The building of dams has long been a controversial issue, particularly in the current climate change era.
The construction of “Stiegler’s Gorge”, officially the “Rufiji Hydropower” project in Tanzania was no exception. Environment experts and activists as well as the head of UNESCO had tried to persuade the late President of Tanzania, John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, who passed away in March, not to proceed with this project. It is situated in the iconic Selous Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and aims to increase the country’s insufficient electricity grid. This is needed, but the site within the game park should not have been the answer. It will badly affect the ecosystem and the welfare of the rare game, which includes elephants, black rhinos, hippos, African wild dogs. The game park has already suffered great losses due to poaching. Experts also questioned the economic viability of a project, whose costs is more than likely to exceed the anticipated $3.6 Billion.
President Magufuli refused to listen to any objection.
A highly popular leader, he was respected for his reputation to refuse any bribery and honoured for his efforts to outlaw corruption Thus he sacked civil servants involved in any corruption, ordered a survey of some Ministers’ accounts and ended the system of “10 000 ghost workers”, which had long benefited a network of civil servants, thus saving the State $2m.
At the same time, he ruled autocratically. After he had come to power in 2015, independent media was banned, 20 opposition Members of Parliament were imprisoned, one opponent was shot 16 times. He survived and lives in exile. The President ignored the threat of Covid 19 and suggested prayers and herbal medication to combat it. Tanzania had issued no figures regarding the pandemic after April 2020.
Two articles in “Afrika Süd” (May/June) have portrayed these two sides of Magufuli: the dictator and the “Bulldozer”, who even faced down international mining corporations.
The question is still open, how his successor, the first female Moslem President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Zanzibar can deal with Magufulira’s six-year heritage. Abortion, violence in marriage, were not topics for the former President, schoolgirls who fell pregnant were excluded from classes. President Magufulira still has followers within the government. President Samia Suhulu Hassan is proceeding with caution. She has already stated that freedom of the media is essential.
Covid 19 is a major issue. It took two months after Magufulira’s death that new Corona rules were introduced for travellers and visitors. On the 20th of June, the government warned of a third wave of infections and proposed the wearing of masks and social distancing. Reporters found that this had made little impact on the day, when popular places of entertainment were crowded as usual, with no masks in sight and no social distancing. Some guests had not heard of the warning, others ignored it and a few doubted the pandemic existed.
It is possible that new rules will be needed. Tanzania may have to reveal the number of infections and death, as this is a precondition for certain foreign loans. The influence of the former strong President has not yet waned.
Incidentally as far as “Stiegler‘s Gorge” was concerned, he had declared that any critic would end in prison.