The government of Tanzania has announced 14 days to mourn the death of President John Pombe Magufuli who succumbed to heart failure. Magufuli, who died on Wednesday aged 61, was accused of having let Covid-19 run rampant in hist country.
According to Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country will go into mourning to commemorate the life of Magufuli who died at the Dar Es Salaam hospital on Sunday.
Magufuli has been out of sight since late February, amid rumours he had contracted COVID-19. Officials earlier insisted he is well, but the country’s vice president said Monday it is normal for people to get sick. She asked Tanzanians to ignore outside information that may cause confusion.
John Pombe Magufuli rose to power as a corruption-busting man, but for many critics, the way he handled the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the lowest moments that underlined his administration. The former Minister of Works in Tanzania once claimed prayer had saved the country from Covid-19, championing praying over face masks and suppressing the publication of virus figures.
Magufuli’s death comes weeks after the death of his vice from the semi-autonomous Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad who was confirmed to have succumbed to Covid.
