AfricaPress-Tanzania: PARLIAMENT yesterday adopted a declaration to commend President John Magufuli’s administration for a unique and successful approach in fighting coronavirus pandemic.
Amid sharp decline in Covid- 19 cases with hospital beds remaining empty, the government, health experts and MPs are optimistic that the country has successfully defeated the scourge under the strong leadership of the reform-minded Magufuli.
Ms Esther Mmasi (Special Seats—CCM) asked the Parliament to congratulate President Magufuli for measures he instituted to ensure he protects and save the lives of many people from the infectious respiratory disease.
“President Magufuli dropped the idea of lockdown pushing for joint mass prayers in his attempt to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
The MP said lockdown and closure of borders is not an easy exercise and a reckless decision that could have paralyzed the country’s economy and push the nation into abject poverty.
“His decision was for the greater good of the nationals,” she noted, expressing regret that some opposition leaders had pushed for the government to adopt the expensive global lockdown.
The MPs said President Magufuli had demonstrated yet another high level of leadership without inflicting much pain to the general public.
He considered the actual economy and individual’s state of livelihood in which the majority depend on hand to mouth initiatives to survive.
Part of President Magufuli’s resolutions included forming a special emergency committee chaired by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and allocation of isolation health facilities for providing specialized medical care and treatment to patients.
He also temporarily suspended schools, colleges and universities as well as sports events that attract large public gatherings.
“The largest part was fighting stigma and fear and encouraging alternative medical treatments considering the disease had no cure or vaccine in place,” she noted.
Welezo MP Ms Saada Mkuya (CCM) said the Head of State managed to fight the fear that had helped the nation to get back to normalcy.
According to the legislator, President Magufuli said the disease was likely to stay longer and it didn’t take time when the World Health Organisation also backed his argument.
The president has also maintained that the General Election would be held, and the UN has so far advised countries with elections to continue with preparations as planned.
Mr David Silinde (Momba–Chadema) who announced his decision to cross over to CCM yesterday said the Head of State had addressed all matters that the opposition wanted to flag in the forthcoming General Election.
“President Magufuli has defeated the opposition and there is no fresh argument that Chadema could make to challenge the fifth phase government,” he said while applauding the President style in fighting Covid-19.
The parliament voted in favour of the decision later in the evening. The Head of State has repeatedly emphasized that lockdown was not the best option for Tanzania to counter the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Magufuli maintained that the government would not to emulate the draconian measure, insisting that lockdowns would have caused more severe problems to the ordinary Tanzanians.
He said closing borders would mean destabilising the regional economy since many countries depended on Dar es Salaam Port to bring in various products, including oil from abroad.
Moreover, President Magufuli successfully revealed the faults in the Covid-19 testing processes after they returned positive results on samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw.
