Magufuli fires Home Affairs minister for “lack of integrity”

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has sacked the government’s Home Affairs minister, Kangi Lugola, for demonstrating a “lack of integrity” over the signing of a fire department contract.

The department, under the leadership of Mr Lugola, reportedly signed a contract with a Romanian company worth US$453 million without seeking parliamentary approval or notifying the Ministry of Finance.

The deal would have seen the Romanian company supply fire-fighting equipment to the Tanzanian government.

When President Magufuli first came to office in 2015, he promised to stamp out corruption in government.

He has been known to turn up to government ministries unannounced and berate civil servants and officials for not doing their work.

Prior to entering politics Magufuli earned the nickname ‘bulldozer’ for driving a programme to build roads, but also for this hatred of wasting money.

However, his fierce reputation has also started to worry people over the declining state of democracy in the country.

Parliamentary debates are no longer televised, and members of the opposition and are often met with violence and intimidation.

Photo credit: The Citizen