AfricaPress-Tanzania: GEITA Regional Commissioner Robert Gabriel has appealed to people in special groups — elders, children and disabled — to stay home during the funeral of the late President John Magufuli to avert congestion at the graveyard.
He urged the people in special groups to monitor the funeral and burial proceedings on televisions at their respective homes to avoid sort of stampede.
“We are so sure that everyone would wish to take part in the funeral ceremony, but to avoid congestion they should follow the proceedings on television. There’s limited place at Chato compared to other regions where crowds have been appearing to pay their last respects to Dr Magufuli. We also need to be able to serve those who will attend, in a right proportion of the available first aid service providers,” he explained.
According to Gabriel, Chato is a small place to accommodate a big number of people in any way, “Some mourners should line up along the road when the body would be entering Chato,” he said.
Prayers for the deceased president were conducted at the Magufuli Stadium on Thursday. He said very few people, mostly prominent figures, will be allowed to visit the graveyard in a bid to avoid congestion.
“I call upon for residents to closely listen to various announcements on the media,” he said.
President Magufuli died Wednesday last week at the Mzena Hospital. Dar es Salaam residents were the first to bid him farewell before his body was airlifted to Dodoma, Zan
zibar, Mwanza and finally transported by road to home village in Chato District for burial.
