Tanzania’s gamble: Anatomy of a totally novel coronavirus response
In contrast to most leaders, Magufuli’s main strategies are to limit information, treat fear as the main threat, and keep the economy running.
Is President Magufuli’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in Tanzania putting millions of lives at risk? Credit: Rob Beechey / World Bank.
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Chapter One of Tanzania’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic came to an end in late April. The second half of that month had seen the number of confirmed cases rise to 480, up sharply from the 32 in mid-month. As I wrote at the time, the chance for early containment looked like it had already passed us by.
President John Magufuli had opted not to listen to the global scientific advice. Instead, he had put his trust – and the lives of millions – in the hands of God. And in some odd (and potentially dangerous) “scientific” thinking of his own. And in the belief, shared by some experts, that locking down cities such as Dar es Salaam might do more harm than good.
That was Chapter One. Chapter Two is now being written. And it is being written in the dark.
Are cases really much higher or…lower?
We no longer have any reliable estimates of the number of cases or deaths from COVID-19. According to the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Tanzania has conducted just 652 tests (as of 7 May). This compares to over 26,000 tests conducted in Kenya and nearly 45,000 in Uganda. Tanzania’s number is so low it almost defies belief. Have more tests been done but the results not released? Or is this the true figure, in which case is it the result of staggering incompetence or shocking indifference to the potential suffering of millions?
For some years now, statistics and the media have been a highly charged political battleground in Tanzania. Controlling the narrative means silencing facts that contradict the official line. Someone suggests economic growth may not be as strong as the government claims? Charge them with sedition. Someone publishes data showing political leaders are not as popular as they once were? Strip them of their passport.
The COVID-19 numbers are no different. The government is giving updates only every week or so, and sometimes the new data doesn’t even include basic figures such as the number of new cases and deaths. In such a vacuum, widespread reports of night-time burials and people dying with coronavirus-like symptoms take on more than anecdotal credibility. Many understandably question whether the true number of cases and deaths is substantially higher than the official figures.
On the other hand, even President Magufuli seems to distrust the official numbers – though in the opposite direction. In a speech on 3 May, he accused unnamed imperialist foreign powers of sabotaging the national response by providing ineffective testing kits or buying off laboratory employees. He said he had sent “samples” from a pawpaw and goat for testing, with some producing positive results. Heads rolled at the national health laboratory.
In the same speech, the president also suggested international media organisations – the BBC was not named, but the implication was clear – have been deliberately spreading scare stories to undermine Tanzania while ignoring the extent of the outbreak in their home countries. He called this “another form of warfare”. (Incidentally, he had previously wondered aloud whether masks and disinfectant sprays might have been deliberately contaminated with the coronavirus.)
In short, nobody believes the official figures and nobody know how many cases we have. That ship has sailed. Local community transmission has been going on for weeks. We have no meaningful lockdown. And the process of testing, contact tracing and isolation can no longer cope. The true numbers could be anywhere between one thousand and one hundred thousand. Even within the Ministry of Health, in quiet corridors well away from both political bosses and media scrutiny, nobody really knows.
Four pillars of Magufuli’s approach
What else can we say about Chapter Two?
Well, the president has continued to infuse the national response with his own personal style. His pronouncements are watched keenly by the nation and followed closely by public servants. And those statements appear to be informed more by his own personal worldview than any input from scientists.
If the first strand of Magufuli’s approach is a tight control of information, the second is an emphasis on religious faith. Having previously argued the virus could not survive in the body of Jesus, the president again called for religious services to continue on 3 May. He concluded: “My fellow Tanzanians, stand firm. We have already won this war. God cannot abandon us, and our God loves us always.”
The third element of the president’s approach is to put a premium on the avoidance of fear. “Fear is a very bad thing,” he said. “There might well already be people in this situation who have been killed by fear. Let us put an end to fear. Let us defeat fear.” This is the logic that saw him criticise international media and young people online for scaremongering.
There is some truth in this perspective. Fear and stress bring genuine dangers. But the argument has limits. The point at which fear-avoidance means the government reports only on recoveries but not new cases or deaths, insists religious services should continue despite the risks of transmission, and asserts that God will protect us, it starts to look more like denial. And with potentially devastating consequences.
The fourth strand of Magufuli’s approach is a determination to keep the country and its economy going. Schools and universities have closed, sporting events remain suspended, and people are being encouraged to main distance from others and wear masks when out in public. But the president has strongly resisted calls to introduce any tighter lockdown measures. Instead, he has emphasised the importance of working hard, keeping the economy going strong, and maintaining a healthy supply of food and other goods.
This all adds up to something very different to the responses seen in other countries. Every context is different, of course, and the president has rightly warned against a copy-and-paste approach. But is Tanzania really so different? It is facing the same virus that has caused havoc and heartache elsewhere, and epidemiologists’ advice to Tanzania must surely be similar to that being offered in Kenya, Uganda and elsewhere.
Turning bullets into water
Only time will tell whether Magufuli’s gamble pays off. But we should be in no doubt that it is a huge gamble. The stakes are the lives and livelihoods of millions of Tanzanians. Two lessons from history illustrate this particularly keenly.
The first is the 1918 Spanish Flu. This pandemic hit Tanganyika hard and came hot on the heels of the First World War, which itself had had a devastating impact. There are no exact figures – sound familiar? – but it is estimated that half the country of 4.2 million people was infected and over 5% (over 200,000 people) died. At the same time in Zanzibar, authorities introduced stringent quarantine measures that limited the impact considerably.
The second may be even more relevant. In 1905, Kinjeketile Ngwale (also known as Bokero) persuaded his followers in southern parts of the country that a certain “medicine” – a mix of water, castor oil and millet seeds – would turn German bullets into water. Maybe he truly believed this. Maybe it was an attempt to inspire confidence and overcome fear. Either way, the gamble failed. The Maji-Maji Rebellion against German rule was a disaster. Once again, nobody knows the true death toll, but it is likely that tens thousands of soldiers were killed and as many as 250,000 civilians died of hunger. Kinjeketile was arrested and hanged in 1905, but the fighting continued. Later that year, Ngoni soldiers retreating from battle are reported to have thrown away their war medicine as they cried out “the maji is a lie!”
Suggestions that Tanzania has found a new Kinjeketile spread online this week.
Ben Taylor,
I think you should first disclose that you are a white British citizen living in Tanzania. So I don’t know on what ground you are writing an African argument.
I thought African arguments are written by actual Africans.
Secondly, where has a lockdown worked?
Has it worked in your home country of UK? How about you discuss that?
Magufuli has a PhD in Chemistry. He’s a scientist, not a “scientist”
im no fan of magufuli I dont know why is tanzania is at fault for not locking down when there are other nations with the same option. This should be briught forth with why magufuli opted for the option and not only the pray reason as you quickly make it the headline which is a bias and unfair as to how he ended to that conlusion. The Covidorganics which you call kinjeketile majimaji is not of magufuli making but a frantics earch for anything that has shown to reduce deaths when everything else known by intelectuals and science has failed to treat covid. I would say that as correct for Rajoelina amd the countires that have gone straight for it and not Tanzania which showed interest to try it and find out. In my opinion This is no difference from the amodiaquin proposed by russia, tea proposed by indian doctors and chloroquine and other antiseptic that got trump and americans at each others throats and even costung lives. unless you are specifically targeting magufuli, let there be proper reporting and not telling pieces the pose an idiotic picture of caracature when it is you who is adding irrelevance of kinjeketile witchcraft or pschological wars and misrepresenting the context.
i insist im not in defense of magufuli but having been following the issue as it unfolds I thought i should point that out.
This is a nasty reporting.ill intendrd for tz
The writer is absolutely short sighted
Ben , I know Spanish Influenza killed 208,000 people in UK in 1918. Now Corona has killed around 30,000 people the second after USA.Can you tell us about how ineffective your way of dealing with viruses are?
The write is pushing for his agenda. of course wr no BBC is not for interest of Tanzanians he should focus on what is hapening in the UK. Thete are countries which have taken the same path e.g. Sweden.
History is the best teacher. The truth will come out one day.
Do not condemn Magufuli,come out with helping ideas.
This sensational, selfserving, biggoted misrepresentation of a contextually based, carefully thought out response by JPM is, to say the least, not worth a piece of digital space on which it is written on.
The issue here is that the whole world is battling the pandemic of apocalyptic proportions in the best way it knows how and can afford. As each country marshals its physical, intellectual and spiritual resources to save its people from this existential threat we in TZ can not allow ill-willed journalist in name only of your calibre to baselessly attack our President simply because his approach is slightly divergent to your normal.
Honestly i do not understand why twaweza’s officials (in this case consultant) hate Magufuli…. i realy hope someday you will go back to doing non political researches
You can tell the Author of the Article is illl wished against Tanzania and president Maguful. He wants Tanzania to be bullied and follow what western countries are doing. He is the one those people who wishe Tanzanians wand African should die like rats on the streets but this is not happening at all. How can just a consultant of Twaweza based in Kenya tell the true colour of Tanzania and its people! We no longer need imperists ideaslile you Ken, leave Tanzania alone and our President Magufuli.
May be we should have democracy in journalism. We should vote for people before they write and publish things as if they speak for us. With these kind of articles, this writer would have to find something else to do. For as long as journalism is not democratic, we will have to learn to live with these useful idiots.
May be Ben Taylor wish Kinjekitile had not mobilezed the uprising, so that your grandparents might have stayed here a little longer. Or may be you have ideas on how else he would have organized the uprising? Ohh no, may be you think he had no right to do it, and our destiny is to be colonized by your kind? Foolish kabisa!!
In a few paragraph you have managed to rewrite a whole history of a people.
You conveniently omit facts such us the hunger and death was caused by a deliberate scorched earth policy by the Germany. You seem to feel that we were supposed to just accept to be colonized by your people, and how dare we revolted. To us Majimaji was a hugely successful rebelion, your attempt to portray it otherwise shows where your allegiance is. And it is not Africa. So please stop speaking for us. We did not elect you.
We need to trace your legality here in Tanzania
The writer is just a hater. Whites thought they will dictate to us. They have a found an obstacle Magufuli, now they are searching for an escape door. Fools.
If your writing a literary work , your a good writter
The writers has used a lot of information from tweeter were opposition people use it. There are many steps President Magufuli had taken with him and his government to combat Covid 19 But you have never mentioned them.
You white people have locked your people but you ve not stopped deaths caused by Covid 19.
Uganda has lockdown but people are dying of hunger. Nigeria had Lockdown but people are dying of police brutality.
Thus, do u need our president to get into that trap?
No.
Go and advice you country to follow what you desire leaders to do.
God is with us. Technology is with you.
Your prediction on death toll failed so no you are demanding data in order to justify your false prediction.
Ben Taylor, this pannick article pressupposes your confusion out of seeing how JPM’s cynicle ploys are winning over this pandemic and of course, you and your fellow critics are melting within by realizing all your endeavors ended up revealing true self of yours as a low life and lowest of the low below any civilized standards by quickly judging the JPM unknowingly this is where his strategies were coming to yield. Please, show some respect to our President and stop calling him by names as we rightful did to your Queen and other Superiors despite of witnessing a number of flows from them during this pandemic. It is a painful prejudice that you have maliciously been distorting JPM’s guidelines over this pandemic to feed your egos. That ,”we should pray”, was one of many protocols JPM have been issuing to us, but you have singled out that one and vainly orchestrating it with your grand schemes unkowingly you are not a marquee over there. For your information, the JPM is the only person we Tanzanians are trusting and alyways directed over the issue. What you are calling science, we regard them a western paradigms and if you were upright you would easily find dozens of reasons why we Tanzanians do not want them and so do affirmed by our upright JPM. Proof?, JPM barred no body from self isolation but go wander in the streets of DSM and worship places and see how people are carrying on with their functionalities. Your article if full of hatred, bitterness and dispair, in fact there is nothing new in the way you described the JPM…..those names have been there for years and we have been better by disregarding you people who fails to see your own problems in your countries. Mind you, the JPM is 100000 more smarter, manipulator and strategist than most of you, admit it and show some respect. Look here, you are defeated by just a a use of a single strategy, that of ” Enduring Success”.
This is just western Propaganda…..we trust and believe in our President the author should just go to hell
The happiness of the writer is to see many death in Tanzania like Majimaji war! Many people in Tanzania know the danger of Covid 19, the issue is, if lockdown happens eg 21 days many death can happen more than Covid 19. No food! I don’t support the President 100 percent but i also failed to agree in everything done in UK, USA etc should be done by all….
Re do your research
The problem with the white people is that they have superiority complex and they think that everything right must be done by them. For your kind information,the writer and your stupid followers, your country is the “European covid-19 hub at the moment”.DO NOT THINK TANZANIANS ARE STUPID.WE SHALL NEVER COPY AND PAST YOUR BULL**IT.
The reporter clearly knows nothing about anything he wrote. You have not made any analysis of where your lockdown worked, both in terms of stopping the spread of virus and other social consequences to the people. We just saw a wave of protests amid the lockdowns, be it in Africa or your so called ‘developed countries ‘ like the US. People want to get out and work for their survival. Elsewhere the security forces have killed more people than the virus itself while enforcing the curfews and the related. Is that what you also wanted for our people? The majority of Tanzanians are no different from those who are protesting the lock downs for want of food.
Secondly you also know nothing about the Majimaji uprising apart from the white washed story told by those who decided to purposely cheapen the strategies of the struggles of our heros. If you think the Majimaji war was just about Water without weapons go in your European museums, in Germany to be specific and ask them to show you the guns they stole from the rebbelions in the areas they brutally invadade, Majimaji rebellion being one of them. And infact they should return them and all the artifacts they stole from Africa. Ask them to also tell you the number of Germany solders killed in that rebbelion because it is never mentioned. If the rebellion was that simple to the Germans because Africans were too stupid to use water as you want to potray here, why did it take more than a year!? Why couldn’t the ‘brave’ Germans finish it over a single night then!? Solders take oaths in different ways to keep them united and continue fighting without giving up, this is done even by your white solders, literally, that was the symbolic meaning of water, and it didn’t mean that Majimaji fighters only went with water without weapons. So stop cheapening our fighter’s oath by equiting it to ‘stupidity’ as whites people have always wanted to potray Africans. This is 21st Century and we are unlearning all the white washed stories and lies told to demin Africans.
Back to the Covid subject, unless you are specifically targeting Maguful as others mentioned, but he is not the only one who did not lock down the country, Hope you can do the same analysis about Sweden where more people have died than Tanzania.
This is not generally saying that he is right in everything he does but just to show you that this kind of biased demonization is dumb and it can only be cheaply bought by dumb people. Different strategies have been employed in different places depending on their context and there have been different results everywhere. After all everything about the containment and treatment of this virus is still a trial and error, no one has a complete answer about anything. So stop your biased analysis about Tanzania and the President.
It is very sad to draw conclusions based on a biased ideology. Have you thought or known how Sweden is dealing with Corona Virus, do you know anything about Brazil, Did you hear in different occasions the speeches of Trump on Corona virus. Despite of Lock down in Europe and America what are the numbers of the infections what are the death tolls. Now most countries are releasing lock down have they eradicated corona Virus in their countries? Why do you just single out Magufuli and Tanzania and forgetting all these others. Or is it because he has been tough on you guys. You are diqualifying Tanzania’s achievement in economy, but don’t you know that Tanzania does not want to rely on your aids and loans which often make wetsern countries feel like big brothers to African countries. You want African countries to play a beggar’s role
Let time judge, if western countries were smart enough they could have avoided the epidemic in their countries while it was still contained in China before it turned out to be pandemic.
We love our president and we will follow him, tena usituzingue this is our country stay out of it please.
Magufuli is a Scientologist not a Scientist.
This is not African argument it is you condeming magufuri as far as we have heard there is no country in the world that has succed to overcome this pandemic even in usa england and elsewere.
I dont real get you what you real want because we have seen in those countries were they exercise lockdown but lockdown has failed even president trump is thinking of unlocking the people so it seems that you envy president Magufuri because he has choosen his pass for his country of which is nonsense.
It seems you have your own agenda to see many people die of hunger because of lockdown this is a free nation is not controlled by puppet researchers like you this time you have failed leave Tanzania as it is.
I am impressed with the comments and arising questions more than an article itself. Africans of 21st century are truly awakened!
I think every leader around the world is trying to save their citizens. Magufuli is doing his best to save Tanzanians trying to lockdown big cities while the government can not feed them is another pandemic
So far lockdowns have also failed in Many rich countries like UK and USA so why should we lock our cities while we know we cant feed the population?
mmmmhhhhhhhh””””””” !! Suggestions that Tanzania has found a new Kinjeketile spread online this week.
President Magufuli didn’t, doesn’t and won’t believe in lockdown as an absolute best working strategy. He is right in this because even those who believed in this strategy are today loosening the terms of the lockdown and others completely waived the lockdown.
Why would you think that he is/was wrong in his strategy?
How can we be sure whether Italy and other countries produced credible data?
What about Sweden which did just like Tanzania, is it African?
Would I be wrong if I tell the world that you are an agent of the imperialists?
I am a proud Tanzanian, I would like you to declare your nationality so we can aptly weigh your arguments otherwise you could be selling a narrative that inherently aims at discrediting our president as imperialists did to Thabo Mbeki when he was president of RSA
I stand with Magufuli. “Africa first”
I don’t think if you understand the essence of the Maji maji rebellion. I don’t know if you have done enough research regarding the Maji maji rebellion. First, what lead to the rebellion? Do you know? Was there a diplomatic path at the time that Kinjekitile and his people could have taken to avoid the rebellion. Comes the notion, I’d rather be dead than afraid. This is what Kinjekitile taught us. To stand up for what is rightfully ours regardless the odds. This was a rebellion against fear, for how do you end oppression? It is the same as James Meredith solitary walk from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi in June 1966, a distance of 220 miles, to counter the continuing racism in the Mississippi Delta after passage of federal civil rights legislation in the previous two years and to encourage African Americans in the state to register to vote. He was shot in the Process. So is Kinjekitile. But the lessons are engraved deep In our hearts, that we’d rather be dead than afraid. Kinjekitile was a hero and will continue to be our hero. The Eurocentric centred curiculumn has turnished the actual realities of our History and make them look funny. That is why people like you are mis-informed and you spread your mis-information to others, And this scares me. Long live Kinjekitile, Long live the Maji maji rebellion.
ABRAHAM
Commenting on what Tanzanians are doing and the way the have decided to take in response to the COVID 19 should be well scrutinized before airing. ” Tanzanians are people!!!!!” .Otherwise, in the imperialistic enslaved mind it is a lunatic fellow based on fanatic past whose mind is completely little -narrow sized can have a reference to Kinjekitile.
We need to separate the strategy from the presentation. Magufuli has chosen the right strategy but failed miserably in framing it out and in presenting it to the public.
I am of the opinion that lockdown would do more harm to us than good but discrediting lab results and blame mabeberu is diverting attention from a serious enemy.
The president is giving credit to rumours and in the long run he will cause havoc instead of dissipating fear.
We have only two group in the world learner and non learners what u said is the most fixed mindset people time will tell our president magufuli he do best for us because is the best leaner rather than u who have fixed mind set
Truly you are an agent of that unknown imperialist that our president may have mentioned. Incase our numbers are not accurate isn’t it fare to say they could just be ranging just as the neighbors in the region? Besides kenyans still work by day. As far as am concerned the lockdown in that way just serves the optics and not the people if lockdown is any measure of contingence. I will not even get into how you cheapened this article by relating very urelated quotients of liberation history. If you consider 1908 and the spanish flu, you will be cutting ur nose to spite ur face since its you imperialist that were incharge of Africans and we all can agree here if any lockdowns were enforced it comprised of austerization of Africans rather than saving them from a pandemic. Its i fathomable that you could suggest that a democracy should do that to its citizens especially in light of the global blindspot on this virus. Please let us be, we are well within our preview and so is our leadership in magufuli’s running of this country’s supreme office. Finally I understand why my father never entertained any western propaganda. At the time i labeled him a rebel. Need i say i never been a CCM fun and least of all president Magufuli but on this, he outdid himself. Kudos Mr. President finally you have delivered on ur promised to be one for the people.
logical counter-argument to the one in the article.. The fact that there other countries following a similar (wrong?) path does not hold water.. But we need to salvage our economy as well.. So in scientific approach Magufuli might be right..
As you expose people to the virus they develop immunity to it except a very small vulnerable section of the community.. This again is a scientific approach that has not been announced BUT I believe this is what the government is doing… And this is the reason that Magufuli was arguing against lockdown, and even quarantines… The approach is dxplicable scientifically but it is short of care for the lives of individual.. A person who studied humanities at the college would not subscribe to the approach..
In my Opinion. Me. President JPM is doing his best to control pandemic disease. By the way the worst disease is our mind “FEAR”. this issue is everywhere in world. Many people died on Heart attack, due to short supply of blood vessels in our heart, COVID can be controlled by overself like keeping social distance , washing hands , sanitizing our hands, houses clothes. Mr. JPM is confident on his path..he will survive this country, but people need to unite,..he has 58 million Childrens under his hands….he can feed them happily..but he needs our support and cooperation , so Join hands together…
This author DOES NOT UNDERSTAND Tanzania…
He is full of hate for Africans that is inherent of where he comes from and seems to have a twisted mind formation that would best be described as morbid.
He needs help wherever he is..
“Lockdown” is the untested strategy used by leaders who are rejoicing in their dictatorial powers. This is just a bad flu season. Since 9/11 all western countries are using fear to control their populations and limit freedom. Even China only dared to lockdown one city/province.
European politicians are so incompetent they prefer to destroy their economies and use COVID as the excuse, than take measures to stop the rot.
Good luck to you, poor countries cannot do this and have no reason to. Magufuli is absolutely right here.
Well…. Boris their brilliant pm was infected too, not forgetting prince Charlie too.
I proud of being with best president in africa john pombe magufuri
Of course you have the right to express your opinion.But the article is so misleading, meant to boost self esteem.Those who locked up are now easing up due to heavy economic grip.And you cannot announce unreliable results when your lab is not doing well.You must mend fences first.Lastly Tanzania is not alone in this world to similar course.You have absolutely no right to make us a laughing stock.Asas
I think the approach by Pres MaguFuli is the best approach to Covid-19. Time will tell. South Africa is praised by the western world for its approach and the “results” achieved up to now. However, nobody mentions the devastating effect thereof on the economy and the livelihood especially of the poor and vulnerable. As is the case of Tanzania, time will tell if the ANC leadership had it right…
Tanzania is taking required measures
I believe the president is acting correctly. See this article about the results of imported tests which came back positive after being tested on a goat and a pawpaw https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-tanzania-idUSKBN22F0KF
Every country tries her level best to deal with the pandemic. Since no any country succeeded 100% hence we have no any assurance of the methods being propagated with white unions on the ways to deal with it.
Let’s wait and see, probably you’ll rewrite your article next time with bended knees.
Don’t be stupid, and that is your own perceptions which come from dependant mind. You always think your ways are correct. This is global pandemic everyone is trying harder to eliminate it. Eliminate it from your country then thereafter blame the way Tanzania is taking to eliminate it,
The truth is Europeans will never be good to Africans, the big problem of guys is hypocrisy.
UK government and the queen should find other ways of feeding their people, this old stylish minds, Taylor and the likes, is no longer working.
The current Africa is different from the one you colonised.
You are currently enjoying the worth you took from Africa, you can train your people, and Taylor, other ways of life different from the robbery you are doing to other nations.
No matter what you write against this beautiful country, we will continue to love our President and will always take his side.
Its a childish political research. We are no longer in the colonial era to submit ourselves to the so called Developed countries development initiatives to develop. Focus on why lockdown even with mass testing has failed in Europe and USA. Help your fellow whites from the devastating phenomen that kills your mental capacity to see things in a proper perspective. This is tanzania, not USA or Britain. We are free to decide our own ways of serving ourselves. Tell us the exact number of USA coverage. Why there is underreported 150 death cases on every 1 case? I wonder why twaweza have such a consultant who bribes and deceives tanzanian academics. Its a shameful reputation
This so called scientific advise on covid-19 has so far been a mirage. It has kept on shifting like a shadow. Doctors themselves have confessed to have used wrong procedures ( given by science) to treat patients with devastating effects. Now it is emerging that there could be other ways of dealing with covid-19.
I therefore find it sickening and utterly dishonest to insinuate that president Magufuli is putting the country at risk.
The only sin seems to be that the President had the spine to question the veracity, safety and efficacy of the laboratory materials mostly if not wholly acquired from abroad.
You have chosen to be economical with the information in public domain. The president has simply chosen a strategy that the country seems as the most appropriate in the circumstances. It is pathetic for the writer to have chosen the majimaji rebellion as an illustration only to expose his dangerous lack of understanding of that historical happening.
Every country is trying a method it deems effective, Tanzania has a right to do so. Let every journalist worth their salt respect that. No one has an answer to the pandemic and you can not therefore call the Tanzania approach wrong.
The bluff has been called, Africans have said no to this absurdity that has been perpetuated by the ilk of the writer. PLEASE GIVE US A BREAK
I wanted to write something but everything has been written. One thing thoug is not mentioned. President Trump today has called on Americans for prayers to turn to God for help in fighting covid-19. Just wanted to mention that only, in case the African Argument hasnt heard.
So racist!
Magufuli is not perfect, but I am glad everyone is starting to see that there is an agenda against him.
Every country has followed a novel response.
– Some countries have not opted for any response at all in Africa e.g. Burundi
– Countries, like Indonesia, have put God first.
– The first country to obtain the Madagascar cure was Equatorial Guinea
But, you have to obsess over Maguguli, who adopted:
– a 14 day quarantine period for all visitors that is being considered in Europe right now
– no lockdown, that has been adopted throughout the continent after the effects proved to create an even bigger disaster
– keeping the economy going, that is also being adopted throughout the continent
The strategy is not perfect. But to paint it in this light, is malicious and trivialises the country in a manner that can only be racist.
Any positive ideology has to be gauged with social, economical & geographical surroundings.
Lack of remedy, that would have repurcussions all the sides, is best confronted with positivity. “Give nature a chance”.
Leading masses is like an ‘acting father of a nation’ Aluta Continua, please give room. RAJ
Wow; I’m very excited and jolly to read the responses from the readers! How I wish the authour of the article would come back take the challenge.
Several questions have been raised against you; in fact they challenge the very essence of your understanding over African Issues leave alone the Tanzania’s strategy against Covid 19.
If you are a free will being come back and respond, tell us where you get the information you published; tell us why you trust your sources of information and why we should agree with you…
Just one for the peace of my mind: Where do you get the audacity to challenge things you don’t know?
You do not understand the Tanzania, Culture and Socio-Economic and by the way you have not conduct research as journalist. … this is on of the worsen story ever.
The most worrying is that the official publishing of confirmed covid-19 cases and deaths in Tanzania is not showing the numbers of tested for them, and where in Tanzania.
As a consequence,
it is not enabling to compare Tanzania with other especially neighboring countries in terms of the most important per capita indices of confirmed covid-19 cases and deaths, and where most affected in the countries.
They are the most important indices because they enable Tanzania and the other (especially neighboring) countries whose populations are interacting including with Tanzanians heavily and often to formulate the most effective collective preventive response for the elimination of covid-19 imports and spreading in their African Region.
The collective response should also consider the fueling of covid-19 spreading the porous borders of the countries would impact;
the need to deploy the preventive measures that would enable the countries to avoid the need to deploy the costlier (in terms the numbers of covid-19 patient cases and deaths, and economic losses) total lockdowns that are not affordable to the majorities of their populations who are not earning much of what they could saved from for the financing of living needs during the total lockdowns;
and that, it is the collective response rather than the often conflicting and/or uncoordinated nationalistic responses would enable Tanzania and the other (especially neighboring) countries to win the war against covid-19.
I pity you stupid Tanzanians, with your dumb president. By the time you wake up, you will no longer have peace. Every household will have a fresh tomb!
If this is also called journalism then we have a huge problem than that posed by COVID-19 as the world community ….what a bunch of nonsense !
Please update your article; just apologise, admit you were blind. Admit that you have malice with magufuli and the motive of your article was not good
You should be ashamed for this,
Secretly go to your parents… Tell them you made them stupid bringing you into this planet
Tanzanians dont see the implications of their short sighted theocratic president. Nonsense is a president who believes a girl who gets pregnant is no longer fit to be educated. orders untested unverified medicine to cure his people. then goes on to say his own son cured himself with lemon and ginger. Magufuli is an insecure bully and more so an idiot of the highest caliber. goes on a rant against western influence over his country but turns to the white jesus to cure his country.
You, casually, not the expert?
publicity
chastity and pegging
@BFh#@!&2@^H3
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