The son of a
peasant farmer, John Pombe Magufuli won the election to become
Tanzania's next president on his 56th birthday, so it is the perfect
gift for him.
He was never part of the inner-circle of the
governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, so it came as a surprise to
his critics that he secured its candidature for the presidency. His nomination angered CCM stalwart and ex-Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, who crossed to the opposition to challenge Mr Magufuli for the presidency.
With the backing of the formidable CCM machinery, Mr Magufuli won the 29 October poll with 58% of the votes to Mr Lowassa's 40% in a fiercely contested election.
As works minister in the outgoing government, he was reputed to be a no-nonsense, results-driven politician.
Five things about John Magufuli:
- The 56-year-old is a former school teacher, industrial chemist and outgoing works minister
- Nicknamed "The Bulldozer"
- A devout Catholic with a corruption-free reputation
- Performed push-ups on the campaign trail to prove he was fit
- Pledged to end power shortages and exploit Tanzania's natural gas discoveries
He became known as "The Bulldozer" for driving a programme to build roads across the country.
Those close to him say he is keen on details and when he embarks on an assignment he pursues it to completion.
However, this very trait has cost him friends.
His critics say he is very abrasive, and he received a lot of criticism for auctioning off state-owned homes to government employees and the public.
Plays traditional drums
Married with five children, Mr Magufuli was born in north-western Tanzania's Chato district along the shores of Lake Victoria.Once a maths and chemistry teacher, he went on to become an industrial chemist - and was awarded a doctorate in chemistry from Dar es Salaam University in 2009.
Mr Magufuli is a staunch Catholic who loves singing in the church choir and playing traditional drums.
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