The veteran politician, Ambassador Getrude Mongella, has mentioned the things women should consider to be accepted for leadership, as President Samia Suluhu Hassan has managed to lead the country.

Mongella said many women cover their talents by being undermined by tradition, a tradition that they fail to show themselves, to shame the leadership thinking it is a trait.

He made the remarks at his home in Makongo Juu, Dar es Salaam in an exclusive interview with journalists of the Government Newspapers Company (TSN).

"Many (women) hide our talents, even if we know to lead like this, we become like shame is a trait, not showing up is a trait, but leadership requires you to be committed, show yourself.

"That's why if you look at the list of what I did, I was. Don't hide the talents. "Confidence, confidence," said Ambassador Mongella, adding:

"You have to do things that make you who you are (the community remembers), even if you are uttered, no one faints. And for us women it's more difficult because, if you are pronounced, and you don't have parameters, we are being subjected to a lot of things really... It is not the one of them. So, in order to stand firm as Mama Samia stands, your history has to have elements... "No, he didn't do that."

He said President Samia had shown a talent for leadership, leadership skills and was seen by volunteering, appearing and starting to be given roles.

Mongella was Secretary-General of the United Nations Women's General Assembly in Beijing, China in 1995 and said: "If you look at Samia, I know her as an only daughter, I can't say she is my age and I am not even in her age. And even as we went to Beijing, she was dedicated, she helped a lot of the group of elderly mothers who came from Zanzibar."

He said Samia's ability enabled him to be given the responsibility of leading the Constituent Assembly and was later considered Vice President for the first time in Tanzania's history.

"This guy is not the type of person to say I that work I can't. He is confident, he is committed because the work of the Constituent Assembly was busy with self-sacrifice. You have to be committed, you have to learn I'm sure he was careful to go through the constitutions of other countries and of ours to get to lead the conversation done."

He said if it were to be proposed to a woman who had nothing to do, to be Vice President, it was obvious people would "faint". "But when it was suggested no one fainted, you have to get to be the one ... You have to do the things that make you the one."

Praise Samia

Mongella said, "What happened to him, we all want leadership but not the way he got the lead. When you wake up in the morning they tell you your leader is dead... The people we heard about (President John) died, I didn't sleep. I was sitting in a chair, it left me sitting like that so I don't know why."

He said it was an event where Tanzanians had never been bereaved by a sitting leader. He said President Samia had a difficult time because he was given leadership in an environment where people did not believe what had happened.

"The environment that we are today says who, who? Because some even the Constitution was not reading it, saying when the leader dies what happens? Most were unaware; Even the leaders."

Mongella said: "So some started and aspired to (the presidency), until you are told this constitutional is the Vice President in that sense it is Samia Suluhu Hassan full stop. But they would have left without a constitution... I think we have written our book very well. Without stating it in the constitution, he could have been dismissed."

He said Samia took the lead in a difficult environment filled with uncertainty, with some questioning whether she could, some wanting to know who she was.

He said the situation obviously led him to struggle to find the means, experience and knowledge to lead the country, he also struggled with the concepts that Mongella called "the corners".

Courageous, believing

However, Mongella said President Samia has actively fought to make public appearances since day one. "The leader is brave, you have to believe in yourself, believe in yourself from the first day when he said, I am the President of the United Republic of Tanzania in the form of a woman. "I was in the middle of the room, and he made a big statement."

He added, "Because he would start, I am a woman I ask you to help me... I would be very disappointed."

Ambassador Mongella said he sees Samia as a darling as she liked to serve and hold various positions nationally and internationally.

She cited Samia's agenda to bring pregnant children back to school and said, "Not all of us understood it. There are many things that fail us to understand until we see, ... We are like Thomas, who touched the wounds of Jesus and said that you are the Lord."

He's done a lot of

He compared the Bible's story, saying that many people have confirmed Samia's presidency by seeing the serious things she did in a short period of time.

"Let us pray to God to give him good health and work to continue as he says himself. Women can enter any environment, let us be afraid. In any environment that finds you we must be strong to take leadership positions and not go back. Whether it happened like Samia, or it has happened you have been chosen," he said.

He cited the appointment of the UN Secretary-General at the time, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, saying that despite the fear of the size of the position, he was able to afford it.

She said that years ago many women had died because of fear as society contributed.

He said among the stumbling blocks are brothers, friends who sometimes do so out of jealousy. He insisted on the woman being brave for not accepting the backlash.

Choose the right ones

Speaking of electing suitable leaders, Mongella urged the public not to leave a gap for people who are not fit to take the lead by not going to vote or for those who should not run.

"If you want to, wait for next year, you find the undesirables that are motivated. You are the one who speaks their case, and especially we women do that," Mongella said, describing the act as not patriotic.

Women who are fighting for freedom

In addition, Mongella has recommended that the creation of a mechanism to commemorate women of freedom in the country and Africa by rewarding them for their participation in the liberation of the continent.

On the Tanzanian side, he named Ms Titi Mohamed and Ms Mwanaidi Mohamed of Zanzibar as deserving of the award. She named other women in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and South Africa who deserve to be rewarded for their contributions.

Liberating young people

Speaking of young people, Mongella urged the community to revisit ideas about the group for what he said were failing because of the many objections.

"The elders ignore us, we don't help them... I let the young people look at my CV (biography) to say how this lady was able to... I wasn't the grandmother I was, I was Getrude," he said.

She said that when she chaired the 1995 UN Women's General Assembly in Beijing, she was the one to celebrate her 50th birthday.

"Now I don't see that youth is a barrier to doing what I want. "In youth I saw more of an opportunity that it was time for me to be creative, do and get a lot of things at once," Mongella said.

Ambassador Mongella said that because of his youthful powers, he entered the East African Parliament nursing his third child in 1975, then 30 and was able to carry out his duties as usual.

He said at the time it was strange to leave a child in and go to parliament, but he was able to do and complete his duties as his age was still young and enabled him to achieve his goals.

Mongella said that although young people have a great opportunity to make their lives early, they still face discrimination from society and that if he gets a chance he will call the youth and tell them the reality of the situation.

Ambassador Getrude urged parents and caregivers to help young people to not see themselves as the end of life, but instead to see the opportunity ahead of them and how they can follow and seize the opportunity.