Tanzania's president dies after Covid rumors
Tanzania's President John Magufuli offers passed away aged 61, the country's vice-president has announced.
He died on Wednesday from heart problems at a hospital in Dar sera Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an address on state tv set.
Magufuli was not seen in public for a lot more than two weeks, and rumors have been circulating about his health.
Opposition politicians said the other day that he previously contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.
Magufuli was among Africa's most prominent coronavirus sceptics, and needed prayers and herbal-infused steam remedy to counter the virus.
"It really is with deep regret that I inform you that today... we shed our brave head, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli," Vice-President Hassan explained in the announcement.
She said there will be 2 weeks of national mourning and flags would fly at half mast.
According to Tanzania's constitution, Ms Hassan might be sworn in because the new president and really should serve the rest of Magufuli's five-time team which he started last year.
Magufuli was last observed in public on 27 February, but Primary Minister Kassim Majaliwa insisted the other day that the president was "healthy and spending so much time".
He blamed the rumours of the president's ill-health and wellbeing on "hateful" Tanzanians living overseas.
But opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that his sources had told him Magufuli had been treated in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.
