On Tuesday, April 6, the country’s new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, considered it “not good” to ignore the importance of the pandemic. She spoke at the inauguration ceremony for members of her new government in Dar es Salaam.
►Samia Suluhu Hassana took the country’s reins in March, after the sudden death of John Magufuli. Until then, the old precedent had never ceased to minimize the effects of the crisis covid 19. Samia Suluhu Hassan therefore broke with her predecessor on Tuesday, April 6.
The president announced that she would create an expert committee to advise the government, tasked with synthesizing global knowledge about the virus and making recommendations.
“I intend to form an expert commission to seriously consider the issue of Covid-19. They will review the proposed measures and advise the government on this. This is not a topic we can keep quiet about. We cannot accept or deny anything without doing proper research. We expect experts to explain to us the seriousness of the situation and the solutions that the world offers us. Our experts will tell us that. ”
Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first president in March after the sudden death of President John Magufuli at the age of 61. CEO since 2015, Magufuli is officially dead March 18 of heart problems, according to Tanzanian authorities. But his main opponent says the leader, who has consistently downplayed the effects of the coronavirus and refused to take action to stop the pandemic, died of Covid-19.
Reopening of banned media
In addition, the president, 61, ordered the resumption of media bans by her predecessors, whose administration has been regularly criticized for restricting fundamental freedoms. The president rejected the idea that the Tanzanian government could be criticized for “suppressing press freedom”, adding: “Our laws should be clear about crime and its punishment. We should not use force to turn off the media.”
The president did not mention any special media, but the measure could refer to the newspaper Daima, banned from being published in 2020 or the television channels Wasafi TV and Kwanza TV. Tanzania, long regarded as an oasis of stability in a troubled region, has seen its image deteriorate as President Magufuli has developed an authoritarian and lone style of government.
► To read also: Tanzania: after Magufuli’s death, can we expect a relaxation of the regime?
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