At 70, he was 10 years past the loosely enforced statutory age of retirement. He visibly struggled to walk or read, acutely stressed out by a whimsical boss, and dog-sick.
Presidents loved him because he was a subservient poodle with a diplomatic resume they could flash to the international community and effortlessly instruct him what to think and say.
His perfomance in early domestic assignments was a mixed bag. He rapidly rose to the helm of intelligence service at the height of president Nyerere's ruthless crackdown on dissent, but was fired three years into the job after security organs failed to foil a close call attempt to assasinate the president in 1982.
As Minister of Justice, he was in over his head, reduced to regurgitating parliamentary papers handed to him by overshadowing minions who well knew he could barely read, much less comprehend, technical jurisprudential content.
At his forte, the foreign service, his legacy is littered more with peace envoy assignments than classic country representation. As it is with many diplomats from less powerful countries of the world, you will be hard pressed to pinpoint diplomatic achievements that actually advanced his country's agenda despite his long and lauded foreign relations career.
President Magufuli underscored Mahiga's "humble and obedient" subordination as he mourned his late minister. Many other observers note that he remained untainted by corruption scandals which almost always follow authority figures in countries like Tanzania where accountability virtually never touches high ranking officials.
Presidents loved him because he was a subservient poodle with a diplomatic resume they could flash to the international community and effortlessly instruct him what to think and say.
His perfomance in early domestic assignments was a mixed bag. He rapidly rose to the helm of intelligence service at the height of president Nyerere's ruthless crackdown on dissent, but was fired three years into the job after security organs failed to foil a close call attempt to assasinate the president in 1982.
As Minister of Justice, he was in over his head, reduced to regurgitating parliamentary papers handed to him by overshadowing minions who well knew he could barely read, much less comprehend, technical jurisprudential content.
At his forte, the foreign service, his legacy is littered more with peace envoy assignments than classic country representation. As it is with many diplomats from less powerful countries of the world, you will be hard pressed to pinpoint diplomatic achievements that actually advanced his country's agenda despite his long and lauded foreign relations career.
President Magufuli underscored Mahiga's "humble and obedient" subordination as he mourned his late minister. Many other observers note that he remained untainted by corruption scandals which almost always follow authority figures in countries like Tanzania where accountability virtually never touches high ranking officials.
