Stergomena Tax

Stergomena Tax
Minister of Defence and National Service
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 September 2023
President	Samia Suluhu
Prime Minister	Kassim Majaliwa
Preceded by	Innocent Bashungwa
In office 13 September 2021 – 3 October 2022
President	Samia Suluhu
Prime Minister	Kassim Majaliwa
Preceded by	Elias John Kwandikwa
Succeeded by	Innocent Bashungwa
Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation
In office 3 October 2022 – 31 August 2023
President	Samia Suluhu
Prime Minister	Kassim Majaliwa
Preceded by	Liberata Mulamula
Succeeded by	January Makamba
4th Executive Secretary of SADC
In office September 2013 – 15 August 2021
Preceded by	Tomaz Salomão
Succeeded by	Elias Mpedi Magosi
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of East African Cooperation
In office November 2008 – August 2013
President	Jakaya Kikwete
Succeeded by	Joyce Mapunjo
Personal details
Born	(1960-07-06) 6 July 1960 (age 64) Magu, Mwanza, Tanganyika
Nationality	Tanzanian
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Dar es Salaam University of Tsukuba

Stergomena Lawrence Tax (born 6 July 1960) is Tanzania's minister of Defence and National Service the first woman to hold the title since the country’s independence. She was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. Before that she served as the executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).^[1][2][3]