Post by anansi on Mar 18, 2021 5:52:24 GMT -5
Tanzania’s populist President John Magufuli has died at 61
NAKURU, Kenya (AP) — President John Magufuli of Tanzania, a prominent COVID-19 skeptic in Africa whose populist rule often cast his East African country in a harsh international spotlight, has died. He was 61 years old.
Magufuli’s death was announced on Wednesday by Vice President Samia Suluhu, who said the president died of heart failure.
“Our beloved president passed on at 6 p.m. this evening,” said Suluhu on national television. “All flags will be flown at half-mast for 14 days. It is sad news. The president has had this illness for the past 10 years.”
The vice president said that Magufuli died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the Indian Ocean port that is Tanzania’s largest city.
Although the vice president said the cause of Magufuli’s death was heart failure, opposition politicians had earlier alleged that he was sick from COVID-19.
Magufuli had not been seen in public since the end of February and top government officials had denied that he was in ill health even as rumors swirled online that he was sick and possibly incapacitated from illness.
Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent deniers of COVID-19. He had said last year that Tanzania had eradicated the disease through three days of national prayer. Tanzania has not reported its COVID-19 tallies of confirmed cases and deaths to African health authorities since April 2020.
Magufuli’s death was announced on Wednesday by Vice President Samia Suluhu, who said the president died of heart failure.
“Our beloved president passed on at 6 p.m. this evening,” said Suluhu on national television. “All flags will be flown at half-mast for 14 days. It is sad news. The president has had this illness for the past 10 years.”
The vice president said that Magufuli died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the Indian Ocean port that is Tanzania’s largest city.
Although the vice president said the cause of Magufuli’s death was heart failure, opposition politicians had earlier alleged that he was sick from COVID-19.
Magufuli had not been seen in public since the end of February and top government officials had denied that he was in ill health even as rumors swirled online that he was sick and possibly incapacitated from illness.
Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent deniers of COVID-19. He had said last year that Tanzania had eradicated the disease through three days of national prayer. Tanzania has not reported its COVID-19 tallies of confirmed cases and deaths to African health authorities since April 2020.
apnews.com/article/john-magufuli-dead-tanzania-president-1368d5d852ca2b8b35fe108c3abbc0a0
This is just not the right time imho , he was one of a trio of African leaders who was holding down fortress Africa, this lion stomped the tail of the dragon, by insisting on equitable deals,and was not in the least shy about dropping deals or agreements deemed unfair or useless signed by his predecessors, he vigorously saught to curb corruption, and self financed his projects from internal sources, thus becoming less dependent on China.
One of the draw back??..again imo was his reliance on faith over science,while it was a bold move to stick a finger in the eye of Western led international institutions, throwing out the science, may have eventually cost him.
I dont know who can rise above him, but I hope his dream of a unified African market continues with his successor.
For now this is his legacy, so he left on a great note,as far as I can see.
Rest In Power lion.