To go the Magufuli or Biden way?
Emmy Emuron
As populaces world over continue to grapple with the nightmare of economic and socio-political pressures, Tanzania is living the dream. Not long ago, the East African democracy celebrated an upgrade from low to middle income status.
Tanzania’s burgeoning economy is largely attributed to the leadership of fallen statesman, John Pombe Magufuli. The late president’s radical reformist platform, pragmatism and high ethical standards, especially in fighting graft, pumped new blood into the country’s system and effected its elevation to the current level of growth in record-breaking time.
For the achievements that resulted from his management style, Magufuli left a legacy of great respect and admiration from the people of Tanzania and beyond.
However, his tenure of presidency was just as much shrouded in controversy, with Covid-19 being a top hot-button issue.
While many socio-political analysts grappled anything to explain Magufuli’s near miraculous achievements, his handling of the coronavirus situation, generally perceived as laissez-faire, revealed the core foundation of his leadership and the accompanying achievements.
Unexpectedly, in dealing with the health crisis, the professional scientist sharply contrasted his peers preferring to put his Christian faith beliefs ahead of science. Despite the grim predictions by global health experts citing an impending catastrophe in Tanzania, for over a year now, the people there have gone about living their normal unrestrained lives; working and also reaping handsomely from the influx of visitors escaping the raft of overbearing restrictions back home.
As to whether the Covid-19 cases in Tanzania have soared in this period is arguable. What’s known, though, is that there’s yet to be breaking news of multitudes dropping dead on the streets! In dealing with perhaps the greatest challenge of his lifetime, Magufuli placed God front and centre of the crisis. He treaded where only handful of renowned global church leaders dared; publicly declaring that God would protect Tanzania, choosing rather to bow to and exalt the Lordship of God over the country than to walk down the path of least resistance and cower to the tyranny of science.
How he approached this mammoth global challenge and the wonders that followed revealed the spiritual foundation upon which all his success was built. So to analyse Magufuli’s achievements without observing his strong Christian beliefs, is akin to an attempt to prepare an omelette without eggs.
On the contrary, president Joe Biden’s perspective on handling coronavirus has been one of strict adherence to science and sharp contrast to his predecessor, Donald Trump. Overall, in many circles, the debate on whether to let people have the freedom to pay allegiance to faith over science, or the reverse, always emerges. There’s no price though for telling that each bears consequences!
In his May 25 open letter to the political leaders of Uganda’ prophet Elvis Mbonye underscores the fact that the political head of a nation is the prime entry point for agendas—Godly or ungodly.
Retrospectively, on Tuesday January 26, Joe Biden was the subject of a spine-chilling prophecy. In the revelation, the prophet announced a forthcoming meeting between the US and India that would appear to be a partnership but was rather “a move that shall begin to bring idolatry and to exalt it.”
Hardly two months later, on March 20, global media outlets were awash with news of a meeting between the US Secretary of Defence and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a stroke of fate, this was almost immediately followed by the news of president Biden falling times on Air Force One staircase.
This, however, could possibly be interpreted as merely a warning so that the concerned parties take heed, because the other half of the revelation seems to paint a fairly dreadful picture. Whichever path a nation’s leader may opt for; Magufuli’s way or the Biden way, in his letter to the politicians prophet Elvis sternly notes that, “You can ignore God but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring God.”
Emmy Emuron
