AfricaPress-Tanzania: MINISTER of State in the Second Vice President’s Office (Policy, Coordination, and House of Representatives) Dr Khalid Salum Mohamed has announced the closure of government offices on Tuesday to allow civil servants join other residents here to mourn and pay last respects to the late President John Magufuli.
He said that leaders in the government would receive a coffin containing the body of the late Magufuli at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) before driving to Amani Stadium where leaders will lead mourners in paying their last respects.
Dr Magufuli died suddenly last Wednesday.
Dr Mohamed, in a radio and television broadcast, urged mourners to line-up along the road from the airport — Mombasa kwa Mchina, Mwanakwerekwe-Amani in Urban West region on Unguja Island, to show love and bid farewell to the fallen president.
“The government has decided that on Tuesday people shouldn’t go to work, instead go to Amani Stadium where the body of the late president will be placed from 7.45 am in the morning.
Leaders, officers from United Nations offices and Consulates here will begin to pay their respects to the late Magufuli followed by the public,” Dr Mohamed said, adding that the clerics from Hindu, Anglican, Muslim, and Roman Catholic will lead prayers.
The minister directed Regional and District Commissioners to help and ensure that all people in their respective areas who want to reach Amani Stadium to pay respects to Magufuli do so and also comply with the Union President Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan’s orders to place condolence books for signing in their offices.
Political parties – Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and ACT Wazalendo – through press release and press conference, respectively, called upon their supporters and members to turn up in big numbers to pray and pay respects to the late Dr Magufuli.
Ms Catherine Peter Nao, CCM Publicity and Ideology Secretary, Zanzibar, said “We ask all our people regardless of political affiliation to turn out in big number at Amani Stadium to ‘say goodbye to the late Magufuli who was our beloved president particularly the defender of the rights of poor people,”.
Mr Salum Bimani, ACT Wazalendo- Public Relations Secretary, echoed the same call to their members.
Both Ms Nao and Mr Bimani, in separate statements, said it was too soon for Magufuli to ‘depart’, as many of his plans, in the interest of majority people, were just underway.
