ERICKY BONIPHACE/AFP via Getty Images
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has not been seen for 17 days, prompting rumors about his health.
Magufuli declared Tanzania Covid-free last May and stopped releasing data. He has rejected vaccines.
Media reports and claims from an opposition figure have fed rumors he is gravely ill with Covid-19.
Dar es Salaam Tanzanian President John Magufuli, Africa s most prominent Covid-19 denier, disappeared from public sight 17 days ago. Now, he is widely rumored to be seriously ill with the same virus that he has dismissed and downplayed over the past year.
Last May, Magufuli declared that Tanzania has beaten coronavirus after ordering three days of national prayer. The president abruptly stopped updating the number of cases, and assured foreign tourists that Tanzania s game parks and Indian Ocean resorts were open for business, leading to a wave of travel advisories cautioning travelers to avoid the country.