During a visit to an annual fair in Zanzibar, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan made a lighthearted remark that has sparked attention.
While observing a hungry lion pacing in a small cage at a National Wildlife Agency booth, the president humorously suggested naming the “mischievous” animal after opposition politician Tundu Lissu.
In a widely circulated video, a zookeeper informed President Hassan that the lion was restless because it hadn’t been fed yet. When told that the lion had no name, she quipped, “Name it after my son Tundu Lissu,” drawing laughter from those present.
She compared the lion’s spirited and restless nature to that of Lissu, a well-known opposition figure who ran for the presidency in 2020 after surviving an assassination attempt in 2017.
On Sunday, President Hassan further elaborated on the comparison, noting that the lion’s behavior reminded her of the “unsettled” Lissu. The opposition leader, however, responded to the joke with good humor, acknowledging his family’s history of lion hunting.
He explained that in the Bantu language Kinyaturu, spoken by the Turu tribe from which his family hails, individuals who killed lions attacking their livestock were honored with the title “ahomi” or “muhomi.” Lissu mentioned that both his paternal grandfather and father had killed lions that threatened their cattle.
This exchange comes at a time of tension between the ruling party and the opposition in Tanzania, following the recent arrests of several opposition leaders.
Rights groups have expressed concern that these actions could mark a return to the repressive measures seen under the late President John Magufuli. Despite these tensions, President Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 after Magufuli’s death, has made some efforts to ease restrictions on the media and opposition parties.