Dar es Salaam: John Magufuli, Tanzania leader dey miss ontop ‘Covid-19 disease’ claim

Reuters
Tanzanian President John Magufuli

From Dar es Salaam to di islands of Zanzibar for Tanzania, pipo dey raise kwesion over di health of Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli AKA “The Bulldozer” wey dem never see in public for 11 days.

Opposition leader Tundu Lissu don tell di BBC say according to im sources di president [John Magufuli] dey receive treatment in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.

Di BBC never fit verify dis report independently and no official response don come out from di Tanzania government.

Di goment don warn against publishing unverified information about di Tanzanian leader, wey dem last see for one official event inside Dar es Salaam on 27 February.

Nairobi Hospital also don tok say dem no fit comment.

Mr Magufuli don dey face criticism for di way im handle di Covid-19, wit im goment refusing to buy vaccines.

Di East African nation never publish dia coronavirus cases since May, 2020.

Tanzania 61-year-old president [John Magufuli] don call for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to fight di virus.

Dar es Salaam: John Magufuli, Tanzania leader dey miss ontop 'Covid-19 disease' claim

AFP
Steam booths na im dem dey use to treat respiratory illnesses like coronavirus inside Tanzania

Earlier, for one funeral for one top presidential aide, Mr Magufuli say Tanzania don defeat Covid-19 last year [2020] and go win di coronavirus again this year.

Di aide die hours after di vice-president of di kontri semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, wey bin dey receive treatment for Covid-19.

John Magufuli, Tanzania leader ‘Silence dey irresponsible’

Oga Lissu say im hear say President Magufuli dem fly am to Kenya for treatment for Nairobi Hospital on Monday night.

According to di opposition leader, di president don suffer a cardiac arrest and dey in a critical condition.

Mr Lissu tell di BBC say di goment silence dey fuelling rumours and e dey irresponsible, and di president health no suppose be a private matter.

E no go surprise pipo of Tanzania say oga Magufuli don get di coronavirus as im don dey do anyhow wit di virus, Lissu tok.

“E [John Magufuli] no dey wear mask, and im dey go public place wia plenty pipo gada without any of di protections wey pipo around di world dey use,” Oga Lissu tell di BBC from exile inside Belgium.

“Dis na pesin wey don again and again tok am for public say oyinbo melecine no get power, say instead im go depend of prayers and herbal mixture.”

Di 53-year-old claim say di Tanzania Finance Minister Philip Mpango dey also get treatment for di same hospital for Kenya capital.

Dar es Salaam: Tanzania President "John Magufuli" in August 2020

AFP
61-year-old president, nickname “The Bulldozer”, dey serve im second term in office

Analysis

By Leila Nathoo, BBC Africa Correspondent

E go be big mata if dem confam say President Magufuli dey suffer from Covid-19 – di disease wey im don use di past months to deny say dey dangerous.

Aside from di issue wey dis one fit cause for di Tanzania goment, if true true im dey very sick, im critics go say im diagnosis and treatment abroad na proof say di president strategy against di virus don fail.

As official informate no dey, e no possible to know di truth of how bad coronavirus infections be inside Tanzania, although in recent weeks pipo don dey worry say cases don dey rise well-well.

If di president dey among those wey don dey infected, e go be strong victory for those wey don dey tear warning give di goment say coronavirus no be play plays.

Oga Lissu, wey carry second for di presidential elections for di opposition Chadema party wey happun for October 2020 wit 13%, say im reason am say Magufuli reputation don pafuka.

“Im don build im reputation as patriot, say im no dey travel outside di kontri, say im na di president of di poor.”

Last week, di Catholic Church for Tanzania ask pipo to follow Covid-19 guideline more seriously, saying 60 nuns and 25 priests don die in di last two months after coronavirus symptoms show for dia body.

Oga Lissu go into exile for2017 after e survive assassination attempt on im life. E return to take part inside last year elections, wey im say dem rig.

E comot di kontri again for November, because according am, im don begin get death threats again.