Leaders say virus ‘defeated’, encourage rejoicing in the streets

ON JUST one day this month, 50 Tanzanian truck drivers tested positive for the coronavirus after crossing into neighbouring Kenya. Back home, their president insists that Tanzania has defeated the disease through prayer.

President John Magufuli has led a crackdown on anyone who dares raise concerns about the virus’s spread in his East African country or the government’s response to it. Critics have been arrested, and opposition politicians and rights activists said their phones were being tapped.

The country’s number of confirmed virus cases has not changed for three weeks, and the international community is openly worrying that the government is hiding the true scale of the pandemic. More than 500 cases have been reported in a country of nearly 60 million people.

The president has refused to close places of gathering, worship, pubs and restaurants, arguing that if restrictive measures were adopted, Tanzanians may have nothing to eat.

In fact, rather than urge Tanzanians to keep their distance, a Magufuli ally encouraged them to flood the streets this weekend to celebrate.

“Make all kinds of noise as a sign of thanksgiving to show our God has won against disease and worries of death that were making us suffer,” Paul Makonda, the regional commissioner of commercial hub Dar es Salaam, said at a news briefing.

Government spokesperson Hassan Abbas said that it would be impossible to cover up an outbreak.

He said Tanzania has taken measures to curb the disease and infection rates are falling, although he gave no data suuport the claim.