Tanzania's President John Magufuli is dead; tributes pour in from all over the world
- Tanzania President John Magufuli had been missing from the public for at least 17 days
- Speculation surrounded his whereabouts and health condition
- His death was announced on Wednesday, March 17, by Vice President Samia Suluhu
- The late president is reported to have succumbed to heart disease
Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli is dead.
Source: Getty Images
News of Magufuli's death followed weeks of wild speculations after he went missing from the public eye for over two weeks.
The Tanzanian leader passed away on Wednesday, March 17, at 6pm, according to an announcement made by Vice President Samia Suluhu on state television.
According to Suluhu, Magufuli succumbed to heart disease.
She said the late president began feeling unwell and was taken to Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute on Saturday, March 6.
On Sunday, March 7, and was discharged after assessment by cardiac specialists.
"He was allowed to go back home and continue with his responsibilities, but the condition worsened on Sunday, March 14, when he was taken back to the hospital for treatment of a chronic heart disease," Suluhu indicated.
The vice president declared 14 days of mourning, a period in which national flags will fly half-mast.
Presidency
Magufuli was re-elected into the country's top office under his Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) political party in October 2020 following a heated political contested, which he won with a landslide.
He was first sworn in as Tanzania's president on November 5, 2015, and was celebrated for taking on corruption cartels and streamlining service delivery in public offices.
However, the late president was criticised for silencing the Opposition and trampling on freedoms of media and expression.
Magufuli's relaxed stance on COVID-19
Magufuli grabbed headlines in 2020 after failing to impose any COVID-19 control measures insisting the East African nation had triumphed over the deadly virus.
In April 2020, his government halted the issuance of COVID-19 data to the public and weeks later; he stated Tanzania was coronavirus-free thanks to divine intervention.
"We decided to pray to God to save us from COVID-19. He has answered our prayers. Tanzania is safe, which is evident by the many airlines that are bringing in tourists," he said on June 8, 2020.
He told Tanzanians that there would be no lockdown in the country since COVID-19 was not in the country.
"Don't panic, what is important is to work and double production," said Magufuli.
Life and Times of Magufuli
Magufuli was born on October 29, 1959, in Geita, Tanzania.
He pursued a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry and Mathematics at the University of Dar es Salaam between 1985 and 1988.
He went ahead to graduate with a Master's Degree in Chemistry and later a Doctor of Philosophy in the same field at the University of Dar es Salaam in 1994 and 2009.
Besides attaining these academic credentials, Magufuli was in 2019 awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Dodoma for his role in improving the economy of Tanzania.
He was married to Janeth Magufuli, a primary school teacher and together were blessed with five children.
Magufuli was first elected as MP in 1995 and later served in Tanzania's Cabinet as Deputy Minister of Works from 1995 to 2000.
He was appointed Minister of Works from 2000 to 2006, then Minister of Lands and Human Settlement between 2006 and 2008.
The deceased was also appointed Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, where he served between 2008 and 2010 before serving as Minister of Works for a second time from 2010 to 2015.
Source: YEN.com.gh
