John Pombe Magufuli
By our correspondent
Nairobi. Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli is said to be dead after illness with covid 19.
Magufuli according to sources is said to have died on Friday night.
His health was said to have deteriorated mid this week and although he had reportedly been placed on life support in Nairobi hospital, he was non responsive.
On Saturday morning, unusual reports of security movements had intensified at the Tanzanian High Commission.
But his Prime minister Kassim Majaliwa insists that Magufuli, 61 commonly known in Tanzania as “The Bulldozer” is safe and busy in office going about with his business.
“Tanzanians be calm, your president is there, in good health, he is working,” Prime Minister said after the main Friday prayers in Njombe Town Mosque.
Magufuli has given a lower profile of the threat of COVID-19 in Tanzania and pooh-poohed at the global panic instead rallying his nationals to pray and steam.
Between March 3 and 7th, the president was reportedly unconscious and showing signs of heart failure, according to senior government sources and family members of the president.
There are reports that Eight cabinet ministers, three senior officials in State House, and Chief Secretary Ally Bashiru have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in recent days. The Speaker of Parliament is also currently ill with COVID-19, as is the Director General of Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS).
Finance Minister Philip Mpango was filmed having a coughing fit, unmasked, while giving a press conference last week.