WHY WE CELEB THE LIFE OF THIS COMRADE.
#WhatWouldMagufuliDo
Running as the candidate of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the country’s dominant party, he won the October 2015 presidential election and was sworn in on 5 November 2015. Magufuli ran on a platform of reducing government corruption and spending while also investing in Tanzania’s industries.
After taking office, Magufuli immediately began to impose measures to curb government spending as follows;
1. Barring unnecessary foreign travel by government officials
2. Using cheaper vehicles and boardrooms for transport and meetings respectively
3. Shrinking the delegation for a tour of the Commonwealth from 50 people to 4.
4. Dropping Tanzania’s sponsorship of a World AIDS Day exhibition in favor of purchasing AIDS medication.
5. Discouraging lavish events and parties by public institutions (such as cutting the budget of a state dinner inaugurating the new parliament session.
6. Magufuli reduced his own salary from US$15,000 to US$4,000 per month.
7. Magufuli suspended the country’s Independence Day festivities for 2015, in favor of a national cleanup campaign to help reduce the spread of cholera. Magufuli personally participated in the cleanup efforts, having stated that it was “so shameful that we are spending huge amounts of money to celebrate 54 years of independence when our people are dying of cholera”. The cost savings were to be invested towards improving hospitals and sanitation in the country.
7. On 10 December 2015, more than a month after taking office, Magufuli announced his cabinet. Its size was reduced from 30 ministries to 19 to help reduce costs.
8.In July 2016, Tanzania banned shisha smoking, with Magufuli citing its health effects among youth as the reason.
9. In March 2017, he banned the export of unprocessed ores, in an effort to encourage domestic smelting.
10. In January 2018, Magufuli issued a directive ordering the suspension of registration for foreign merchant ships, following recent incidents surrounding the seizure of overseas shipments of illegal goods (particularly drugs and weapons) being transported under the flag. Tanzania and Zanzibar had gained reputations for being flags of convenience.
11. In the same year, He introduced a fee-free education for all the government schools in 2016, giving chance to millions of children a chance to attain education irrespective of their background.
12. He amended the laws governing the award of mining contracts, giving govt the right to renegotiate or terminate the contract in case of fraud being detected. This reduced the cheating that is usually done by foreign companies in most African countries.
13. He embarked on a vast program of infrastructure development, particularly rail infrastructure. The small fishing port of Bagamoyo, to which $10 billion of investment has been allocated, is expected to become the largest port in Africa by 2030.
- 14. Magufuli’s government worked on various infrastructure projects targeting economic development. Projects include;
The addition of half a dozen Air Tanzania planes as a way of reviving the national carrier. - The expansion of Terminal III of Julius Nyerere International Airport, *construction of Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway
- Mfugale Flyover
- Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station
- Ubungo Interchange
- New Selander Bridge, Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, Huduma Bora Za afya, Vituo Bora Za Afya
- Expansion of Port of Dar es Salaam
- Expansion of Dodoma Bus Terminal
- Expansion of liquefied natural gas plant, water project, wind farm project, Uhuru Hospital project, gold refinery plant and Magufuli Bus Terminal.
15. In late 2018, Magufuli initiated a nationwide crackdown, threatening to arrest and deport anyone campaigning for gay rights.
Paul Makonda, Magufuli’s regional commissioner of the capital Dar es Salaam, stated in 2016: “If there’s a homosexual who has a Facebook account, or with an Instagram account, all those who ‘follow’ him — it is very clear that they are just as guilty as the homosexual”.
16. In September 2018, John Magufuli told a rally: “Those going for family planning are lazy … they are afraid they will not be able to feed their children. They do not want to work hard to feed a large family and that is why they opt for birth controls and end up with one or two children only.” He urged people not to listen to those advising about birth control, some of it coming from foreigners because it has sinister motives. In July 2019, Magufuli urged women to “set your ovaries free”.
We can go on and on writing the immense contribution of this son of the soil but all in all, African has lost a gallant son, rest in peace the bulldozer.
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