Tanzania’s late President John Pombe Magufuli acquired the nickname “the bulldozer” for his tough reputation against corruption but his controversial stance on Covid-19 may go a long way to taint his legacy.
When Covid-19 arrived in Tanzania, President Magufuli who passed away late Wednesday, at the age of 61 did not believe in people staying at home.
He wanted them to throng churches and mosques en masse to pray.
Magufuli, a former teacher would be remembered for his controversial position on Covid-19.
Under him Tanzania refused to record Covid-19 cases since April 2020, with Mr Magufuli claiming the country had defeated the virus.
“Our enemies will say a lot, but here in Tanzania we are safe,” he declared last July.
“We put God first, and God heard us.”
He encouraged citizens to continue to work and to attend church.
Controversially, Mr Magufuli questioned the object of testing, claiming that a goat and a pawpaw fruit tested positive for Covid-19.
He said vaccines weren’t necessary and that Tanzanians shouldn’t be used as “guinea pigs”.
First elected as a Member of Parliament in 1995, Magufuli served in the Cabinet of Tanzania as Deputy Minister of Works from 1995 to 2006,
Minister of Lands and Human Settlement from 2006 to 2008, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries from 2008 to 2010.
He was Minister of Works for a second time from 2010 to 2015, before being elected as the fifth President of Tanzania.
Magufuli, a father of five, was a devout Catholic who has, among others, pledged to continue the fight against corruption and wasteful spending of public money.
His death comes months after he was sworn-in for a second five-year term that was expected to end in 2025.
According to news reports, Magufuli was last seen in public at an event in Dar es Salaam on February 27.
CU/as/APA