Dr John Joseph Magufuli (29 October 1959 – 17 March 2021) was a Tanzanian politician. He was the President of Tanzania from 2015 until his death. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania, Magufuli became known for not believing that the virus was real or a threat.
He was in the Cabinet of Tanzania as Deputy Minister of Works from 1995 to 2000, Minister of Works from 2000 to 2006, Minister of Lands and Human Settlement from 2006 to 2008, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries from 2008 to 2010, and as Minister of Works for a second time from 2010 to 2015.
Beginning in late February 2021, Magufuli was not seen publicly and rumors arose that he was hospitalized with COVID-19. On 10 March 2021, a Kenyan newspaper reported that an "African leader" was in bad health because of COVID.
Magufuli died at a Dar es Salaam hospital on 17 March 2021, aged 61. The cause of death was said to be heart failure by the Tanzanian government.