DAR ES SALAAM, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Saturday inaugurated a new government satellite city in the east African nation's new capital Dodoma and ordered all ministries to operate from the capital from Monday.
In 2016, Magufuli announced that he will ensure that his government moved to the centrally located capital of Dodoma from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam before the end of his first five-year term in 2020.
"I am also on my way to Dodoma. The construction of my office (State House) is complete and 41 houses for State House staff are ready," said the president in his address televised live by state broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).
Magufuli said shifting to Dodoma was a dream come true after the plan was hatched 46 years ago by founding President Julius Nyerere but the arrangement was not implemented due to various reasons.
"I am the happiest today. We are fulfilling the dream of our founding President Nyerere that he made 46 years ago," Magufuli told his audience to a thunderous applause.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that 8,883 public servants, including his office, have already moved to Dodoma.
Majaliwa said a number of foreign embassies, including China and Germany, have already opened their consulates in the new capital.
On July 30, 2018, Magufuli allocated land to foreign missions and international organizations for their offices and residences in Dodoma.
The president handled 62 free title deeds for the construction of the foreign missions and five title deeds for international organizations accredited to Tanzania to facilitate their shift to the new capital.
He said the allocation of five hectares of land to each foreign mission amounted to showing how Tanzania valued and honored the long cooperation with development partners.
The president assured the foreign missions that Dodoma has conducive environment including security and access to the basic social services.
In 1973, the Tanzanian government announced that the capital would be moved from Dar es Salaam to a more central location to better serve the needs of the people.
In the same year, the government under the leadership of Nyerere, decided to shift its capital city from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, when it was envisaged that the move would take 10 years.
But four decades later, the move could not be implemented on various reasons, including poor infrastructure and economic difficulties.
