Tanzanian President Flies Economy Class On Passenger Plane While Paul Biya Charters Luxury Jets

MAGUFULI IS SETTING NEW STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY FOR AFRICAN PRESIDENTS

Tanzanian President John Magufuli is fast becoming Africa's new model for good leadership. The president flew to Zimbabwe on Teusday, October 4 2016 for an official visit in the economy section of a normal passenger plane.

Magufuli has reportedly made only two foreign trips since he was elected last November- one to Rwanda by road and another to Uganda using Air Tanzania. Magufuli usually delegates to his ambassadors abroad most foreign functions that make African presidents travel a lot. His cost-saving and modest behavior is attracting attention across the African continent like a bushfire in the harmattan.

For example, neighbouring Kenyans have started comparing his leadership with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta who has at some point been described as a tourist president.

In Cameroon, the extravagant strongman Paul Biya relies on luxury private charter jets to ferry him back and forth from Cameroon to Europe. This happens alarmingly often at the cost of Cameroonian taxpayers .The octogenarian leader spends extended periods living in Intercontinental  hotel in Switzerland.

In 2010, Biya's holiday in southern France was the subject of articles in the Cameroonian and French press which alleged he was spending $40,000 a day on 43 hotel rooms for him and his 40 man delegation. Officials at the time defended the president's right to spend the money allotted to him the way he wished.Because of his lengthy absences - sometimes two or three months at a time - he is known by his critics as the "absentee landlord".