Tanzania said it defeated coronavirus through prayer

An African leader claims his country “prayed” the virus away, but testing of those who cross the border tells a different, troubling story.

On just one day this month, 50 Tanzanian truck drivers tested positive for the coronavirus after crossing into neighbouring Kenya. 

Back home, their president insists that Tanzania has defeated the disease through prayer.

All the while, President John Magufuli has led a crackdown on anyone who dares raise concerns about the virus’s spread in his East African country or the government’s response to it. Critics have been arrested, and opposition politicians and rights activists say their phones are being tapped.

The country’s number of confirmed virus cases hasn’t changed for three weeks, and the international community is openly worrying that Tanzania’s government is hiding the true scale of the pandemic.
Just over 500 cases have been reported in a country of nearly 60 million people.

While many African countries have been praised for their response to the coronavirus, Tanzania is the most dramatic exception, run by a president who questions – or fires – his own health experts and has refused to limit people’s movements, saying the economy is the priority.

Fatma Karume, a human-rights activist and former president of the Tanganyika Law Society, said authorities are discouraging people from going to hospitals to avoid overwhelming them, but they are not giving adequate guidance about the virus.

When you are disempowering a whole nation by withholding information and creating doubt on how they should respond to the crisis, the outcome can be disastrous, Karume said.

The President has refused to shut churches, mosques and other gathering places, such as pubs and restaurants. He has questioned the accuracy of tests done by the national laboratory, saying the swabs used may themselves be tainted with the virus.

He has suspended the head of the laboratory and fired the deputy health minister. On Thursday, Mr Magufuli ordered the Health Ministry and other agencies not to receive personal protective equipment from donors until tests are done to ensure it works and is safe.

While Mr Magufuli halted international passenger flights in April, he is now allowing them to resume – and says any visitor who doesn’t have a fever will be allowed in.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and lead to death.
The President has argued that if restrictive measures are adopted, Tanzanians may have nothing to eat.

In fact, rather than urge Tanzanians to keep their distance, one Magufuli ally encouraged them to flood the streets this weekend to celebrate.

Make all kinds of noise as a sign of thanksgiving to show our God has won against disease and worries of death that were making us suffer, Paul Makonda, the regional commissioner of commercial hub Dar es Salaam, said at a news briefing.

In March, Mr Magufuli ordered three days of national prayers against COVID-19 and has since said they have been answered.

While health experts say recorded coronavirus cases and deaths the world over are undercounts, opposition leaders accuse Mr Magufuli’s government of hiding the outbreak’s true toll.

Government spokesman Hassan Abbas told The Associated Press that it would be impossible to cover up an outbreak. He also dismissed reports that hospitals were overwhelmed, noting that one, which has room for over 160 patients, only had 11.

It is unfortunate that COVID-19 has come up with lots of misinformation, propaganda and false news, he added.

Mr Abbas said Tanzania has taken measures to curb the disease, and infection rates are falling, though he gave no data.

He said the country’s health officials have been working hand-in-hand with international experts, including at the World Health Organisation. Officials outside Tanzania remain worried.