Museveni envies Magufuli “a dedicated servant”

President Yoweri Museveni has paid tribute to the former Tanzanian President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli describing him as a dedicated servant of Tanzania, East Africa and the entire continent.

Magufuli, 61, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Dar es Salaam. His death was announced by the then Vice President Samia Suhulu. Today, President Museveni visited the Tanzanian High Commission to pay tribute to Magufuli where he signed a condolence book. 

He said that it is unfortunate that he is mourning Magufuli on the day the deceased leader was supposed to be in the country to sign key agreements for commercialization of the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline between Uganda, Tanzania, and Total SE, the parent company of Total E &P.

Museveni said that two weeks ago, he wrote to Magufuli jokingly telling him that today would be a double victory day because 42-years ago, on March, 21, the Tanzanian People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) together with Uganda Freedom fighters led by President Museveni had defeated the Army of President Idi Amin in Rugando, Mbarara.

Instead Magufuli will be buried on buried. On Monday according to Tanzanian Media, President Uhuru Kenyatta, Malawi’s Lazarus Chakwera and Edgar Lungu of Zambia as well as Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi Vice President Prosper Bazombanza. Attended a requiem mass at Dodoma where Magufuli’s casket lay in state.

Also in attendance were head of states Comoros, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And they did. Rwanda, Angola and Burundi were represented by high ranking officials.

Meanwhile in Dar es Salaam where tens of thousands of people turned to view the body of the former president, a woman and four children were confirmed to have died but the number of fatalities could rise to above 40.
In Uganda, Museveni said that Magufuli’s death is a sad occurrence that has left a great challenge in not only Tanzania but the whole of Africa.

He also said that that leaders should emulate Magufuli’s legacy of being a dedicated servant.

On Saturday, President Museveni declared 14 days of mourning in honour of the deceased leader. Museveni also directed that the flags of Uganda and that of the East African community shall be flown are half-mast throughout Uganda’s missions abroad.

On Friday, Sami Hassan Suluhu, who was Magufuli’s Vice President was sworn in as the first female president of Tanzania. 

Magufuli is said to have died of heart related conditions, an ailment he had for ten years But many believe that he died of covid.

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