AfricaPress-Tanzania: SECURITY forces yesterday had a tough job of controlling grief-stricken multitudes that turned up to pay last respects to the late President John Magufuli in Mwanza city.
By 5am, the venue of the event—the CCM Kirumba Stadium— was full of mourners from Mwanza itself as well as neighbouring regions of Kagera, Simiyu, Shinyanga and Mara. Also flocked at down was the Mwanza International Airport where the body arrived from Zanzibar.
Security units from the military, police, paramilitary and municipal auxiliaries had to put a strong cordon at the airport entrance and the stadium to keep at bay mourners bent to come close to the casket, against all odds.
After the plane carrying the body touched down at 7:30am, security officers lined up on both sides of Makongoro Road to allow the military hearse and convoy to make it though slowly to the stadium.
Regional authorities had announced earlier that people line up on the sides of the road in neighbourhoods where the convoy would pass, but many thronged the airport instead of remaining home and lining up on the streets. They then started to jog several kilometers to the stadium.
The convoy left the airport at 8:08am and crawled through a number of Mwanza city suburbs including Ilemela, Sabasaba, Iloganzala, Pasiansi, Nyamanoro and stopped for a minute at the house of Selemani Nassoro where the late Magufuli once stayed when he was already Works minister, proceeding to Bwiru Corner, Ghana Street before entering Furahisha Road and finally the CCM Kirumba Stadium.
The song Magufuli Jeshi (Magufuli one-man-army) was sung by the crowds, including women who walked or partly ran along the path of the convoy from the airport to the stadium.
Upon arrival, security had another tough job of stopping the sea of people from entering as the stadium was already full to capacity ready for the official function.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, who chairs the national funeral committee, said at the ceremony that he had a message from President Samia Suluhu Hassan who wished people of Lake Zone strength during these difficult moments and asked Tanzanians to remain one people and work to achieve an even more united and prosperous Tanzania.
After the viewing of the body by public officials and guests present, it was drove around the stadium for the crowd to pay last respects, then left for Chato district in Geita region where Magufuli’s burial is set to take place tomorrow.
The convoy used the Kigongo-Busisi Bridge in Missungwi district where it stopped for 10 minutes to allow residents to pay their last respects. Apart from boasting a modern bridge that has replaced ferries, this is also home village of the late president’s widow, Janeth Magufuli.
The late President Magufuli died in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday last week. Announcing the death on a televised address to the nation, then-Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said that he succumbed to a heart condition he had been battling for nearly 10 years.
The VP was sworn in last Friday to take over as Union President in sync with the constitution, hence making history as the first woman president in Tanzania and major partner states in the East African Community (EAC) zone.
the late President John Magufuli in Mwanza city.
