Magufuli’s trip to South Africa 5th since he came to power, 1st outside East African region

Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli yesterday arrived at OR Tambo International Airport at 2:00pm ahead of the South African president’s Inauguration ceremony today.

Magufuli’s trip to South Africa who since coming to power in 2015 is recorded as one of the least traveled Presidents in Africa.

The cost-saving president has traveled a record five times, four of the times coming within the East African region and slightly outside to Ethiopian for the African Union summit in January 2017.

Magufuli has visited only five countries; Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and now South Africa. According to the Tanzanian presidency, Magufuli dreads traveling to foreign trips because it is more costly, he would rather have his foreign minister represent him at gatherings in Europe.

The Tanzanian President has also only attended just two presidential inaugurations and completely shunned the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He has shunned SADC meetings.

On the other hand, President Museveni has been in South Africa twice in two months now.

Magufuli is among foreign leaders attending the inauguration ceremony of Cyril Ramaphosa. He joins Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Sudan;s Salva Kiir, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, Namibia’s Hage Geingob.

Also present are; Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Swaziland’s King Mswati and DRC’s Felix Tshilombo Tshisekedi.