COVID-19 sceptic - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

21 gun salute send-off for Magufuli

WITH a 21 gun salute, a military fly past and thousands in attendance, Tanzania today buried John Pombe Magufuli, the first president to die in office in 60 years. Magufuli was buried in Chato, his birthplace, in a ceremony that capped a week of activities that included his body was taken to Tanzania’s major towns so that ordinary people could pay their respects. Nicknamed the 'bulldozer' for driving through policies against resistance, Magufuli was reviled by the opposition for what it said were brutal crackdowns on political adversaries. Admirers hailed his aggressive anti-corruption stance, championing infrastructure expansion and push to…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

OBITUARY-Tanzania’s ‘Bulldozer’ president and a COVID-19 sceptic

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TANZANIA’S late President John Magufuli, was admired by followers for his hostility to corruption and waste but regarded by foes as an irascible authoritarian intolerant of dissent and sceptical about COVID-19. He was nicknamed "The Bulldozer" for his fondness for massive public works and a reputation for pushing through policies despite opposition - a hard-charging leadership style that won support from many Tanzanians. But he also attracted criticism at home and abroad for what opponents saw as his eccentric handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that he had died of heart illness, days after officials…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Tanzanians should be told about Magufuli’s health, opposition says

NEWS

AN opposition leader says Tanzanians have become fearful due to lack of information about the health of President John Magufuli, who has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and citizens had the right to know about his condition. Speculation in East Africa is rife that Magufuli, 61, a vocal COVID-19 sceptic, is ill with the virus, though his vice president said on Monday that the country was safe and citizens should ignore rumours from outside the country. "It is important for the government to inform the public about the president's health to reduce ongoing fear," Zitto…