DAR ES SALAAM: 1000’s have gathered within the northwestern city of Chato for the burial of former Tanzanian President John Magufuli whose denial of COVID-19 introduced the nation worldwide criticism.
Magufuli was one in every of Africa’s most outstanding COVID-19 skeptics and though his authorities introduced that he had died of a coronary heart failure on March 10, opposition leaders and his critics cost that he died of problems from COVID-19.
1000’s had come collectively unmasked earlier Friday at a mass in a soccer area in Magufuli’s hometown of Chato that was presided over by Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga, President of the Tanzania Episcopal Convention.
Magufuli can be buried at 3 p.m. Friday on the city’s cemetery, the state introduced.
Many extra adopted the continuing on dwell TV and radio throughout the nation of 60 million the place the populist chief was revered by many for his pugnacious model of management.
Magufuli was changed by Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who had introduced his loss of life. Hassan turned the primary lady to turn into president in Tanzania.
Whereas many Tanzanians held Magufuli in excessive esteem, a big variety of Tanzanians felt he was a dictator and dominated with an iron fist pushing for laws that diminished elementary freedoms of expression and meeting.
Felix Maluma, a dealer in Dar es Salaam generally known as ‘Machingas’ mentioned he was shocked by the loss of life of Magufuli.
“I don’t suppose we may have such a very good chief. I pray that the following chief (President Samia Suluhu Hassan) will get the braveness to satisfy the guarantees made by President Magufuli,” he mentioned.
Opposition chief Tundu Lissu, who got here a distant second in flawed elections in October that have been marred by violence, widespread allegations of rigging and safety forces barring opposition brokers from verifying the vote, has acknowledged that Magufuli died of COVID-19.
Lissu, who’s exiled in Belgium fearing for his life amid loss of life threats after refusing to just accept the election outcomes, was among the many first to notice Magufuli’s absence from public view earlier than his loss of life.
Magufuli had been lacking from public view since Feb. 27, when he swore in a brand new chief secretary after his predecessor died with what many speculate was COVID-19. For days authorities officers denied he was sick claiming he was busy and the president isn’t duty-bound to make public appearances
Lissu accuses Magufuli’s regime of being behind a 2017 assassination try by which he was shot 16 occasions.
“President Magufuli defied the world, defied science, defied widespread sense in his method to COVID-19 and it lastly introduced him down,” mentioned Lissu instructed the Related Press final week.
Magufuli had claimed final 12 months prayers had eradicated COVID-19 from Tanzania and warned Tanzanians towards using facemasks and vaccines.
