President John Magufuli is considering restarting the Tanzania Premier League despite Covid-19 concerns. PHOTO | FILE
Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian President John
Magufuli said on Sunday May 3 that he is considering
restarting Tanzania Premier League matches after a six-week break that was occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic
restarting Tanzania Premier League matches after a six-week break that was occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic
Speaking during a ceremony to
swear-in the newly-appointed Justice and Constitutional Affairs
Minister, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, Mr Magufuli said he was only awaiting
counsel from his advisors on the way forward.
“I
propose that we must restart our league matches, but people must watch
it on television. I am only waiting for experts to advise me accordingly
so that the league can proceed,” he said in a speech that was broadcast
live from his Chato home in Geita.
Tanzania registered
its first Covid-19 cases on March 16. Since then, the number has
ballooned to 480. Out of these, 167 have recovered and been allowed to
rejoin their families back home while 16 have died.
On March 16, the country announced closure of all schools from Kindergarten to Form 6 for 30 days.
On
March 17, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa issued a statement extending a
30-day ban on public gatherings to include schools, football leagues,
sports, music events, political meetings and community events.
QUESTIONS COVID-19 TALLY
But
while expressing his reservations on the precision of Covid-19 test
findings in the country, Dr Magufuli said there was no proof to back
assumptions that those doing exercises could be easily hit by the virus.
“It’s
my assumption that we may live with Covid-19 just like the way we have
lived with HIV/Aids and other diseases. I do not have evidence that some
those doing exercises could be easily hit by the pandemic,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Nchemba is rejoining Magufuli’s administration after being out of it for a year and ten months.
He
was fired from the Home Affairs docket in July 2018 in what the
President said was his dissatisfaction with the performance of the top
leadership in the Ministry.
Without directly naming Dr
Nchemba, the president blamed the Ministry's leadership for inaction on
reported corruption, embezzlement of public funds, frequent fatal road
accidents and general malaise affecting the sensitive cabinet docket.
“Many
of these things have remained unresolved…yet the person in charge is
busy elsewhere,” said Dr Magufuli in July 2018 during the swearing in of
new members of cabinet after a reshuffle.
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