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Tanzania’s main opposition party has called for the suspension of Parliament after three lawmakers died of unknown causes in the past 11 days.
Freeman Mbowe, chairman of the opposition Chadema party, has repeatedly accused the government of covering up the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic, and hinted that MPs had died of Covid-19, the disease caused by the pathogen.
“We regret continuing to receive the deaths of MPs and other Tanzanians caused by Covid-19 infections,” Mbowe said in a statement on Friday, asking Parliament to suspend its business for at least 21 days and to test all MPs, staff of parliament and their families.
“We believe that stricter measures are needed to protect lawmakers, as well as Tanzanians in general. As the authorities have yet to make decisions, we want our MPs to be safe by isolating them immediately,” he added.
Mbowe also called on his party’s lawmakers to self-quarantine for at least two weeks and to stop attending parliamentary sessions.
His comments came after it was announced that Agustin Mahiga, Tanzania’s minister of constitution and legal affairs, had died earlier on Friday, without an official explanation for his death. The legislator was 74 years old.
His death followed that of Gertrude Rwakatare on April 20 and Richard Ndassa on April 29.
The government has not commented on the cause of their deaths, issuing statements only to announce his death and convey his condolences.
Last month, Parliament announced that a parliamentarian had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
By Wednesday, Tanzania had confirmed 480 coronavirus cases and 16 deaths, the only update it has given in the past nine days.
Regular updates were given until President John Magufuli on April 22 said that the Ministry of Health was “causing panic” with its announcements of cases and deaths.
Tanzania is one of the few countries in Africa that has not cracked down on Covid-19, and Magufuli is among a handful of world leaders who still downplay the severity of the disease.
Schools and universities have closed, but markets and other commercial activities still continue, and Magufuli urges citizens to continue to work hard and to keep going to church or mosques.
“As the world goes through difficult times after the coronavirus outbreak, let us continue to work hard. The coronavirus should not keep us from serving Tanzanians. I think God will move us forward,” he said in a message to public officials on May 1. .
Mbowe said Wednesday that Magufuli was in a “state of denial.”
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