AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT Hussein Mwinyi on Sunday led Zanzibaris during a mass special prayer (Khitma) for the late Zanzibar’s First Vice-President, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad.
Hamad passed on last Wednesday at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, where he was receiving treatments. He was laid to rest at Nyali, Mtambwe in Pemba on Thursday evening.
The special prayers for the late leader took place at Jadida Wete School in Pemba on Saturday and Maisara grounds- Zanzibar City, Unguja.
Several leaders from different political parties, religious groups and the government attended the prayers.
Sheikh Abubakar Al-Khashim and the Grand Mufti of Zanzibar Sheikh Saleh Omar Kabi led the prayers, reminding that all human beings will taste death.
“Let us love each other while promoting the culture of forgiveness as among the conducts of late Maalim Seif,” the clerics said.
The Minister of State (Constitution, Legal affairs, Public Service and Good Governance) Mr Haroun Ali Suleiman thanked all those who turned out to attend the Khitma prayers, saying “it is our expression of love to the late Maalim Seif, who also promoted unity and solidarity”.
“The task at hand is to promote, strengthen, and maintain the existing unity, peace and solidarity along with prayers for the President, all government officials and political parties,” added Mr Suleiman.
In Pemba Island, the prayers were led by ACT Wazalendo party Vice-Chairperson Mr Juma Duni Haji, who thanked the government and the Tanzanians in general for the great cooperation during Maalim Seif’s funeral.
“I am glad that during the whole period of funeral, all people were united as one, regardless of their political differences. We should maintain this kind of unity,” Mr Haji said, promising that ACT-Wazalendo will continue to remain united even without the late Hamad.
Other ACT-Wazalendo leaders who attended the Khitma prayers in Pemba were the party leader Mr Zitto Zubeir Kabwe; Secretary General Mr Ado Shaibu and the Deputy Secretary General Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui among other leaders.
Meanwhile condolence messages have continued to pour in following the death of late Hamad.
The Association of People with disabilities-Zanzibar (UWZ) is the latest non-governmental organisation to send a letter of condolence to Zanzibar President, Dr Mwinyi in the wake of Hamad’s death.
In the letter signed by the UWZ Executive Director Mr Shaibu Abdalla Mohamed, the association said late Hamad was a man of the people, who worked hard to see that people with disabilities get their rights.
In another development, people in various mosques in Zanzibar city led by their leaders conducted a special ‘dua’ (prayer) asking God to save the world against diseases and other challenges.
This was in response to President John Magufuli’s call on Tanzanians to rely on God while observing health precautions.
President Magufuli and Zanzibar President, Dr Hussein Mwinyi declared three and seven days respectively, for mourning of the fallen icon of opposition politics in both Mainland and semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
