Tanzania's ex-president John Pombe Magufuli's death was announced on March 19. The official cause was heart complications but the exiled main opposition candidate insists it was from COVID-19.

Magufuli has been labeled a COVID-19 sceptic by most international media because of pronouncements he made around the virus since the country recorded cases.

From his order for suspension of testing, to refusing to impose any protocols at a time the entire continent was going in that line and his outright rejection of vaccines when most countries were taking delivery of jabs and planning to roll out inoculation.

GhanaWeb looks at a number of anti-COVID quotes Magufuli delivered despite concerns by the Church, opposition and the World Health Organization relative to the East African country's handling of the pandemic.

May 2020

In early May 2020, Magufuli questioned the effectiveness of testing after he said non-human samples had in some cases returned positive. Engine oil sample after laboratory tests came back negative, but papaya and a goat tested positive.

“We saw it (the laboratory) was just testing positive and I, therefore, sent some officials to go check on the testing kits…I always say, not everything given to you is in good condition. It could be sabotage because this is a war,” he said.

The Africa CDC and WHO Africa Office rejected the claims stressing that Tanzania was using the same kit as all the African countries.

May 2020

Still in May, Magufuli told a church gathering about plans to import a herbal remedy from Madagascar whiles questioning the kits and their effectiveness.

“There is something happening. I said before we should not accept that every aid is meant to be good for this nation.”

“I’m communicating with Madagascar. They have got a medicine. We will send a flight there and the medicine will be brought in the country so that Tanzanians too can benefit.”

May 2020

“We have decided to go this way, to depend on God, we have started with God and we shall finish with Him. In reality God has answered our prayers, the number of infected is dropping”

“There is not going to be any such thing as lockdown in Tanzania, God will help us. We need to work hard, once the other East Africans are done with their lockdown, they will come to us, and we shall still help them with food, we will not against discriminate them,” he told another church gathering.

June 2020

“I want to thank Tanzanians of all faiths. We have been praying and fasting for God to save us from the pandemic that has afflicted our country and the world. But God has answered us.

“I believe, and I’m certain that many Tanzanians believe, that the corona disease has been eliminated by God,” the president told worshippers in Dodoma during a church service on Sunday, June 7.

February 2021

"Maybe we have wronged God somewhere," Magufuli told mourners at a funeral for his chief secretary, John Kijazi. "Let us all repent."

"We managed to defeat these respiratory diseases through prayer last year. I am sure we will do so this year,"

January 2021

“You should stand firm. Vaccinations are dangerous. If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, he should have found a vaccination for Aids by now; he would have found a vaccination of tuberculosis by now; he would have found a vaccination for malaria by now; he would have found a vaccination for cancer by now,” he said.

“The Health ministry must know that not every vaccination is meaningful to our nation. Tanzanians must be mindful so that we are not used for trials of some doubtful vaccinations which can have serious repercussions on our health,” he added.