The death of Tanzania's President John Magufuli came at time when the country was feeling the pinch of its autocratic regime. But at the start of his first term, his hands-on management style, honed in his years as the country’s works minister, endeared him to a population that had long given up on the idea of visionary leadership like under Julius Nyerere in the decades after independence.
On many things, Magufuli was right. Projects could be done cheaper, and there was rampant waste and corruption within the government. He wrestled political power from a lethargic civil service and was unafraid to shame his own administrators on the ground for issues raised by citizens. He was, in fact, unafraid to shame anyone.
