Tanzania's President John Magufuli who was a thorn in the flesh of most mining companies operating in the East African country, has died at the age of 61.Magufuli, who downplayed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, was believed to have succumbed to the coronavirus, although Vice President Samia Sulhu Hassan reported Wednesday night that he died of heart complications while being treated in Dar es Salaam's Mzena hospital.
"Tanzania has lost a courageous leader," said Hassan who has been tipped to complete Magufuli's term until 2025.
Magufuli, who was nicknamed "the Bulldozer" for his forceful leadership style, often publicly clashed with foreign mining companies that he accused of short-changing Tanzanians.
His government confiscated diamonds worth $30 million belonging to Petra Diamonds in 2017, accusing the miner of undervaluing the stones ahead of exportation to Antwerp.
Magufuli had in that same year branded Barrick Gold executives, thieves, during a tax spat that saw the Canadian company paying a $300 million settlement to save its licence.
Acacia Mining was forced to pay a large tax bill as it was accused of under-declaring the value of its mineral exports for about two decades.
Magufuli also signed the law that saw the government taking a 16% stake in all mining projects and further threatened to expel mining investors he accused of stealing mining resources in the country.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
