Magufuli’s pan-Africanism spirit lives on

New Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (R) mourns in front of the coffin of the fifth Tanzanian president John Magufuli during the national funeral at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on March 20, 2021.

Summary

• The death of Tanzania’s president John Magufuli has inspired leaders,  especially from Africa to eulogise him as a hero.

By Guest Writer

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The Continent was shocked on getting the news of the death of Tanzanian president John Pombe Magufuli. Even when talk about his sickness had been circulating, still it was difficult for some of us to

believe that Magufuli would die. However, we leave all that to God. 

When Magufuli became president, he quickly became popular because of the decisions he was making. I remember a hashtag, #what would Magufuli do?” His decisions mostly favoured the poor in his country, and am sure Tanzanians will miss him dearly. Sometimes people who are elevated to such high positions forget the poor and vulnerable people. 

President Magufuli brought to life one of the principles of NRM, which is pan-Africanism that worked well in Tanzania. When there was Covid-19 outbreak,  we all witnessed how Magufuli passionately faced off with  imperialists.  

We could be having one reason or two for criticising him, but I think he was doing what he thought was right for him and his country, and we should praise him for that. I am happy to learn that some Africans know and believe that the problems of Africa can be solved by Africans themselves and not foreigners. I am sure that is what Magufui believed in too.

However,  there are some Africans who still think that foreigners are best suited to solve Africa’s problems, which is not true.

Sam Orikunda,
samorikunda@gmail.com

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The death of Tanzania’s president John Magufuli has inspired leaders,  especially from Africa to eulogise him as a hero. He  fought for economic prosperity and freedom of faith in Tanzania from foreign exploitation and internal socialism. Sections of international media labelled Magufuli as a villain for, among other things, rejecting the global narrative on matters relating to Covid-19 and associated lockdowns, curfews, wearing of masks and vaccination. 
Magufuli’s legacy is seen as a hero of science. As a distinguished scientist, he took a position that silenced many people, when he denied that there  was Covid-19 in Tanzania.. He said Covid tests turned out positive when fruits and goats tested while the results when  people were tested. 
President Magufuli renegotiated loan agreements with the Chinese and Western lenders to ensure fairness and economic viability for his country. He criticised  international lenders for overpricing their loans and asking for valuable concessions of sovereign wealth for it, which they could not apply in their own countries. Moreover, Africa had proved to offer more profitable returns on foreign loans were compared to gains if it had been invested in their countries of origin. 
President Magufuli shocked the world, when after supporting local scientists be heard on the global scene, did not limit the fight against virus to science, but publicly engaged the population to apply their individual faith to resist the fear and intimidation, which came with Covi-19 global propaganda. Although President Magufuli focused on the people of Tanzania and paid little attention to the unification of Africa, his contributions in the country will always be remembered. 

Evelyn BarMbonye,
evelynbarmbonye@gmail.com