Tanzania's Magufuli vows to continue fight against corruption

Tanzania’s president, John Magufuli, has vowed to root out corruption in his ruling party, threatening “no mercy” for anyone giving or taking bribes.

Businesses have long said corruption and slow government bureaucracy were major obstacles to investing in Tanzania, which is ranked towards the bottom third of Transparency International’s 2015 index of least corrupt countries.

Saying ending party corruption was one of his priorities, Magufuli said he would reform the CCM, including helping it attain financial independence to avoid a reliance on campaign contributions from business executives.

Magufuli has drawn widespread praise from Tanzanians and other Africans for his aggressive anti-graft drive on a continent where graft has crippled major public services.

He has already dismissed several senior government officials, including the head of the government’s anti-graft body, the country’s top tax chief, a senior rail official and the head of the country’s port authority.