Corona afflicted in the presidential office: The head of the Tanzanian state, Majufuli, died

Wednesday 17 March 2021

Update
Corona deniers in the presidential office
The head of state has died in Tanzania Magufuli

He wanted to fight Corona by praying and steam baths, deliberately ignoring the number of new infections in his country. Now, the controversial President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, has passed away. Before that, he had disappeared from the scene for a long time.

Vice President Samia Solo Hassan said that Tanzanian President John Magufuli has passed away, and the head of state died of a heart attack in a hospital in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. His prolonged absence has sparked public speculation about the illness of the head of state, who has been in office since 2015. The 61-year-old has long denied the existence of Covid-19 in the East African country and has downplayed the coronavirus threat. The former German colony of about 58 million has not released new infection numbers since May 2020.

According to Hassan, the president suffers from chronic arrhythmias. This was diagnosed over ten years ago. She added that Magufuli was recently hospitalized for this reason and was discharged and re-admitted on Sunday after his condition deteriorated. Hassan declared a 14-day period of mourning. According to the constitution, she will now hold the highest office in the country until the next elections in 2025.

Magufuli’s handling of the Corona pandemic has caused criticism and concern in his home country and internationally. He questioned the reliability of the corona tests and recommended prayer and steam baths. Magufuli – who is sometimes called the “bucket” because of his uncompromising leadership style – urged the Ministry of Health to be careful with vaccines developed abroad and questioned how they could be developed so quickly. Unlike many other African countries, where foreign vacationers who arrived by plane were forced to quarantine for several days last year, the East African country opened up to tourism.

Celebrated and feared

Exiled opposition politician Tando Liso It recently sparked speculation on Twitter about Magufuli’s disease of Covid-19. He wrote: “With his devastating denial of Covid, he proved his madness in prayer rather than knowing that it was a deadly apostasy.” According to his information, Magufuli was seriously ill and was initially transferred to a hospital in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for treatment, then to India. But Prime Minister Qasim Majaliwa rejected the speculation about Covid-19 disease and said that the president is continuing to work on the country’s development plans.

Magufuli is polarized in the East African country. He was supported by his supporters, among other things, due to his strong and uncompromising leadership style, major infrastructure projects and promises to fight corruption. However, critics condemned his increasing restrictions on freedom of the press and freedom of expression, as well as his handling of the Corona pandemic. Human Rights Watch ruled that the human rights record in Tanzania had steadily deteriorated under Magufuli’s rule.

“This is an unprecedented moment for the United Republic of Tanzania and it is a moment that will undoubtedly move us all in a very personal way,” opposition leader Zito Kabwe said after Magufuli’s death. The President will be remembered for his contribution to the development of Tanzania. The United States government expressed its condolences to the people of Tanzania. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States will continue to support the people of Tanzania to defend respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and fight the pandemic. “We hope that Tanzania will continue on the path of democracy and prosperity,” he said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted after Magufuli’s death, saying, “My thoughts are with his loved ones and the people of Tanzania.”

Magufuli was born on October 29, 1959 in the western province of Chateaux, became a teacher before obtaining a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Dar es Salaam and then moved to politics.