Zanzibar minister quits over boat disaster

ZANZIBAR President Ali Mohamed Shein yesterday accepted the resignation of the minister responsible for marine transportation, Mr Hamad Masoud Hamad, over the last Wednesday’s ferry boat accident that killed 78 people and left 66 still missing. About 290 were on board.

Mr Hamad, Minister for Infrastructure and Communication, tendered his resignation as an accountability measure. He had on Saturday told a news conference that he was not responsible for the accident although many people were blaming him.

 The Secretary of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council (Cabinet), Dr Abdulhamid Yahya Mzee, said in a statement last night that a Member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives for Ziwani (CUF) replaces Mr Hamad, also from CUF.

 This is the first time in recent years that a minister is resigning as an accountability gesture.

 Mr Hamad’s resignation followed a stormy session in the House on Monday and last Friday over the ministry’s responsibility over the boat accident, 7 miles, south of Chumbe Islet, while on its way from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar.

Source: The Daily News