COVID-19: Tanzania sinks into confusion as President missing for 3 weeks

  Where is Tanzania’s President John Magufuli? Tuesday marks 17 days since the 61-year-old has been seen in public, and despite a clamour of rumours of ill-health, the Tanzanian authorities have yet to provide clear answers as to his whereabouts. The mere question is now leading to arrests, as the government seeks to contain the rumours. And analysts say the silence is telling. ‘I think whatever happens … it is clearly true the regime is trying to buy time,’ said Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy at the University of Birmingham.…

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Tanzania has Covid-19 problem, President admits in major u-turn

  After claiming for months that COVID-19 had been defeated by prayer, President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, has finally admitted that his country has a coronavirus problem. Populist President Magufuli on Sunday urged citizens of the East African country to take precautions and even wear face masks — but only locally made ones. Over the course of the pandemic he has expressed wariness about foreign-made goods, including Covid-19 vaccines. The president’s comments came days after the country of some 60 million people mourned the death of one of its highest-profile…

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