Dr John Pombe Magufuli, President of Tanzania, has asserted a strong stance against public spending and discouraged unjustified foreign travels by senior government officials, since assuming office. To do just that, he is leading by example. Shortly assuming the mantle of leadership in 2015, he made his first foreign visit to Rwanda in April 2016, using a commercial flight; in fact, this visit came five months after taking over the reins of power, as opposed to his counterparts in other poor African countries who normally spend hugely on overseas travels.
Magufuli also waged a war on corruption and wasteful spending by government officials. This has led to him losing a lot of friends; nonetheless, Magufuli will not budge, as the Minister of Works, he is widely hailed as a no-nonsense, results-driven politician and “Bulldozer”, perhaps due to his vision to pursue a program to build good roads across in Tanzania.
In 2015, when his country was gearing up of for its independence celebrations, President Magufuli ordered a nationwide clean-up exercise which he led to show that much-needed commitment as a senior statesman, Maguifuli’s move to not go for an extravagant celebration which could cost millions is commendable, in fact, he channeled the funds that were earmarked for the celebrations sort out to anti-cholera operations, that was needed most.
The Tanzanian President discouraged unnecessary physical meetings by public servants; instead, he advocated conference calls. For nepotism, favoritism and abuse of office, Maguifuli has zero tolerance for them. Magufuli wouldn’t think twice to deal with an incompetent civil servant, who lacks the zeal to wholeheartedly work for the advancement of Tanzania. On September 6, 2018. He appointed Diwani Athumani as Director-General for the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB). Corruption itself is said to be: “the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development. It undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends” (World Bank).
Magufuli’s attributes cannot be found in many African leaders, who actually know their responsibilities as heads of states but give deaf ears to them. When it was time to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, most African Heads of States took chartered flight to New York but for Magufuli, a commercial flight will do, perhaps to save cost. What a decisive and commendable move?
Another Magufuli Type of leader can be found in Mexico, its new President, Lopez Obrador, took a commercial flight instead of a chartered flight to attend the UNGA. Mr Obrador said he would be “ashamed to have a luxury Aero plane in a country with so much poverty.”
Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Political Activist
