John Magufuli, President of Tanzania, died at the age of 61 of heart problems, as announced by the vice president of the country. The leader had not made public appearances for two weeks (since February 27) and rumors about his situation had soared. “It is with great regret that I inform you that today, March 17, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., we lost our brave leader, the President of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli,” said Samia Suluhu Hassan, stating that he had had heart problems for 10 years.
A week ago, the leader of the opposition Tundu Lissu, exiled in Belgium, questioned the status of the president, saying he had a severe form of coronavirus, exacerbated by health problems.
According to many rights organizations Humans Magufuli took an authoritarian drift, repeated attacks on the opposition and the decline of fundamental freedoms. Tanzania claimed to be “liberated” from covid-19 thanks to prayers, experienced a wave of deaths, officially attributed to pneumonia.
Denialist country
Magufuli himself gave up COVID in July. Since then, both he and other officials scoffed at the use of masks, and questioned the efficacy of screening tests. He also attacked vaccines. “They must stand firm. LVaccines are dangerous. If the white man was capable of creating vaccines he should have found one for AIDS, for tuberculosis, for malaria, for cancer, “he said.
However, on February 21, he asked the population to wear a mask, days after the death of the vice president of the archipelago of Zanzibar, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, after testing positive for COVID-19. At 61, Magufuli, President of Tanzania since 2015, has passed away.
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