977, when he was re-appointed as Minister of Defense. In addition to these duties, Mzee Rashid Mfaume Kawawa was a Member of Parliament for Nachingwea in Lindi Region and afterwards Liwale from 1965 until 1985. In politics, he has held several roles, including General Secretary of the Revolutionary Party in 1980 and Vice Chairman of the CCM in 1982, and he is a permanent member of the CCM's Central Committee.^[7]

Death

Rashid Kawawa at 83, died on Thursday, December 31, 2009, at 3.20 a.m. at Muhimbili National Hospital. Residents of the City of Dar es Salaam had the opportunity to pay their last respects at the Karimjee Gardens on Friday, January 2, 2010, beginning at 7 o'clock in the afternoon, and he was buried on Saturday, January 2, 2010, beginning at 7 o'clock in the afternoon, at his residence in Wazo Area of Wazo Ward in Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam Region.^[8]