AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT John Magufuli on Friday countered rumours that Finance and Planning Minister Dr Philip Mpango, who is admitted at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, has died.
The president was forced to make such clarification following persistent rumours that spread through social media with regard to the fictitious death.
He urged Tanzanians to turn to God in times of agony. He made the clarification when speaking to mourners who gathered at the Karimjee Grounds in Dar es Salaam to bid farewell to the body of the Chief Secretary Ambassador John Kijazi.
“This morning I received a message from the Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Philip Mpango who is admitted at Dodoma. May I please read it for the benefit of all those who were tweeting that he has died,” said Dr Magufuli.
He sent this message this morning telling me that “Your Excellency President Magufuli, thank you very much I received your message through my wife. By God’s grace, I am proceeding well, eating well and I am continuing with chest and walking exercises.
“As for those who are spreading lies through social media, I have prayed to Jesus to forgive them in my yesterday’ evening prayers…Your Excellency, I pray to God to bless you and grant you grace and courage in leading our nation, especially at this juncture.
“I join you and the family to mourn the death of our beloved Chief Secretary John Kijazi so that his soul rests in peace.”
President Magufuli said the message was from the person being claimed to have died, but on the other hand Dr Mpango was saying he had prayed for their forgiveness in his prayers.
“What I want to say to my fellow Tanzanians, stop causing unnecessary fear…diseases exist and will continue to exist.
“Chest diseases, breathing problems and many others have not begun here, there are countries which have lost many people but for us God has helped us in the past year,” he asserted.
He urged people to pray hard to God but also take all the necessary precautions for prevention but putting God first.
The Head of State noted that God does not fail, citing that some people are losing faith in God and putting their trust to humans.
He maintained that God truly exists and he is a true saviour for all, applauding religious leaders for continuing to preach the same.
“We managed to defy this in the previous year, this is another test of which if we stand firm with God…we will win.
“Let’s not impose fear among one another because by doing so we will not get anywhere. It might be that we have wronged God at one point…let’s stand with God.
He urged all Christians and Muslims to pray hard on their prayer days to deaf this evil, calling upon religious leaders to continue from where they left off.
Dr Magufuli went on to reveal that the country managed to attain its middle income status last year while the coronavirus existed, the economy grew and projects being implemented without having to go into lockdown.
He insisted that this time around the country is not expecting to go into lockdown.
