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Tanzania's President John Magufuli who urged citizens 'to pray coronavirus away' has died
Tanzania's President John Magufuli, 61, has died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the country's vice president announced in a televised address on Wednesday. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation about his health.
amp.cnn.com
Tanzania's President John Magufuli has died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the country's vice president announced in a televised address on Wednesday. He was 61.
"President John Magufuli died of a heart ailment that he has battled for over 10 years," Samia Suluhu Hassan said.
She added that the president had been receiving treatment at Mzena hospital since Sunday, and announced 14 days of national mourning.
After days of speculation that Magufuli was ill with Covid-19, the country's Prime Minister dispelled the rumors last week. Magufuli, who usually made weekly public appearances at Sunday church services, had not been seen since February 27, fueling reports that he was ill and was being treated abroad.
Kassim Majaliwa said he was surprised people were questioning the president's whereabouts, adding that the leader was "fine and continuing with his daily activities," as he spoke during a Friday prayer session at a mosque in the country's Njombe region, according to state broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
Covid denials
Magufuli was one of Africa's most prominent Covid skeptics.
Early on in the pandemic, Magufuli dismissed the seriousness of coronavirus in Tanzania, urging his citizens to "pray coronavirus away," believing the "satanic virus can't live in the body of Jesus Christ," and blaming the growing number of positive cases on faulty test kits.
In June, he claimed his country had eradicated coronavirus "by the grace of God," questioned the safety of foreign Covid-19 vaccines and made no plan to procure any shots for his country, instead pushing for the use of herbal medicine and steam treatments.
Tanzania hasn't reported Covid-19 figures since April 2020, prompting the World Health Organization to call for Tanzania to publish data on the coronavirus and ramp up public health measures.
Last month, the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam warned that Covid-19 cases had been surging since January.
'The Bulldozer'
Known as "The Bulldozer" for his tough stance against corruption and for his hardline policies, Magufuli swept to victory in October 2015 as Tanzania's fifth president.
But excitement over Magufuli's intolerance for corruption was shortlived as he began a clampdown on democracy and critical voices.
