A year to forget! Deaths that shocked Tanzania in 2020

Dar es Salaam. Demises of the third phase government President Benjamin Mkapa, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister Augustine Mahiga, Members of Parliament (MPs) Rashid Akbar, Getrude Rwakatare and Richard Ndassa are the deaths that shocked the nation in 2020.

Also, the list includes the passing on of ex-Industry and Trade ministers Iddi Simba and Dr Cyril Chami, Tanzania’s Ethics Secretariat Commissioner Harold Nsekela, retired Judge Augustino Ramadhani, business tycoons Subhash Patel and Salim Ahmed Turky.

In the same year, the former Mafia MP and the commissioner general for Scout Abdulkarim Esmail Shah took his last breathe.

Speaking about the deaths, the CCM’s political affairs and international relations secretary, Colonel (rtd) Ngemela Lubinga, described the demises as a huge blow for Tanzania.

He said the deceased significantly contributed to the development of the country, stressing the nation still wanted their input.

“Despite their deaths, Tanzania has flourished in 2020 after recording achievements in the war against Covid-19; entering the lower middle income economy and exercising democracy during the October 28 General Election that saw CCM remain in power,” he said over the phone.

Chadema’s Protocol, Communications and Foreign Affairs director John Mrema said the deaths of businessmen have caused some troubles in trade and investment in the country.

According to him, retired leaders and businessmen should document their history, success stories and challenges for the future generation to learn.

“They should emulate documentation tradition from the founding father of the nation Julius Nyerere; the late ex-President Benjamin Mkapa and business tycoon Reginald Mengi,” he suggested.

Ex-President Mkapa died aged 81 at a Dar es Salaam hospital where he was receiving treatment, according to death announcement issued on July 24 through Tanzania Broadcasting Cooperation (TBC) by President John Magufuli.

Though announcement did not mention the cause of his death, a family spokesperson William Erio told mourners during the funeral mass on Sunday of July 26, in Dar es Salaam that the former President died of cardiac arrest.

He was laid to rest at Lupaso village in Masasi District, Mtwara Region on July 29, 2020 in the event attended by thousands of mourners led by President Magufuli and other top government officials.

Speaking during the event, Dr Magufuli said the late Mkapa suggested his burial to be held at Lupaso after learning that the government had allocated a cemetery in the capital of Dodoma for Presidential burials.

“He refused to be buried out of his village which shows the love he had to his home place and people, something that should be emulated,” said Dr Magufuli.

Earlier on May 1, 2020, Tanzania’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister Augustine Mahiga died at his home in Dodoma after a short illness.

“By the moment Dr Mahiga was taken to hospital, he had already passed away,’’ a report from Dodoma read.

Following his demise, President Magufuli described the fallen diplomat as a humble man, who could not change despite holding various top government positions.

He was the former Tanzania’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) from 2003 to 2010 and the UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia from 2010 to 2013.

Dr Mahiga was buried on May 3, 2020 in his home village of Tosamaganga in Iringa, during the event attended by vice president Samia Suluhu Hassan as tributes kept flowing from different parts of the world.

Earlier, in January 15, Newala Rural legislator Rashid Ajali Akbar was pronounced dead at Mingoyo in Lindi Region.

His death was mourned by the government through President Magufuli and the Parliament via Speaker Job Ndugai who separately sent condolence to the grieving family.

The Parliament once again passed through difficult moments following deaths of St Mary’s Schools network founder and owner, Dr Gertrude Rwakatare and Sumve lawmaker Richard Ndassa.

The Special Seats MP under the CCM ticket, Dr Rwakatare died at a Dar es Salaam hospital on April 20, Mr Ndassa died in Dodoma at the wee hours of April 29.

The trend of deaths forced Speaker Ndugai to suspend parliamentary sessions on April 30.

The Industry and Trade docket was not spared following the death of ex-ministers Iddi Simba and Dr Cyril Chami on February 13 and November 6 respectively.

Mr Simba died at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) where he was receiving treatment, while Dr Chami was pronounced dead at the Benjamin Mkapa Referral Hospital in Dodoma where he had been admitted for specialised treatment.

Mr Simba, who served the docket during Mkapa’s administration was buried on February 14, at the Mwinyi Mkuu Cemetery in Magomeni, Dar es Salaam, while Dr Chami’s burial took place at Kibosho in Kilimanjaro Region on November 20.

On December 6, the Ethics Secretariat commissioner and retired judge of the Tanzania Court of Appeal Nsekela (76) died in Dodoma after a short illness.

Mr Nsekela, who was appointed as Judge of the High Court of Tanzania in February 2003 before being promoted to the Court of Appeal, was buried in Mbeya on December 10.

Funeral services that was attended by Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and the Chief Justice of Tanzania Prof Ibrahim Juma were held in Dodoma and Mbeya.

On April 28, a former Brigadier General, judge and reverend, the ex-Chief Justice, Augustino Ramadhani (70), died at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam after battling with an illness for a long time.

Judge Ramadhani, who led a panel of seven judges in rejecting a petition that sought to lift the ban on independent candidates, was laid to rest in Dar es Salaam.

Furthermore, the business fraternity was also shocked following the deaths of tycoons Salim Hassan Abdullah Turky and Subhash Patel.

The veteran politician and Zanzibar’s businessman, Mr Turky, died at the Tasakhta Global Hospital in Zanzibar on September 14 after a sudden illness.

The Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) chairman and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) board member died at his home in Dar es Salaam.

Mr Turky died while serving as chairman of companies which operated in Zanzibar, the Comoros Islands, with 12 operating in mainland Tanzania.

He was nominated by CCM for the Mpendae Constituency parliamentary seat before being replaced by his son Toufiq Salim Turky.

On the other hand, Mr Patel was the founder and managing director of Motisun Group, which is a multimillion-dollar business that straddles the Tanzanian manufacturing sector.

Besides, former Mafia Constituency MP Abdulkarim Esmail Shah also died on April 25.

Mr Shah served electorates from 2000 to 2015 and later as the Tanzania Scouts Association (TSA) Commissioner General.