John Magufuli

This is time to build our faith and continue praying to God and not depending on face masks. Don’t stop going to churches and mosques for prayers. I’m sure this is just a change of wind and it will go like others have gone.

2 thoughts on “John Magufuli

  1. shinichi Post author

    God, not masks: Magufuli’s Tanzania is an outlier on virus response

    AFP

    https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/africa/god-not-masks-magufulis-tanzania-is-an-outlier-on-virus-response/ar-BB12UKaW

    Tanzanian President John Magufuli has called on citizens to turn to God and to keep the economy turning, but as coronavirus cases creep up, calls are rising for the country to take stronger action.

    While countries across Africa have imposed curfews, partial and full lockdowns, Tanzania has resisted such measures. Schools and universities have been shut but markets, bus stops and shops bustle as usual.

    Magufuli, who called for three days of prayer from last Friday to fight the virus, is one of a handful of world leaders still brushing off the seriousness of the disease.

    “This is time to build our faith and continue praying to God and not depending on facemasks. Don’t stop going to churches and mosques for prayers. I’m sure this is just a change of wind and it will go like others have gone,” Magufuli said at a church in Dodoma last month.

    He reiterated his message on Good Friday, last week, saying God would protect Tanzanians from the virus.

    Tanzania recorded its first case of coronavirus on March 16 — and in the past week numbers have leapt from 32 to 147, with five deaths.

    African countries have lagged behind the global curve, and many took fast and strict measures to curb movement, however cases are rising across the continent.

    “I am not happy about the lack of seriousness by the government, lack of transparency on the data of cases and deaths, and state of denial the president has on the pandemic,” an opposition MP, Zitto Kabwe, who is also the leader of the ACT Wazalendo party, told AFP.

    ‘Continue producing’

    Kabwe has proposed a partial lockdown of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and the capital Dodoma, and also a total lockdown of the tourist hotspot and semi-autonomous island, Zanzibar.

    However, Magufuli has encouraged Tanzanians to continue working as usual, while encouraging them to avoid “unnecessary gatherings”.

    “Let us continue working hard to build our nation. Coronavirus is not and should not be a reason for us not working. Farmers should utilise the ongoing rains effectively, industrial owners should continue producing and I don’t expect any development project to stop,” he said.

    “Coronavirus should not be a reason to destroy our economy at all.”

    The country’s economy has already been hard hit as tourists who flock to see its wildlife and beaches, have stopped coming. Tourism is the country’s top foreign-exchange earner.

    On the streets of the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, citizens say they fear the virus and are doing what they can to avoid it while continuing to make ends meet.

    “What I normally do is to ensure my passenger washes their hands before getting on the motorcycle. The challenge is that I have only one helmet for passengers, who share it,” said Hemedi Masoud, a motorcycle taxi operator.

    He and other so-called “boda-boda” drivers park their bikes in a crowded area thronged by petty traders and pedestrians.

    “I really fear coronavirus disease and it is risky here but there is no way I can avoid coming. My family needs something to eat and this is where I earn my daily bread,” said Masoud.

    The government has banned buses from taking more passengers than the number of seats they contain, but this has only created bigger crowds during rush hour.

    Like many poor people across the continent — even in countries which are trying to impose lockdowns — staying at home would be a grim option for many Tanzanians.

    “I don’t pray for lockdown in Tanzania because we may escape coronavirus and die from hunger at home. Life has to go on and God will protect us,” said Anna John, a food vendor in the city.

    Miriam John, who sells shoes, said some of her customers did not want to wash their hands but she has “no option because I need their money.”

    But opposition leaders say the country needs to take more action to avoid potential disaster.

    “No lockdown because he (Magufuli) wants to save the economy and his flagship infrastructure projects. The lives of our people cannot be repaired but the economy can! Lockdown or get locked out!” the chairman of the opposition party Chadema, Freeman Mbowe, posted on Twitter on Saturday.

    Some experts have questioned the approach of lockdowns in Africa, where millions of urban poor live hand to mouth, but instead call for solutions such as mass testing or government support to the vulnerable.

    Neighbouring Burundi has also allowed life to proceed as normal. Both countries have presidential elections this year, Burundi in May and Tanzania in October.

    Reply
  2. shinichi Post author

    神に祈れ、仕事を続けろ!異端のコロナ対応みせるタンザニア大統領

    AFP

    https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3279494

    【4月26日 AFP】タンザニアのジョン・マグフリ(John Magufuli)大統領は、新型コロナウイルスの流行を受けて市民らに対し、神に救いを求め、経済を回し続けるよう求めている。だが、感染者数が増加する中、より強力な対策を講じるよう求める声が強まっている。

     他のアフリカ諸国では外出禁止令や、部分的および全面的な封鎖措置(ロックダウン)が敷かれている一方、タンザニアはそうした措置の導入に否定的で、学校や大学は閉鎖されているが、市場やバス停、商店などでは普段通りの人出がある。

     新型ウイルスと闘うため17日から3日間祈りをささげるよう求めたマグフリ大統領は、この伝染病の深刻さをいまだに無視する数少ない世界の首脳のうちの一人だ。

     同大統領は先月、首都ドドマの教会で「今はわれわれの信仰を構築し、神に祈り続け、マスクに頼らないようにするときだ。教会やモスクの礼拝に行くのをやめてはならない。風向きがちょっと変わっただけで、これまでそうだったように収束すると確信している」と発言した。

     さらに10日の聖金曜日(Good Friday)でも、神はタンザニア人を新型ウイルスから守るだろうと述べ、こうした主張を繰り返した。

     国会議員で野党「Alliance for Change and Transparency」の党首を務めるジット・カブウェ(Zitto Kabwe)党首はAFPの取材に対し「政府が真剣さを欠いていること、感染者数と死者数についてのデータに透明性がないこと、そして大統領がパンデミック(世界的な大流行)を否定的であることに不満を感じている」と話した。

     カブウェ氏は、ダルエスサラーム(Dar es Salaam)とアルーシャ(アルーシャ)、ムワンザ(Mwanza)、首都ドドマの部分的な封鎖措置と、人気の観光地で半自治地地域のザンジバル(Zanzibar)島の全面封鎖を提言している。

     だがマグフリ大統領は、市民らに「不必要な集まり」を避けるよう勧告する一方、通常通り働き続けることを推奨。

    「国づくりを懸命に続けていこう。新型コロナウイルスは働かない理由にはならないし、すべきではない。農家は降り続いている雨を有効活用すべきで、経営者らは製造を続けるべきだ。またいかなる開発計画の中断も想定していない」と呼びかけ、「新型コロナウイルスをわれわれの経済を破壊する理由にするべきではない」と主張した。

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *