Mr Magufuli often vouched for his Hapa Kazi Tu ( My only emphasis in work) mantra

The late Tanzanian President John Magufuli was in his factor on 24 February even though unveiling a large road task in Dar es Salaam – an accomplishment he boasted could only be realized by the ruling CCM social gathering.

“It was accomplished on time because no-1 used corona as an justification to delay it,” he reported, whilst applauding the contractors and also instructing govt officers not to entertain everyone making use of the pandemic as an justification to postpone the supply of assignments.

This 1 was no diverse to prior community features – a choir serenaded him, and he finished it with a characteristic speech extolling his mantra of Hapa Kazi Tu (Perform is My Only Target).

“Tanzania is a rich place, we have to use our prosperity in order to produce,” he said in his remarks, which also chastised tardiness and exhorted Tanzanians to shell out their taxes. Three days later Magufuli would be witnessed in general public for the very last time.

Because his initially election in 2015, Magufuli cultivated the picture of an rambunctious action person, a departure from his predecessors’ demure and stately design.

His interventionist – supporters referred to as it “arms-on” – management design received him supporters over and above Tanzania, especially in the East African area, where by he impressed the #WhatWouldMagufuliDo Twitter hashtag, praising his no-nonsense technique to preventing corruption and tirelessly adhering to up infrastructure tasks to make sure they are done.

What most Tanzanians cared about, his supporters argued, was service shipping and delivery and Magufuli’s populist governing type was successful and a design for other African leaders.

A gentleman of the people today

His supporters will skip the hrs-extended highway visits he embarked on across the region which included many stops so he could discuss with the community.

These excursions, which unnerved govt officers, were usually broadcast stay on Television and grew to become popular with some Tanzanians who saw them as an possibility to get prompt redress to their complications.

Tale carries on

Crowds of folks usually gathered and shuffled all around the presidential convoy on shut look at of the closely armed bodyguards.

Those who had been determined obtained a prospect to check with him inquiries, but most individuals used the option to plead with the president to intervene on a myriad of concerns this kind of as correcting delayed road assignments, never-ending court conditions, problems about water offer, or grievances against neighborhood officers.

John Magufuli loved taking street excursions to interact with the community

Standing out of the sunroof of his armoured car or truck, with a microphone in hand, Magufuli listened and in some cases requested stick to-up thoughts. His responses have been combined but by the time he was carried out, a new plan would have been proclaimed, an official both sacked or promoted, or the individual who requested the issue humiliated.

He at the time berated a man in a Dar es Salaam neighbourhood who experienced complained that it was costly to use general public bogs: “Then depart your faeces at residence,” he answered again, to fantastic amusement and consternation.

Political opponents, neighbouring nations, mining companies, Western nations and everyone he seen as undermining Tanzanian pursuits ended up also targets of his abrasive governing style.

Critics said he was an autocrat with slim pores and skin, a male obsessed with setting up a individuality cult and who did not entertain any slights or jests irrespective of whether from musicians, comedians or commentators on social media.

He instilled this sort of fear in the nation that even in the course of his extra than two-7 days absence from general public, his draconian procedures ongoing unabated – law enforcement arrested those who speculated about the president’s whereabouts or questioned simply just: Where is Magufuli?

This point out of affairs is a thing of a contradiction to his casting himself as a defender of the dignity of Tanzanians.

Come across out more about John Magufuli:

He also muzzled Tanzanian media, shutting down several newspapers, radio and Television set stations as effectively as social media platforms merely for reporting what the federal government failed to like.

He was also criticised for implementing policies such as banning ladies who bought pregnant from likely to school.

But it was his managing of the coronavirus pandemic that was arguably his most damning failure.

In his latter days he hectored critics who failed to acquire his narrative about the country getting “covid-free” – a stance which was surprisingly in distinction to his sober, science-led approach through the early times of the pandemic.

Magufuli, a previous chemistry trainer, would afterwards force conspiracies about plots to harm Tanzanians while expressing question about the basic safety of masks and vaccines.

At just one place he despatched papaya and goat meat samples to be analyzed for Covid-19 and utilised the final results to justify his denial of the virus.

The true price tag of this negligence and dereliction of responsibility can be counted in the range of life missing as a outcome.

Strongmen or solid establishments

There will be vigorous debate in Tanzania about Magufuli’s legacy and no matter whether his successor need to keep the course or transform.

This debate are unable to be divorced from the divide about whether the continent desires strongmen or robust institutions.

Magufuli appealed to several because he was unencumbered by institutional limitations. He issued edicts and issues took place and to a lot of citizens who had grown discouraged by incompetence in authorities, this was refreshing.

But equally many Africans want to stay in regulation-based mostly nations, to love a daily life of dignity absolutely free of brutality, to have leaders who govern honesty and in truth, and a govt that respects them and does not cover information about their president’s health.

Mr Magufuli’s dying has been blamed on “heart challenges” but quite a few will still suspect that he succumbed to Covid-19.

It is an irony that the pandemic he strenuously denied has outlasted him, turning his after-heralded presidency into a cautionary tale for the area and the continent.



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