AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT John Magufuli on Friday eulogised the late Zanzibar’s first Vice-President Seif Sharif Hamad, describing him as a unique leader.
The Head of State spoke of the departed Zanzibar opposition leader on Friday in Dar es Salaam during the state funeral held for the late Chief Secretary Amb Eng John Kijazi who died on Wednesday at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma.
The moving eulogy from the president came hardly a day after the burial of the late Zanzibar First Vice-President, who also served as ACT-Wazalendo national chairperson.
“Maalim Seif was a very unique leader…I found him to be a different person contrary to the image which was portrayed by some other people,” said President Magufuli.
He pointed out that the nation suffered a serious blow by the loss of the notable figure in Tanzania politics.
Expounding on the uniqueness of the late Zanzibar first VP, Dr Magufuli said he first met Maalim Seif after the 2015 general election.
He recounted that his encounter with the opposition leader was proceeded by three letters from Maalim Seif himself, seeking audience with him (Dr Magufuli) but remained hesitant to respond.
“I contemplated of his intention of seeking audience with me while he did not even take part in the repeated Zanzibar General Elections held in 2015,” noted the President.
He said all the times when he received the letters, he sought a second opinion and advice from Zanzibar but was told to give the matter a time before coming up with a decision.
“In the end, I made a decision to meet him, and when he arrived at the State House in Dar es Salaam, I found him to be a different person, quite the opposite from the image which had been portrayed before by others,” President Magufuli testified in eulogy.
He described the discussion they had during their meeting at the State House as interesting and fruitful during which the late First VP gave reasons for not taking part in the repeat elections.
After talks, President Magufuli said, Maalim Seif made an assurance of not inciting violence during the entire presidential term, creating favourable environment for former Zanzibar President Dr Ali Mohammed Shein to deliver to Zanzibaris.
President Magufuli said Maalim Seif walked his talk as he never involved himself in any kind of chaos nor did he incite violence in Zanzibar throughout the presidential term.
“This was indeed true, Maalim lived up to his promise…he told me that he was a strong advocate of peace and he would want the Zanzibaris and all Tanzania to live peacefully.
“I vividly witnessed him living up to his promise even after the said five years,” he said.
Expounding further, the Head of State observed that in the 2020 General Election Maalim was still a part of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Besides, the last time, the first VP of Zanzibar visited Chato while accompanying the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Mwinyi.
He pointed out that during the visit to Chato, they had a very smooth discussion whereby he gave him an elaborate history of him when he was in CCM by then TANU.
He told me that this was not the first time he has been to Chato, he had gone there before while promoting TANU.
“He was a very witty person and always even in Chato he has been preaching about unity among the Zanzibaris and Tanzanians and he lived this up to the last days of his life.
“I can say that he has completed his time by fulfilling his wish of building unity and peace among all Tanzanians,” stressed the President.
