Makanyaga
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 28, 2007
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President Magufuli is surrounded by many, and they know a lot. By the way, are those vaccines that he said never existed, really do not exist, or has he lied? Was that which caused His Excelency to say that oil and papaya tested positive for the corona virus not Science? President Magufuli uses scientific research to criticize or reject other scientific research. You never know the said vaccine may have been already available for days and then worked in a laboratory. Like on the issue of papayas and oil, people worked first in the laboratory, and without knowing that they were working on oil or papayas, and after the results were confirmed, he appeared on stage. I'm worried even this time he has emerged on stage having already done extensive research or scientific enquiry. The president of the country can't just suddenly appear uttering words on stage that he has no research with, completely impossibleJohn Magufuli: A science teacher who decries science in fighting Coronavirus. What has gone wrong?
Rehema Ibrahim 28th January 20210 Comments
DETRIMENTAL? Devastating? Disastrous? Careless? Bullying? Narcissistic? Sadistic? Which word exactly fits the description of the character and statements of Tanzania’s President John Magufuli in his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?
No one really knows what has befallen President Magufuli, a PhD holder in Chemistry and a former science teacher, who does not seem to believe in science any more when it comes to protecting his people against the adverse effects of the Coronavirus infections.
A complete Corona denialist and a skeptic of globally-renowned WHO, Magufuli has resorted to unscientifically proven methods of countering the pandemic – at the detriment of his people’s lives.
Taking advantage of a highly religious society he is ruling, he has severally told his people to rely more on prayers and traditional herb concoctions than on scientific and medical solutions.
On many occasions, he keeps on reiterating that “Tanzania is a corona free country,” citing prayers as the solution.
With a bit of a nationalistic-cum-racist tone, he has publicly voiced out his doubts on the foreign-made medical solutions, including the vaccines made and distributed by what he calls “wazungu,” that is, “white people.”
But his stance is no surprise. In 2011, Magufuli was one of senior politicians in the country who gulped a local herb from the famous “Babu wa Loliondo” in Northern Tanzania, retired church leader Rev. Ambilikile Mwaisapile, who claimed to have been “directed” by God to prescribe a multi-diseases cure herb that was administered by drinking from a special cup – in a one-dose-fits-all-diseases fashion.
President Magufuli’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, his repeated public dismissals of scientific expertise, and his contempt for evidence have prompted some researchers to tag him the most anti-science president in Africa.
Early this week, probably after getting tired of Tanzania government’s position on the pandemic in the obviously frequent deaths due to the new wave of Coronavirus infections in the country, bishops from the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) spoke up through an official statement to its believers and the nation calling on them to take responsible decisions and protect themselves from the pandemic.
Magufuli ordered the government to stop releasing data on the pandemic since 29th April 2020.
This week alone, Magufuli has spoken more than once claiming that the vaccines against COVID-19 are dangerous. Instead, he advised his citizens to rely on local herbs.
“These vaccines are dangerous. If the white people were able to come up with vaccines, they should have found a vaccine for tuberculosis, and they could have eliminated AIDS by now. A vaccine for cancer would have been found by now,” he said.
In analysing President Magufuli’s irresponsible remarks on record regarding this pandemic, including the denial and embracing misinformation, the leader of the Zanzibar centred ACT-Wazalendo party, Zitto Kabwe, has strongly criticised President Magufuli for neglecting science.
Magufuli’s approach, he says, poses a serious threat to the citizens who have almost completely abandoned most of WHO guidelines in combating Coronavirus.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Africa Director for the World Health Organization (WHO), today urged Tanzania to abide by science.
On her Twitter account, she says: “Urging #Tanzania to ramp up public health measures such as wearing masks to fight #COVID19, science shows that #VaccinesWork and I encourage the government to prepare for a COVID vaccination campaign.”
The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, echoed what Dr Matshidiso said on Tanzania. He called on Tanzania to support the global efforts in fighting the pandemic.
Robert Amsterdam’s tweet on Magufuli’s position was more punchy: “This man is a stain on humanity!”
Rais Magufuli amezungukwa na wengi, na wananajua mengi. By the way, hizo chanjo alizosema kuwa hazijawahi kuwepo, ni kweli hazipo, au amedanganya? Kilichosababisha Mh. Rais akasema kuwa oil na mapapai yali-test positive kwa corona virus haikuwa Sayansi? rais Magufuli anatumia utafiti wa Sayansi ku-criticize au kukataa utafiti mwingine wa ki-Sayansi. Huwezi kujua pengine hiyo chanjo alishaipata siku nyingi na ikafanyiwa kazi kwenye maabara. Kwenye issue ya mapapai na oil, watu walifanya kazi kwanza kwenye maabara, na pasipo kujua kuwa wamepewa oil au mapapai, halafu matokeo yalipotoka ndiyo akaibuka jukwaani. Nina wasiwasi hata safari hii ameibuka jukwaani akiwa tayari ameshafanya utafiti wa kina. Rais wa nchi hawezi akaibuka tu ghafla kutamka maneno jukwaani ambayo hana utafiti nao, completely impossible