Alternative vaccine for idiots: Tanzania's COVID-denying leader urges prayer as cases climb
Tanzania’s COVID-denying president is calling on citizens for three days of prayer to defeat unnamed “respiratory diseases” amid warnings that the country is seeing a deadly resurgence in infections.
Decrying vaccines, Tanzania leader says 'God will protect' from COVID-19
President John Magufuli said that Tanzania did not need a coronavirus lockdown because God would protect his people and homespun precautions such as steam inhalation were better than dangerous foreign vaccines.
Tanzania’s COVID-denying president is calling on citizens for three days of prayer to defeat unnamed “respiratory diseases” amid warnings that the country is seeing a deadly resurgence in infections.
“Maybe we have wronged God somewhere,” populist President John Magufuli told mourners at a funeral for his chief secretary, John Kijazi, on Friday. “Let us all repent.”
Magufuli has repeatedly claimed that Tanzania, a country of some 60 million people, defeated COVID-19 with God’s help. The government has not updated its number of coronavirus cases since April, and the health ministry has promoted unproven herbal remedies. Magufuli has questioned COVID-19 vaccines without offering evidence.
But the local Catholic church, the U.S. Embassy and others have openly warned of a resurgence in cases. And this week the death of the vice president of the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, brought widespread attention after his opposition political party said he had COVID-19.
Hamad’s death is “a clear symbol this pandemic is raging,“ the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters on Thursday.
Speaking about the deaths of Hamad and Kijazi, Tanzania’s president asked the country to remain calm.
“We managed to defeat these respiratory diseases through prayer last year. I am sure we will do so this year,” he said in the nationally televised event.
Magufuli also announced that Finance Minister Philip Mpango had been admitted to a hospital in the capital, Dodoma. He did not say why.
President John Magufuli said that Tanzania did not need a coronavirus lockdown because God would protect his people and homespun precautions such as steam inhalation were better than dangerous foreign vaccines.
Tanzania’s COVID-denying president is calling on citizens for three days of prayer to defeat unnamed “respiratory diseases” amid warnings that the country is seeing a deadly resurgence in infections.
“Maybe we have wronged God somewhere,” populist President John Magufuli told mourners at a funeral for his chief secretary, John Kijazi, on Friday. “Let us all repent.”
Magufuli has repeatedly claimed that Tanzania, a country of some 60 million people, defeated COVID-19 with God’s help. The government has not updated its number of coronavirus cases since April, and the health ministry has promoted unproven herbal remedies. Magufuli has questioned COVID-19 vaccines without offering evidence.
But the local Catholic church, the U.S. Embassy and others have openly warned of a resurgence in cases. And this week the death of the vice president of the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, brought widespread attention after his opposition political party said he had COVID-19.
Hamad’s death is “a clear symbol this pandemic is raging,“ the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters on Thursday.
Speaking about the deaths of Hamad and Kijazi, Tanzania’s president asked the country to remain calm.
“We managed to defeat these respiratory diseases through prayer last year. I am sure we will do so this year,” he said in the nationally televised event.
Magufuli also announced that Finance Minister Philip Mpango had been admitted to a hospital in the capital, Dodoma. He did not say why.
Comments
Alan Bollinger 6 year ago
Dont get sidetracked. Thats not the issue. The issue is a bogus vaccine for a bogus voodoo virus....And at least the President of Tanzania has the good sense to recognize that. And not subject his people to ill advised harmful quarentines and unnecessary restrictions. It might do better to stress the importance of good diet, clean water, and all around healthful living than going straight to prayer. Thats usually the last resort......I dont think the situation is even close to being that drastic.
Oh ya 6 year ago
Well show me a country run by blacks that is not a shithole. They force the white farmers out of the bread baskets in Africa and now they sit and starve. So things do not evolve sometimes
