Tanzania President Magufuli, Who Claimed COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, Passes Away

Passed away at age 61
Cause of death: heart disease

▲John Magufuli, President of Tanzania

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] John Magufuli, the President of Tanzania in Africa, passed away on the afternoon of the 17th (local time) at the age of 61.

According to Tanzania's state broadcaster on the day, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced this. The cause of death is known to be a chronic heart disease.

Following President Magufuli's death, a 14-day mourning period was declared and flags were ordered to be flown at half-mast.

According to the Tanzanian constitution, Vice President Hassan will succeed to the presidency. If Vice President Hassan assumes the presidency, she will become the first female president of an East African country.

President Magufuli had not appeared in public since the 27th of last month, raising suspicions that he might have contracted COVID-19. Until then, he had been actively appearing on state broadcasts three to four times a week.

The opposition even raised suspicions that President Magufuli was infected with COVID-19, received treatment in Kenya, fell into a coma, and was then transferred back to India.

Magufuli, who was a former chemistry teacher, was one of the political leaders who promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories. He claimed that vaccines were a Western conspiracy and that inhaling steam from boiled herbs and praying to God could overcome the infectious disease.

Meanwhile, Tanzania has stopped officially reporting COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths since May of last year. The last reported figures were 509 confirmed cases and 21 deaths.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.