Tanzanian President John Magufuli dies

Tanzania’s Vice President has announced that President John Magufuli is no more. He died at the age of 61.

Tanzania’s Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan told their local press that the deceased president was being treated in a hospital in Dar es Salaam where he then passed away on Wednesday 17 March 2021. This unfortunate event came 14 days after he was hidden from the public and speculations were being shared about his health

The country’s opposition shared the news that suggested that the president had contracted Covid-19 a week ago. This information had however not yet been affirmed.

If indeed Magufuli had contracted the virus, this would stand as a stark irony because the leader was one of Africa’s most noticeable Covid skeptics. He encouraged steaming and home remedies to counter the virus.

Vice-President Hassan shared the following remarks:

“It is with deep regret that I inform you that today… we lost our brave leader, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli,”

She said there would be 14 days of national mourning and flags would fly at half mast.

As indicated by Tanzania’s constitution, Ms Hassan will be confirmed as the new president and should serve the rest of Magufuli’s five-year group which he started a year ago.

This unfortunate event took place just a week after Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa affirmed that the president was “healthy and working hard”.

He pinned the bits of gossip about the president’s medical affliction on “hateful” Tanzanians living abroad.

In any case, opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that his sources had disclosed to him Magufuli was being treated in emergency hospital for Covid in Kenya.