AfricaPress-Tanzania: RELIGIOUS leaders, academicians and political analysts have welcomed President John Magufuli’s Sunday speech, saying it raised hopes and defined him as a strong and visionary leader.
Inspired by the President’s address to the nation from Chato in Geita on Sunday, religious leaders said they will do everything in their power to ensure the public is well informed on crucial preventive measures as the country continues fighting the scourge.
Dar es Salaam Regional Sheikh Alhad Mussa Salum told the ‘africa-press’ in a telephone interview that the proposed thanksgiving prayer by President Magufuli was the right thing.
“Thanksgiving is a very important principle in Islam. It is a quality of the believers and it is a source of all goodness, it is sometimes used as equivalent to faith.
The faithful are thankful people and the unfaithful are ungrateful people,” he noted.
He added that the speech was proof that God has answered prayers of Tanzanians, thus the country should join hands again in thanking him.
Sheikh Salum also used the opportunity to call on all mosques in Dar es Salaam to offer thanksgiving prayers as proposed by the Head of State.
The Mwanza International Community Church (MICC), lead Pastor, Dr Zakayo Nzogere supported the call made by President Magufuli proposing three days of thanksgiving prayers as the word of God requires Christians to do so.
He quoted scripture from Ephesians 5:20 that states; ‘Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”.
“I stand in solidarity to support the President’s call to thanksgiving prayers as God wants us to be thankful,” he said.
“According to preliminary data provided by various experts and researchers, predicted that there would be a dreadful number of deaths due to coronavirus in the African continent; however God has protected us to a great extent.
It is true that we have lost many of our loved ones, but not according to the expectations of many,” Dr Nzogere said.
The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Secretary General, Dr Rev Charles Kitima said the thanksgiving prayers were crucial and that TEC will work on the idea.
“It is a very good idea, TEC will come up with a strategy that will involve all dioceses across the country, we will coordinate it at a national level, we will collect all bishops’ opinions and plan for the way forward, it is a great idea because we started this fight by depending on God,” he said.
A lecturer at the Centre for Foreign Relations, Mr Innocent Shoo applauded the President’s approach in fighting Covid-19 including his wise decision of not to close the country’s borders.
He said opening borders and the avoidance of lockdowns are in line with the spirit of East Africa integration, which is free movement of its people and goods.
On colleges reopening
Academicians, responding to the President’s announcement that he was considering to re-open colleges due to a slowdown in Covid-19 cases, stated that plans are afoot to ensure students are safe when studies resume.
University of Dodoma Vice Chancellor, Prof Faustine Bee said the President’s speech gave new hope to universities and students. He said the university has already started thinking about the best measures of offering education to students online.
He said the University is prepared to ensure all measures that are suggested in fighting the diseases including considering social distancing, hand washing and face mask.
He said the University has so far managed to produce its own sanitisers.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Tumaini Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCo) Prof Andrew Mollel said his college has received the information with joy and that they are prepared to reopen the college by considering all protective measures.
“I believe the government will also insist on proper measures to be followed after the reopening of colleges, it is a good move to everyone in the country,” he said.
The National Chairperson for Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non- Government Schools/Colleges (TAMONGSCO), Mr Leonard Mao said all members have been urged to start preparations so that when the government announces the reopening of schools everything could be in good order.
“We know in the future the government will reopen schools as it is thinking to open colleges soon, we are therefore setting plans to ensure all arrangements are ready,” he noted.
