DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) – At first, Tanzania’s new president appeared keen on smashing corruption and wasteful government spending, capturing the admiration of many in this East African country with austerity measures like rarely traveling abroad.
Then came President John Pombe Magufuli’s more startling decrees.
He banned all opposition rallies until 2020, when the next election is due. He approved a tough new cybercrime law under which some Tanzanians have been charged with insulting him in WhatsApp chats.
Less than a year after his election, Magufuli has split public opinion with what some describe as undemocratic attempts to reform the government.
Others see them as exhilarating.