Tanzania President, John Magufuli, sacked two senior officials on Monday for failing to immediately recall the amount of money allocated for construction of roads.
This was said to be in tune with the President’s campaign promises of eliminating corruption and red-tapism concerning any project.
Magufili who was nicknamed ‘Bulldozer’ for his stern position on issues has sacked thousands of civil servants over the past two years in a crackdown on government inefficiency and corruption.
“You can’t talk to me like that,” Magufuli said at the launch of a new airport in the lakeside town of Bukoba, which was televised live. Dau had informed the president that she oversees many departments and could therefore not immediately recall the exact budget allocated for road projects.
The Tanzanian President, who served as the public works minister for nearly 20 years before becoming president, is widely known for having data at his fingertips, and frequently recites monetary figures and exact lengths of roads to their decimal points without referring to notes.
“I will continue to straighten out those few people who have been looting this country in order to ensure that the majority of the population can reap the benefits,” he said.
Critics accuse his administration of being increasingly autocratic, but the president declared on Monday that his government “respects democracy”.
