Stergomena Tax
Minister of Defence and National Service
Assumed office
1 September 2023
PresidentSamia Suluhu
Prime MinisterKassim Majaliwa
Preceded byInnocent Bashungwa
In office
13 September 2021 – 3 October 2022
PresidentSamia Suluhu
Prime MinisterKassim Majaliwa
Preceded byElias John Kwandikwa
Succeeded byInnocent Bashungwa
Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation
In office
3 October 2022 – 31 August 2023
PresidentSamia Suluhu
Prime MinisterKassim Majaliwa
Preceded byLiberata Mulamula
Succeeded byJanuary Makamba
4th Executive Secretary of SADC
In office
September 2013 – 15 August 2021
Preceded byTomaz Salomão
Succeeded byElias Mpedi Magosi
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of East African Cooperation
In office
November 2008 – August 2013
PresidentJakaya Kikwete
Succeeded byJoyce Mapunjo
Personal details
Born (1960-07-06) 6 July 1960 (age 63)
Magu, Mwanza, Tanganyika
NationalityTanzanian
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Dar es Salaam
University of Tsukuba

Stergomena Lawrence Tax (born 6 July 1960) is Tanzania's minister of Defence and National Service the first woman to hold the title since the country’s independence. She was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. Before that she served as the executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).[1][2][3]

Early life

Tax was educated at a number of primary schools in Tanzania and at Lake Secondary School in Mwanza where she was a contemporary of Tanzanian fifth president John Magufuli.[4]

She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1991. She thereafter obtained a Master of Philosophy in Policy Management and Development Economics and a Doctor of Philosophy in International Development from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Career

She served as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of East African Cooperation from 2008 to 2013, when she was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community at the 33rd Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi.

In August 2021, she was replaced by Elias Mpedi Magosi as secretary of SADC. On 10 September 2021, she was nominated Member of Parliament by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. On 12 September 2021, she was appointed Minister of Defence.[5][6] On 3 October 2022, she was appointed minister of foreign affairs.[7] On 1 September 2023, following another cabinet reshuffle, she resumed her previous docket as Minister of Defence and National Service.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Communique of the 33rd Summit of SADC HOSG" (PDF). SADC. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  2. ^ Ahmed, Maulid (19 August 2013). "Kikwete ends notable SADC term". Daily News (Tanzania). Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. ^ Mustapher, Swaum (29 August 2013). "Dr Stergomena Tax doing Tanzania very proud". Daily News (Tanzania). Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  4. ^ Mjasiri, Jaffar (1 September 2013). "Dr Tax: Tanzanians are sitting on a goldmine". Daily News (Tanzania). Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Tanzania President Appoints First Female Defence Minister". Channels Television. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Tanzania Appoints Woman Defence Minister". 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Tanzania's president sacks foreign minister, appoints former defence minister Stergomena Tax to the post". Club of Mozambique. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  8. ^ Admin (1 September 2023). "Tanzania Cabinet Reshuffle: President Samia Announces Key Appointments and Changes". TanzaniaInvest. Retrieved 11 September 2023.

External links


Executive Secretaries of the Southern African Development Community
Authority control databases
Members of the Cabinet of Tanzania
Categories