Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has died at the age of 61, the country’s vice-president said. He died on Wednesday from heart complications at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan disclosed this in a televised address to the nation late on Wednesday.
The BBC reported last Wednesday that Magufuli has not made a public appearance in some time, prompting Tanzanians to ask for the whereabouts of their president. The opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, said the president was on admission in a hospital due to COVID-19. This is yet to be confirmed. Lissu said that Magufuli was flown to Kenya last Monday but rather quietly. He added that Magufuli may have suffered a cardiac arrest in his illness.
Last year, the Covid-19 skeptic leader declared a “victory” of the pandemic over what he said were the prayers of Tanzanians. Magufuli’s administration had declared that the country was coronavirus-free. This came after the government insisted normal public life would have to go on in spite of the suspected increase in cases leading up to the end of last year. Schools remained open as did churches.
“The corona disease has been eliminated thanks to God,” Magufuli once stated in a speech, apparently because of prayers. The spiritual inclination was not a joke as the government warned the American Embassy in Dar-es-Salaam to stay out of Tanzania’s internal affairs after the American envoy issued a statement in May 2020 claiming that hospitals in the commercial capital were on the verge of collapse due to admitting coronavirus-infected patients.
Magufuli did not only allege foreign conspiracies to undermine his government but also moved to crush faith in Tanzania’s scientific research community. He once stated that “probably, the technicians are also bought to mislead” on infection and mortality rates in the country.
The head of the national research unit in charge of understanding Tanzania’s case count and kinds of infection was sacked after his outfit was accused of finding coronavirus in goats and pawpaw.
The government then launched an investigation into “criminal possibility at the national laboratory”. While most African countries placed restrictions on public life, Tanzania did not. Apart from full churches and mosques, stadia were also loaded with soccer fans and continue to be.
Authorities in Canada said a man identified as Drake’s security guard was left seriously injured…
A physical education teacher, Alfred Kattola, owes his life to the quick thinking of two…
An 11-year-old girl, Tia Gordon, has endured misdiagnoses of sickness bugs and migraines by medics…
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to grace the court. In…
At the age of sixteen, LeAnna Roberts made headlines when she graduated from the University…
Will.i.am is a musician, producer, technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born Williams Adams, the musician turned…
Ohemaa Nyanin has been named the general manager of the WNBA Golden State team. Nyanin,…
Meet Allen Onyema; he is the founder of Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace. The Nigerian…
Alicia Keys has reached a new milestone with her musical "Hell's Kitchen" as it has…
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles decided to commemorate her first wedding anniversary to NFL star…
Authorities in Pennsylvania have arrested and charged a 26-year-old man who was seen allegedly attempting…
British female darts player Deta Hedman withdrew from the Denmark Open over the weekend after…
A New York-based Ghanaian couple accused of fatally beating their 5-year-old son was on May…
Former beauty queen Elizabeth Hunterton, who was abandoned in an airport as a newborn in…
It was an act of goodwill with no intended expectation in mind. Donating his only…