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John Magufuli

John Magufuli was declared the winner of a hotly contested Tanzanian presidential race 05 November 2015, despite the opposition’s claims of widespread vote rigging by the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission dismissed the protests and stood by its results that gave Magufuli a 20% margin of victory over the former prime minister Edward Lowassa.

John Pombe Joseph Magufuli was born on October 29, 1959. Magufuli was raised in Chato, a village in Kagera region of North Western Tanzania. His father Joseph engaged in mixed faming, and Magufuli grew up in typical village life, taking part in agricultural activities, especially raising his father’s cattle.

Magufuli started his education at Chato Primary School from 1967 to 1984 and went on to Katoke Seminary in Biharamulo for his secondary education from 1975 to 1977 before relocating to Lake Secondary School in 1977 and completing in 1978. He joined Mkwawa High School for his A levels in 1979 and completed 1981 and that same year he joined Mkwawa College of Education for a Diploma in Education (Sc.) Chemistry, Mathematics and Education to become a secondary school teacher.

In 1985 he was enrolled at the University of Dar es Salaam where he graduated and earned a B.Sc Ed. (Hons) in Chemistry and Mathematics in 1988 and went to earn a Masters Degree in Chemistry from both the Universities of Dar es Salaam and Salford in the UK in 1994. He currently holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Dar es Salaam.

After completing his military national service, during which time he crisscrossed between the Makutopora (Dodoma), Makuyuni (Arusha), and Mpwapwa (Dodoma) National Service Camps, Magufuli briefly taught Chemistry and Mathematics at Sengerema Secondary School and then worked as an industrial chemist at Nyanza Cooperative Union in Mwanza. Magufuli later returned to University to earn his Masters in Chemistry in collaboration with the UK-based Salford University. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from University of Dar es Salaam.

Magufuli served Tanzania in an official capacity since 1995 when he earned the Chato Constituency Seat (formerly known as Biharamulo East) in Parliament. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for three terms, that is 2010 - 2015, 2005 - 2010 and 2000 - 2005 and had been a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) since 1977.

His humble background endeared him to many poor Tanzanians who he promised to uplift as he knew what they were going through. During his campaigns, Magufuli talked of his father’s grass thatched house where he grew up and of having to herd cattle, sell milk and go fishing to support the family.

Magufuli held various ministerial positions, including Fisheries and Livestock Development, Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development. President Mkapa appointed Magufuli Deputy Minister for Works, and five years later, he won his first parliamentary seat unopposed, President Mkapa promoted Magufuli to full Minister. In this role, he earned high praise for working tirelessly to supervise the construction of a road network in major parts of the country, which resulted in a connected, efficient system. At the same time, Magufuli fought a status quo of corruption, ensuring that public servants followed applicable laws. He was admired for reversing decades of mistrust: he ordered the demolition of houses wrongly constructed in road reserves, went head to head with rogue contractors, and restored discipline and fairness within the road construction sector.

In 2006 he was appointed Minister of Lands and Human Settlement under new Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete. He had a reputation as a tough administrator. Kikwete moved him back to the Ministry of Works in 2010. He served as the Minister of Works, the position he took up since May 4, 2012 until October 30, 2015.

As Minister for Livestock Development and Fisheries, he was instrumental in eliminating illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing in the country’s exclusive economic zone, and in his reappointment as Minister of Works, he overturned the privatization of government vehicles, saving billions of shillings. As Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, he put an end to 45 years of illegal land grabbing, canceling 2,500 improper land title deeds in Dar es Salaam and providing 99-year tamper-proof title deeds to landowners.

Magufuli’s impact has been so significant that the current government was evaluated largely through its road infrastructural development that transpired under his stewardship.

Magufuli also held various posts and he was also Co-chair World Urban Forum with UN-HABITAT (III) since 2006 and a member of Tanzania Chemical Society from 1993 to date.

Magufuli won CCM’s presidential ticket on 12 July 2015, beating some 40 other contestants, notably Tanzania’s first women to declare their presidential ambitions – Asha-Rose Migiro, the former UN deputy secretary general and the African Union ambassador to the United States, Amina Salum Ali.

Magufuli was known for his integrity, transparency, sense of justice, and unprecedented accomplishment in developing the nation’s road infrastructure. He was married to Janet Magufuli, and he has seven children—four girls and three boys.

Tanzanian officials dismissed speculation about the health and wellbeing of President John Magufuli two weeks after he was last seen in public. On 12 March 2021, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in an address in Njombe asked Tanzanians to ignore what he called online detractors who want to cause panic about the health of the president. He said, “The president is busy, where do they expect him to go to, Kariakoo or Magomeni? It has never happened.” He added that he spoke with the president on phone in the morning, and “he directed me to tell you that he loves you very much and thanks you for the many votes you cast for him." He said, “Let me rest your minds, your president is well and doing his usual office work.’’ y Tanzania’s top diplomat in Windhoek, Modestus Kipilimba told the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation that President Magufuli was in good health and working normally.

His retreat from public view coincided with reports in newspapers in the region suggesting that high-ranking officials from Tanzania had been receiving treatment for breathing complications similar to those seen in patients afflicted by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in hospitals in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Related reports suggested that a top Tanzanian official could have been flown to a hospital in India. There had been no evidence that President Magufuli is one of them.

Magufuli, one of Africa's most prominent coronavirus sceptics, died aged 61, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on 17 March 2021 Wednesday after a more than two-week absence from public life that led to speculation about his health. “Dear Tanzanians, it is sad to announce that today 17 March 2021 around 6 p.m. we lost our brave leader, President John Magufuli who died from heart illness at Mzena hospital in Dar es Salaam where he was getting treatment," the vice president said on state broadcaster TBC. Magufuli, had not been seen in public since February 27, sparking rumours that he had contracted COVID-19. Officials denied on March 12 that he had fallen ill.