AfricaPress-Tanzania: ZANZIBAR went into total grief as the islanders came out in their thousands to give a befitting farewell to the late John Magufuli, the fifth President of Tanzania.
Yes, the tourist destination of choice was almost idle for the entire part of the day, as its inhabitants swarmed the roads and streets and Amani Stadium to say big goodbye to “Magufuli, the army.”
Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi had earlier on the day led senior government leaders, including Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, to receive the body of the fallen hero at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) here.
Air Tanzania Company Limited’s aircraft that carried the casket of the highly celebrated leader from the capital Dodoma touched down at the airport at 9: 22am, as Dr Mwinyi and other leaders waited emotionally.
Besides President Mwinyi and Premier Majaliwa, were also Zanzibar Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdullah, Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, union ministers, their counterparts from the revolutionary council and the bereaved family’s members.
Shallow rains blessed the arrival of the former president’s body at the newly refurbished international airport. It took over 40 minutes for the army to complete the military protocol and allow the motorcade to leave the airport at 10:04am.
Senior army commanders, walking on the red carpet, carried the casket with the body of the former Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces from the aircraft to the waiting special military van.
It later took the convoy almost an hour to arrive at the fully packed Amani Stadium at 10:58am.
The motorcade that turned into a mournful procession with less than 10 kilometre per hour speed used the Airport road to Kiembesamaki-Mombasa- KwaMchina-Mwanakwerekwe— Magogoni to the stadium.
Wailing and mourning songs reigned as crowds of weeping and sobbing wananchi lined up on both sides of the road to bid farewell to their development icon.
Men and women; children and elderly came out in their thousands to at least have the last glance on Magufuli’s casket.
Though predominantly Muslims, the vividly emotional mourners who lined up both sides of the roads all the way from Kiembesamaki to the stadium sang Christian remembrance songs, especially “Parapanda italia…”
The Magufuli, the army song, which was coined in Dar es Salaam on Sunday as the commercial city residents escorted their champion to Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), also conquered the Zanzibar streets.
A military chopper too, hovered over the convoy as hundreds of Zanzibaris joined the motorcade and jogged on either side of the roads. Motorists and motorcyclists were there too, to escort the country’s leader, teacher and mentor.
Almost all Zanzibaris participated by either attending the Amani Stadium, lining up on the roads or closely following the proceedings on their television sets. Almost all TV stations were beaming the event live.
The paying of last respects stopped at the stadium at about 5pm and the body was again moved through Mikunguni street to Kariakoo—Michenzani—Darajani suburbs to Bububu military hospital, where the body was preserved before being airlifted to Mwanza city this morning.
