Tanzanian President John Magufuli will go down in history as an enigma. He started out in 2015 as the most inspirational leader Africa has seen for generations, so much so that social media was exploding with the hashtag #WhatWouldMagufuliDo? Today he is feared in his own country and displays all the hallmarks of a modern-day autocrat.
The slide from being one of the most progressive and honourable leaders to one intolerant of any form of dissent is particularly depressing given that we are in such desperate need for visionary leaders on the continent who can inspire us to do better for ordinary people.
Within the first 100 days of Magufuli’s administration, he was implementing his promise to stamp out corruption and be accountable to the people.
He took on elites in his own party, sacked corrupt or incompetent public servants, slashed costs for state banquets at the opening of parliament, and channelled money meant for independence day celebrations to anti-cholera operations.
He made surprise visits to government ministries and hospitals, and fired the board of the country’s biggest hospital as patients were sleeping on the floor. He also gave the new director two weeks to fix broken medical equipment.
In a move unheard of in any other African country, Magufuli banned overseas travel for public servants in an effort to save funds, and said only ambassadors would take on necessary overseas trips. Throughout, he displayed the utmost humility by disclosing his monthly salary and even driving all the way to the opening of parliament instead of flying. He amazed even his detractors by reducing the size of his presidential convoy and delegation that travels with him.
Magufuli truly captured the imagination not only of his compatriots but of Africans across the continent. He led the way by implementing free education for learners whose parents could not afford tuition, and he put a stop to the public processing of goods and services at inflated costs. Even lunch at government meetings was banned except in rare circumstances. Most would agree that Magufuli had truly started out as the quintessential people’s president, doing things we only ever dreamed a leader would do.
Magufuli had always been nicknamed the bulldozer, as whatever programme he implemented he had never let anything get in his way. As minister of interior he had a grand plan to build roads in the country, and he accomplished just what he had set out to achieve. He was also highly respected when he became president for making Tanzania more assertive with its international partners, even banning the export of unprocessed minerals to squeeze mining companies for higher revenues and royalties.
The tragedy is how it went from such a monumental high to such a resounding low, so much so that his administration is now the target of almost all human rights organisations and advocates for a democratic society. The downward trajectory started with Magufuli’s government banning live televised parliamentary debates, which led to the opposition party Chadema calling for rallies in protest. The police then banned the opposition rallies which then spiralled into a vicious cycle of suppressing dissent. The government has since proceeded to restrict basic freedoms through repressive laws and decrees, much to the chagrin of Tanzania’s citizens.
Magufuli introduced a law giving unfettered powers to the police to monitor the web, forcing bloggers to register, and prohibit material that is “offensive or annoying”. Over time he has tightened his grip on the digital and traditional media, banning four newspapers and two private radio stations. As the situation has deteriorated, journalists, politicians, human rights defenders, civil society activists, and senior UN officials have all faced threats, intimidation and arbitrary detention.
Well-known journalist Azory Gwanda disappeared in November last year after reporting a number of murders. The weekly newspaper Mwanahalisi was banned for two years for calling for prayers for a member of the opposition party. Similarly, the weekly Raia Mwema was banned for 90 days for publishing an article critical of the president.
In December last year, Maxence Melo, a prominent human rights defender, was arrested, and in March police arrested Emmanuel Elibariki, a popular rapper following the release of a song that supposedly insulted the president. Then there was the attempted assassination of a senior opposition lawmaker, which Chadema accuses the government of being behind. A number of MPs who have been critical of the president have been shot or wounded.What shocked many Tanzanians and the international community was Magufuli’s decree that no pregnant student would be allowed to return to school, as well as his threats to prosecute or deport anyone working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
When Halima Mdee, an MP and head of the women’s wing of Chadema, was critical of the president’s decision to ban pregnant girls from public schools, she was charged with insulting the president.However you account for Magufuli’s very tragic slide towards authoritarianism, Tanzania and Africa have lost a leader that we could put on a pedestal and say “now this is a shining example of what an African leader should do for his people”.
* Shannon Ebrahim is Independent Media's foreign editor.