May 5, 2020
By Sarah McCormick
TANZANIA – Tanzanian President John Magfuli has raised concerns yet again regarding the aid being received into the country, this time concerning COVID-19 test kits which produced positive results from a goat, a sheep, a jackfruit, and a Pawpaw fruit.
President Magfuli instructed security officials to utilize the test kits to ensure their efficacy, and they randomly utilized some of the tests on non-human test subjects, in this case the goat, sheep and fruit, giving them human names and ages for testing purposes.
Once sent off to the Tanzanian lab and tested, it was confirmed the three tested positive for the virus.
“There is something happening. I said before we should not accept that every aid is meant to be good for this nation,” Magufuli told Al Jazeera, adding the kits should be investigated.
Magfuli has been criticized by the press in recent weeks for asking Tanzanians to ‘pray the virus away’, and now for utilizing natural remedies – known as COVID Organics, made from Artemisia collected from the Island nation of Madagascar. He placed an order this week and is awaiting a plane full for the people of Tanzania.
Although there is no documented research on the efficiency of the medication, it has been said to improve and effectively treat COVID-19 in patients in Madagascar by Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina.
Currently, Tanzania has a confirmed 480 cases, of which the President is fairly uncertain is accurate. Just last week, the East African nation had only 284, and Magfuli believes some of the tests were sabotaged.
As of May 5th, Tanzanian Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu has officially suspended two lab workers while an investigation is underway. One of those suspended was the National Health Laboratory Director Nyambura Moremi, and Jacob Lusekelo, head of Quality Assurance.