(CNN) Tanzanian President John Magufuli has fired a home affairs minister accused of attending parliament while under the influence of alcohol. Home affairs minister Charles Kitwanga showed up in parliament and responded to questions while drunk, the President’s office said in a statement Saturday.
It did not provide additional details on the incident or when it took place. The former minister could not be immediately reached for comment.
Magufuli was sworn in November, and has made addressing corruption and government inefficiency a cornerstone of his administration. After he assumed office, he made his intentions clear in his first speech to parliament.
“I’m telling government officers who are lazy and negligent to be prepared: They were tolerated for a long time. This is the end,” Magufuli warned.
Tanzanians are big fans of the President, who is nicknamed “The Bulldozer.”
Since sweeping to victory last year, he has slashed Cabinet positions, merged some ministries and fired tainted officials, including the nation’s anti-corruption chief.
His reforms have inspired one of the country’s most enduring hashtags — #WhatWouldMagufuliDo — which citizens use to mimic his no-frills approach for comic effect.
Leave a Reply