Tanzania's President Dr. John Magufuli Passes Away -

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John Pombe Joseph Magufuli – October 29. 1959 – March 17, 2021

Tanzania President Dr. John Magufuli, a champion for the Tanzanian people has passed away from heart complications. He was 61.

President Magufuli was being treated at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Dar es Salaam after returning from a Kenyan hospital he had been transported to for treatment when he became ill.

Magufuli was known for being very outspoken, standing up for the Tanzanian people, and putting China’s government on notice for turning Africans, mostly students studying abroad into the streets of China. The students stated these were false evictions imposed during the pandemic. He was also lauded for the cancellation of a 10 Billion dollar loan established by the previous Tanzanian President with China. A default on that loan would have allowed China to own one of their valuable ports. Further, Dr. Magufuli was quoted as saying “only a drunkard would accept these terms.” He called for a renegotiation of the original contract to be significantly lowered to a 33-year lease, if for some reason Tanzania was to default on the loan. The Chinese turned it down, and the loan was canceled. He was hailed a hero for squashing a bad business deal. Dr. Magufuli is succeeded as President by Tanzania’s Vice president, Samia Suluhu.

In a controversial move, during a public presentation, Dr. Magufuli blamed fake positive tests for the spike of CoVid 19 in Tanzania. To prove his theory on faulty CoVid kits and testing, he had samples of papaya, motor oil, sheep and goat submitted for the CoVid 19 virus testing, and they came back positive.

As some predicted, several media outlets were raring to go with false rumors that Magufuli had contracted CoVid 19 himself, it was proven false and later confirmed that he had an existing heart condition for almost ten years that he had succumbed to.

Dr. Magufuli was the fifth President of Tanzania from 2015 until his passing on March 17, 2021. He ran for office as a candidate of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Tanzania’s leading party. Prior to becoming president, he served as the Deputy Minister of Works in the Cabinet of Tanzania’s Parliament. He held a Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Dar es Salaam and an honorary doctorate from the University of Dodoma for improving the country’s economy.

Dr. Magufuli was acknowledged for his firm stance on ending government corruption and spending while investing in Tanzania’s businesses.

President Dr. Magufuli died on March 17, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Janet Magufuli and their children.

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