Death and state funeral of John Magufuli
Date17–26 March 2021
Venue

John Magufuli, the 5th President of Tanzania, died on 17 March 2021 following a prolonged illness. He was the first and only Tanzanian president to die in office.

Prior to his death, rumours speculated that he had contracted COVID-19 following months of denial during the ongoing pandemic.

Background

Magufuli was first elected president in the 2015 general election. He was re-elected in 2020, amid accusations of electoral fraud from the opposition.[1][2]

COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania

This section is an excerpt from John Magufuli § COVID-19.[edit]

Magufuli promoted COVID-19 misinformation and misinformation related to vaccination during the pandemic in Tanzania.[3][4] Magufuli spoke against the possibility of closing churches, stating: "That's where there is true healing. Corona is the devil and it cannot survive in the body of Jesus," reported The Economist in March 2020.[5]

By May 2020, Magufuli and Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda announced that the disease had been defeated by national prayer, and called for a public celebration.[6] "The corona disease has been eliminated thanks to God", Magufuli told the church congregation in Dodoma, the country's capital. The World Health Organization (WHO) has questioned the government's approach to COVID-19.[7]

Magufuli said in a January 2021 speech: "Vaccinations are dangerous. If white people were able to come up with vaccinations, a vaccination for AIDS would have been found."[8] Instead, Magufuli urged steam inhalation and herbal medicine, neither of which is approved by the WHO for the treatment of COVID-19.[9] However, Magufuli partially changed his position in the next month. After months of discouraging their use, he publicly asked Tanzanians to put on face masks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. At the same time, he conditioned that only Tanzanian-made masks should be used.[10][11][12]

Health rumours and death

Magufuli had not been seen in public since 27 February 2021 and rumours swirled online that he was sick and possibly incapacitated from illness.[13] A Kenyan newspaper reported on 10 March 2021 that "an African leader" was being treated for COVID-19 at a hospital in Nairobi, leading to speculation that it could be President Magufuli.[14] Opposition politician Tundu Lissu, citing unnamed sources but without providing evidence, said it was Magufuli who was hospitalised, having contracted COVID-19.[15][14] He further claimed that there were plans to move Magufuli to India.[14] Lissu later claimed that Magufuli had died by 10 March.[16]

By 15 March, four people were arrested by police on suspicion of spreading rumours on Magufuli's health via social media.[17]

On the night of 17 March 2021, vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan announced Magufuli had died at 6 p.m. EAT (15:00 UTC) at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Dar es Salaam, where he was receiving treatment.[13][18][19] She did not specify Magufuli's underlying illness but said that he had suffered from chronic atrial fibrillation for more than a decade. She announced 14 days of national mourning and said that flags would fly at half-staff nationwide.[20] Despite Suluhu's focus on Magufuli's heart problems, speculation continued that he had died from COVID-19.[21][22]

Aftermath

Succession

Suluhu was sworn in as the 6th President of Tanzania on 19 March 2021, becoming its first female president.[23] Within four months of taking office, she formed a COVID-19 advisory committee and took steps to initiate a vaccination campaign in the country.[24][25] She is expected to serve out the remainder of Magufuli's five-year term.[26]

Lying-in-state

Magufuli's body lay in state at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on 20 March 2021.[27] The next day, mourners hoping to view his body crowded into the stadium, many climbing a wall, which collapsed, resulting in a human stampede that left at least forty-five people dead.[28][29]

State funeral and burial

Magufuli's state funeral took place on 22 March 2021, at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.[30][31] It was attended by presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Azali Assoumani of the Comoros and Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who delivered eulogies at the funeral.[32][30][33][31] Rwandan prime minister Édouard Ngirente also attended, on behalf of president Paul Kagame.[34] Many Tanzanian attendees and politicians did not wear face masks at the service.[35]

Magufuli was buried in his hometown of Chato on 26 March 2021.[36]

Reactions

Domestic

A secretary of Magufuli's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, Humphrey Polepole, paid homage to him in a tweet, saying that he "fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith". The leader of the Alliance for Change and Transparency party, Zitto Kabwe, described his death as a situation "that will move us all in very personal ways", and offered his "deepest condolences to Janet Magufuli and the whole family of John Pombe Magufuli". Former prime minister Frederick Sumaye also paid tribute.[37][38][39]

Meanwhile, activist Fatma Karume criticised Magufuli's legacy on Twitter, writing that she was "grateful and proud that I kept my HUMANITY even when evil was the order of the day."[37]

International

Foreign leaders and luminaries expressed their condolences, including Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde and prime minister Abiy Ahmed,[40][41] Burundian president Évariste Ndayishimiye,[41] former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan,[38] Queen Elizabeth II,[42] UK prime minister Boris Johnson,[43][44] Chinese president Xi Jinping and King Mohammed VI of Morocco,[45][46] as did Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine and Venezuelan minister of foreign affairs Jorge Arreaza.[47][48][43]

A statement from the United States Department of State said that the U.S. "remains committed to continuing to support Tanzanians as they advocate for respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that Tanzania can move forward on a democratic and prosperous path".[49] The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, hailed Magufuli as "a champion of regional cooperation in the East African region and a committed Pan Africanist leader".[41]

Outside of Tanzania, the following countries declared a period of national mourning in response to his death:[50]

Country Duration
Uganda 14 days
Rwanda 9 days
Kenya 7 days
Burundi
Mozambique 5 days
Democratic Republic of the Congo 3 days
South Sudan
Cuba 1 day
Zambia

References

  1. ↑ "Tanzania's Magufuli Wins Landslide Re-election". Voice of America. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Magufuli wins re-election in Tanzania; opposition cries foul". Al Jazeera. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Carlitz, Ruth; Yamanis, Thespina; Mollel, Henry (2021). "Coping with Denialism: How Street-Level Bureaucrats Adapted and Responded to COVID-19 in Tanzania". Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 46 (6): 989–1017. doi:10.1215/03616878-9349128. PMID 34075413.
  4. ↑ Makoni, Munyaradzi (13 February 2021). "Tanzania refuses COVID-19 vaccines". The Lancet. 397 (10274): 566. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00362-7. PMC 7906632. PMID 33581810.
  5. ↑ "Coronavirus in Africa - Not immune". The Economist. Vol. 9187. 28 March 2020. p. 42.
  6. ↑ "Tanzania Says COVID-19 Defeated With Prayer Despite Fears". Time. 22 May 2020. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. flood the streets this weekend to celebrate. 'Make all kinds of noise as a sign of thanksgiving to show our God has won against disease and worries of death that were making us suffer.'
  7. ↑ "Coronavirus: John Magufuli declares Tanzania free of Covid-19". BBC News. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Awami, Sammy. "Tanzania president raises doubts over COVID vaccines". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Coronavirus in Tanzania: The country that's rejecting the vaccine". BBC News. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Magufuli urges Tanzanians to wear face mask as COVID-19 bites hard: "Sijasema msivae barakoa"". www.msn.com. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "WHO Urges Tanzania to Report COVID-19 Cases Amid Concerns Over Its Pandemic Response". Global Citizen. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "Tanzania's president admits country has COVID-19 problem". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  13. 1 2 Burke, Jason (18 March 2021). "Tanzania's Covid-denying president, John Magufuli, dies aged 61". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 Lewis, David; Miriri, Duncan (10 March 2021). "Where's Magufuli? Tanzanian leader's absence fuels health concern". Reuters. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "John Magufuli: Questions raised over missing Tanzania leader". BBC News. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Tanzanian President John Magufuli dies at 61". Al Jazeera. 17 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "John Magufuli: Tanzania arrests over missing president rumours". BBC News. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Odula, Tom; Muhumuza, Rodney (17 March 2021). "Tanzania's populist President John Magufuli has died at 61". AP News. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "Tanzania President Magufuli dies of 'heart condition'". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  20. ↑ Dahir, Abdi Latif (17 March 2021). "John Magufuli, Tanzania Leader Who Played Down Covid, Dies at 61". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  21. ↑ Busari, Stephanie; Princewill, Nimi (20 March 2021). "Did Tanzania's Covid-denying leader die of the coronavirus? It's one of many questions he leaves behind". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021.
  22. ↑ Awami, Sammy (29 March 2021). "The complex legacy of Tanzania's John Magufuli". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "Samia Suluhu Hassan sworn in as Tanzania's first female president". France 24. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Samia Suluhu Hassan - Tanzania's new president challenges Covid denial". BBC News. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan gets Covid jab in policy reverse". BBC News. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  26. ↑ "Samia Hassan: Tanzania's new president who rose through the ranks". Al Jazeera. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Mourners line Tanzania streets at ex-President Magufuli funeral". BBC News. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "45 died in stampede to see ex-president's body in Tanzania". Shropshire Star. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021.
  29. ↑ "Stampede killed 45 at mourning for dead Tanzanian president -police". Reuters. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021.
  30. 1 2 "Tanzania president burial: John Magufuli State funeral happen today - See pictures of how e go". BBC News (in Nigerian Pidgin). 22 March 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  31. 1 2 "In Pictures: African leaders pay tribute to Tanzania's Magufuli". Al Jazeera. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "VIDEO: Uhuru Kenyatta delivers powerful speech at Magufuli's funeral". The Citizen. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  33. ↑ "Qu'ont dit les dirigeants africains lors des funérailles de l'ex-président tanzanien John Magufuli ?". BBC News (in French). 22 March 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  34. ↑ Nkurunziza, Michel (22 March 2021). "PM Ngirente eulogizes Magufuli in Dodoma". The New Times. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  35. ↑ "John Magufuli: Children die in stampede as Tanzania mourns leader". BBC News. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  36. ↑ "Tanzania president burial: John Pombe Magafuli burial fotos of how Tanzania bury dia former president for im hometown of Chato". BBC News (in Nigerian Pidgin). 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021.
  37. 1 2 Awami, Sammy (18 March 2021). "Death of Tanzania President John Magufuli draws mixed reactions". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  38. 1 2 "How world leaders, Africans react to President Magufuli death at age 61". BBC News (in Nigerian Pidgin). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  39. ↑ "Tributes pour in for Tanzania's President Magufuli". Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  40. ↑ "Sahlework Lauds Late Tanzanian President for His Efforts in Fighting Corruption". ENA English. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  41. 1 2 3 Tessema, Seleshi (18 March 2021). "Africa mourns Tanzanian president's demise". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  42. ↑ "A message of condolence from Her Majesty The Queen to the people of Tanzania". The Royal Family. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024. Prince Philip and I were saddened to learn of the death of President John Magufuli. I wish to convey my condolences to his loved ones and my deepest sympathy to the people of Tanzania.
  43. 1 2 Asala, Kizzi (18 March 2021). ""Deep shock": Tanzanians react to death of President John Magufuli". Africanews. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  44. ↑ "How world leaders, Africans react to President Magufuli death at age 61". BBC News (in Nigerian Pidgin). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  45. ↑ "Xi sends condolences over passing of Tanzanian President John Magufuli". Xinhua News Agency. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  46. ↑ "HM the King Offers Condolences to President of Tanzania over Death of President John Pombe Magufuli". Maroc.ma. Maghreb Arabe Presse. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  47. ↑ Muli, Davis (26 March 2021). "Bobi Wine pays tribute to Magufuli at the Tanzanian High Commission in Kampala". The Standard. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  48. ↑ "Venezuela expresa condolencias por muerte del presidente de Tanzania". Prensa Latina (in Spanish). 17 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  49. ↑ "Mixed Emotions Over Death of Controversial Tanzanian Leader". Voice of America. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  50. ↑
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