President John Magufuli: Kumuaga Baba Mwema
For well over a decade, I’ve seriously considered leaving the United States of America. It wasn’t until I’d learned of late-President Magufuli that I’d started to seriously set my sights on East Africa. Unfortunately, His Greatness is gone, and my desire to live in Tanzania is gone, too.
Although he’d, reportedly, potentially passed of COVID-19-related complications, seemed to be a COVID-19 denier, and (supposedly) thought prayer a viable bulwark against COVID-19’s abilities to sweep across Tanzania, Magufuli is still one of the most practical leaders I’ve had the pleasure of following in my little lifetime. Given what I’ve previously written, you may disagree–which is understandable–but the good he did, as far as I’m concerned, outweighed his attitude toward the thing that (reportedly) took his life.
My introduction to the Honorable J. P. Magufuli came to me via articles like this one, posted at ThisIsAfrica.me. Some of those good doings are:
1. Putting Tanzania’s Fiscal Needs Above Its Pathological Wants
His first year in office, Tanzanians were upset when they’d learned that President Magufuli canceled celebrations related to Christmas and Independence Day. Did President Magufuli want folks to be cheerful? Yes, but I imagine he’d wanted them to enjoy sustained cheer, and what better way to provide such than to ensure more immediate needs–food, health, and security–were properly maintained. There’s a time for celebration, but in the spirit of we-ain’t-got-money-fa-that-right-now, President Magufuli not only canceled celebrations, he diverted those funds to efforts meant for the betterment of Tanzanians, which makes a nice segue for the next good thing.
2. Relieving Public Servants Who Refuse to Act in the Public’s Best Interest
He limited travels of government officials, reduced the number of government cabinet positions from 50 to 4, fired thousands of employees who’d lied about their credentials, and fired folks who inadequately performed their jobs (if they did them at all). I wish I could find the video of him firing garbage workers who hadn’t collected garbage on the day he did impromptu checks.
3. Refusing to Allow Outside World Powers to Degrade Tanzania
I do know that President Magufuli and Chinese powers participated in beneficial trade agreements. I don’t condone terrorizing any group, so–
in this age of awareness about Asian-American hatred–don’t come for me. The truth is the truth, and as I see it, the West and Chinese have tried it with African countries (if you don’t know what that means, you’re in the wrong place), including Tanzania. President John Pombe Magufuli wasn’t havin’ it. From refusing disastrous aide offerings from Western powers, to openly dressing down ostensibly ill-performing agents of Chinese commerce within Tanzania’s borders, to publicly refusing to sign ridiculously counter-beneficial contracts offered up by the Chinese, late-President Magufuli made clear that the worth of his people was more important than receiving temporary luxuries that would lead to the long-term disappointment of Tanzanians.
I’m not there. I’ve never met him, and my understanding of international trade is shaky, at best. Are there some ideas the late president had with which I didn’t (and still don’t) agree? Sure. Still, as mentioned before, to me (an outsider existing some 10,000 miles away) President John Magufuli was a shining light, and I swear I’m gonna miss ‘im.
