Hussein el-Shafei


Hussein Mahmoud Hassan el-Shafei,, also known as Hussein el-Shafei, was a member of Egypt's 1952 revolutionary leadership council and served as Vice-president under two Egyptian presidents, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat. He was one of the nine men who had constituted themselves as the committee of the Free Officers Movement, led the country's cavalry corps during the uprising and was one of only three living members of the Revolutionary Command Council at the time of his death.

Early life and education

Born in Tanta in 1918, el-Shafei graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy in 1938.

Career

El-Shafei was appointed minister of war in 1954 and served as Egypt's minister of labor and social affairs during Egypt's merger with Syria. He served as vice-president under Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1961.
During his tenure as minister of social affairs, el-Shafei introduced social insurance reforms considered radical at the time, including pensions to widows. His Winter Charity campaign provided Egypt's poor with basic necessities. Some Egyptian celebrities took part in the "mercy trains" which delivered the goods, including actress Faten Hamama.
Anwar Sadat appointed el-Shafei as vice-president of Egypt's new government in 1971 and he was succeeded by Hosni Mubarak in April 1975.

Death

El-Shafei died on 18 November 2005. Mubarak was among the senior officials at el-Shafei's state funeral.

Honour

Foreign honour