AfricaPress-Tanzania: FOLLOWING the death of Dr John Pombe Magufuli, Dodoma City Council has vowed to keep his dream of making the capital city alive.
the city mayor, Prof Davis Mwamfumpe, said the roadmap which had been drawn by Dr Magufuli in modernising the capital should be completed to embrace his name.
“He did good things here, but there a lot of unfinished business like the Major Stadium, Msalato International Airport and ring roads around our city in cooperation with the central government. We will finish them to embrace his name and his legacy,” said Prof Mwamfupe.
However, Mr Mwamfupe said Dodoma City Council would stand firm to walk on the foundation that Dr Magufuli had established to ensure the stability and sustainability of the capital city.
He said Dr Magufuli had the big vision with Dodoma, the dream which he inherited from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. “So my council will not let that dream vanish.”
“We will stand to protect his dream; he wanted this city to be on top, that is why he constructed a modern bus stand, a modern market and many more facilities to facilitate the government in a reallocation process which started in his first tenure in office,” he explained.
Moreover, Prof Mwamfupe said the best way to embrace Dr Magufuli was for all public leaders and Tanzanians to live according to what he was advocating, including stopping exploitation and classes in society.
On his part, the head chief of all chiefs in the Central Zone, Chief Mazengo II, said: “We were forgotten, but President Magufuli valued much about his tradition. During his time we have been invited and involved in many government’s occasions. He has a huge contribution to reviving the chiefdom system,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, small-scale traders in Dodoma had said they would remember Dr John Magufuli for his great contribution to creating an enabling environment for them to do business.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview in Dodoma, Mr Frank Damiano, who is a shoe seller, along Ninth Street said they had received the death of President Magufuli with great sadness.
“He defended us a lot. We were doing our businesses with a lot of humiliation, but when he came to power he created a good environment for us to do our businesses and now there is no disturbance anymore from local authorities,” he said.
He also acknowledged free education that had enabled more children to be enrolled and go to school and big economic projects like SGR and Nyerere Hydropower.
He said traders would continue admiring him for the good things he had done and become a great advocate of the poor and marginalised citizens.
In another development, retailers have created decorated posters around their premises with the message ‘Machinga will always remember you’ as a way of celebrating his contribution to improving the business environment.
Another businessman, Mr Shem Hassan said they would always remember President Magufuli for creating an enabling and dignified environment for doing business.
“In the past we were chased by militiamen. When President Magufuli came to power it was the time we started having freedom to do our businesses. He has helped us a lot in this and so he will remain in our hearts,” he said.
Dodoma resident Alfakisadi Ganyara said the death of Dr Magufuli was so sudden and shocking that nobody thought of it or knew he was seriously sick.
“Whoever succeeds him must embrace him by completing the strategic projects he has started,” he argued.
Mr Jumanne John, who is a motorcyclist, said many Tanzanians are touched by the death of Dr Magufuli because he had a true vision of bringing about development and dignity to Tanzanians.
“He was a role model to many of us. He was a leader who rejected hypocrisy, he was so straightforward, if you make a mistake he was open and told you the truth right there,” he noted.
