John Magufuli: Tanzania Arrests Over Missing President Rumour

POLICE in Tanzania have arrested four people on suspicion of spreading rumours on social media that President John Magufuli is ill.

The 61-year-old leader has not been seen in public for more than two weeks.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said last week that Mr Magufuli was “healthy and working hard”.

But opposition politicians have said he’s in a serious condition after contracting Covid-19 and had been flown abroad for treatment.

“To spread rumours that he’s sick smacks of hate,” Mr Majaliwa said on Friday, adding that he had spoken to him on the phone and that he had sent his greetings to the public.

On Monday, Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan told Tanzanians not to listen to rumours and urged them to remain united.

“It’s quite normal for anybody to be afflicted by illness, to contract flu or a fever… this is the time for Tanzanians to be united through prayer,”