Does This Picture Show Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan With Her Co-Wives?
A still video on TikTok with an image of Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, flanked by 2 other women, claims that this was a family meeting chaired by the president’s husband, Mzee Hafidh Ameir, and the women in the picture are Samia’s co-wives. The video, posted on May 21, 2025 is captioned ”Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan with her Co-wivess at a family meeting chaired by their husband Mzee Hafidh Ameir. Your thoughts?”
As of when this report was published, it had garnered about 509,000 views, over 9,800 likes, about 540 comments, over 760 bookmarks and about 1,150 shares.
VERIFICATION
Who is Tanzania’s President’s Husband?
The husband of Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is Hafidh Ameir. They married in 1978 and have four children together. Hafidh Ameir is an agriculturalist by profession and has maintained a relatively low public profile, despite his wife's political career. He holds the unofficial title of First Gentleman of Tanzania, a role he assumed when President Hassan took office in March 2021.
Who Are The Women In The Photo?
As seen in this 2 hours, 32 minutes and 55 seconds video posted by Wasafi Media on YouTube, the footage used on the TikTok still video appeared from 57:00 to 57:06. Wasafi Media posted this on April 7, 2021 with the Swahili caption translated as, “#LIVE : PRESIDENT SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN PARTICIPATES IN THE COMMEMORATION OF THE LIFE OF ABEID AMAN KARUME – APRIL 07, 2021.”
The event is popularly referred to as the Karume Day, a national holiday in Tanzania commemorating the assassination of Zanzibar’s first president, Abeid Amani Karume, in 1972. President Samia Suluhu Hassan attended the memorial service held in Zanzibar, where she was photographed seated alongside other dignitaries. The women beside her were not co-wives but prominent figures in Tanzanian society.
The official Facebook page belonging to Zanzibar’s presidential office also posted images of Hassan attending the memorial service on April 7, 2021.
The women seated next to President Hassan on the left with a golden yellow and green hijab is the First Lady of Zanzibar, Mariam Mwinyi, while the woman on the far-right of the still video with glasses on, is Zanzibar’s Chief Secretary, Zena Ahmed.
There is no public record or credible evidence suggesting that either of them is involved in a polygamous marriage. Moreover, Mr. Ameir maintains a low public profile and is rarely seen in official events.
CONCLUSION
The claim that President Hassan was at a family meeting with co-wives chaired by their husband, Mzee Hafidh Ameir, is FALSE. The image in question was taken on April 7, 2021, during Karume Day, a national holiday in Tanzania commemorating the assassination of Zanzibar’s first president, Abeid Amani Karume, in 1972.
