If you heard and believed the reports on the news earlier this week that claimed Tanzania was no longer going to receive a proposed $300m loan due to its recent policy on women education, then President John Magufuli has a word for you.
The president has insisted that the reports should not be taken seriously as they are far from the truth.
He said the perpetrators behind the news do not wish the country well and that their plans had failed even before they hatched.
He made the claims after a meeting with the bank’s vice-president for Africa, Hafez Ghanem, in Dar es Salaam on Friday for talks on securing the $300m loan.
According to the earlier reports, the World Bank had withdrew its plans to give Tanzania the proposed loan owning to the fact that the Bank did not support the government's recent policy that restricts the re-admission of pregnant students into public schools after they deliver.
The report claimed that because the World Bank supports policies that encourage girls’ education, they have withdrew their loan as a way of protesting the policy against pregnant student, something the president say are all false.
However, President John Magufuli’s government has received attacks from local/international human rights groups and Western governments for the policy which they say is a direct discrimination on women and further thwarts the efforts of global leaders in making sure girls are educated towards achieving their full potentials.
Tanzania banned pregnant girls from attending state primary and secondary schools since 1961, and human rights group say the policy by President John Magufuli shows signs of 'growing authoritarianism and intolerance of dissent.'
Although the World Bank has openly criticized the policy and affirmed its determination to promote girl education, nothing has been said officially whether the policy will affects the Bank's commitment to the country's financial demands.
Only time will tell.
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