How Magufuli’s death was reported and received abroad
I was with a British pal in London.
Wednesday night, March 17, 2021.
The day our beloved President John Pombe Magufuli passed away.
“How come I never heard of him?”
I looked at the friend like when you open your door and see a stranger you did not expect.
To the majority Tanzanians, John Pombe Magufuli was phenomenal. He appeared fast, furious, serious and left. Six years of bulldozing. Prior to the 2015 presidential election most of us had never heard of him. Now we do not only know him. We have been mourning his unexpected departure.
HOW COME I NEVER HEARD OF HIM?
The Briton repeated loudly as I narrated some achievements of the Hapa Kazi Tu leader. Saving money. Protecting public spending. Cutting salaries. Saving money. Cutting corruption. Reducing foreign travel of officials. Saving money. Reducing the might and evil of foreign mining companies. Making money. Saving money. Saving us money. Saving us money. Pesa.
How many African leaders actually save money?
Speaking of money, how many times have we heard our black stars not managing their finances? Becoming bankrupt. What is it about us and money? How come Magufuli made us money?
And still speaking of money.
Money and Wazungus are twins. Years ago I was discussing God and religion with one Mzungu guy married to an African lady. The man is always frank.
He confessed.
“We white people introduced Christianity to you. But we hardly follow it any more. How many kids today read the Bible and go to church in Europe and the USA? Very very few. But go to Africa. Churches are packed. Churches are a huge success. For you guys religion is everything. Every time I visit the home of my spouse I am shocked at how you guys worship what we have abandoned. What we care is business and making money,not religion.”
Instead of enriching a few bigwigs in CCM, our late beloved President Magufuli managed money. He and his leadership made sure money was used to build things.
This annoyed fisadis.
They spread the lies. Misinformation.
Character assassination.
Now he was not well with a heart condition, like cobras, they kept shooting venom. “Magufuli has Covid. Magufuli is in Nairobi. No, he is in India.”
We have just learnt that the man had this heart condition since his days at the University of Dar es Salaam. This is not some made-up speculation. The devoted leader who was once poisoned ( by fisadis, allegedly) had to be taken abroad for treatment on the orders of then President Mkapa. The man with a track record of hard work resilience, commitment to public service, fighting corruption also reduced his salary from $15,000 to $4,000 per month.
So I was telling my British friend
He seemed quite impressed.
“Can we see the death news on BBC news?”
He put on the news.
There was no mention of Magufuli. Written news littered BBC online, though. Magufuli was mentioned in regard to Covid 19. Nothing regarding his extraordinary success and efforts.
Next day I checked major mainstream newspapers. Again. Zero. Robert Mugabe had received a lot of attention. Idi Amin was given detailed examination. These were leaders who ruined their communities. They did not build a high powered hydroelectric dam, Ubungo interchange or reconstructed Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam ports. They did not bring in brand new airplanes and rekindle Air Tanzania.
Good leaders and good things in Africa are hardly reported overseas. Always the bad news. London’s Evening Standard had Magufuli on its page three. A small column right at the edge, vomited a negative headline:
PRESIDENT WHO CALLED FOR PRAYERS TO BEAT VIRUS DIES AGED 61. One line spat out: “Magufuli was one of Africa’s prominent Coronavirus sceptics...”
I had expected to read MAGUFULI WAS ONE OF AFRICA’S GREATEST LEADERS...
No way.
No wonder on finding there was nothing reported on TV here that same Wednesday night my British pal asked.
“So how do I find out more about this Magofoli guy?”
“Visit Tanzania,” I said.
He said he had visited a couple of countries on the continent but not Tanzania.
“I have been to Kenya and South Africa. Mainly to see the animals. “
Another way?
We Tanzanians need to consider making films about our leaders. How many reading THIS have heard of the late Sheikh Amri Abeid Kaluta whose death in 1964, ALSO shook the nation? The talented hard-working poet and Minister contributed a lot as a cabinet member. Or the no nonsense ex Prime Minister Edward Sokoine’s sudden tragedy in 1983? How much have we documented these glorious individuals? How are people overseas – friends and foe – and our future grandchildren going to remember, know and honour our heroes?
WE need to document things through books, films and so on.
