My aunt mourns the death of President John Magufuli

The younger sister of my very elderly mother - that is: my maternal aunt - is inconsolable and had imposed upon herself a lockdown of sorts until Friday, March 26, 2021: yesterday, to be precise.
The 55-year old aunt (naturally enough, she does not want that advanced age publicised) lives at Uhambule Village in the newly-established Wanging’ombe District in Njombe Region. She has taken this drastic measure following the passing away, on March 17, 2021, of our latest national icon the late President Magufuli of Bongoland. It all began very early this month - and it all had to do with her eldest son who died five years ago, on a March 5. My aunt organised a memorial service this year on that date.
But she was restless. She told the clan that, on that night, an owl - considered a bad omen in that part of Bongoland - had settled for a considerable amount of time on top of her newly iron-roofed house, a building which is the ultimate pride of her life.
It was her deceased son who began building the house for her. But after his death, the project stalled. Then came President Magufuli who, among other policy changes, abolished school fees.
My aunt had three school-going children: one in primary and two in secondary schools. She was indeed struggling to raise school fees for the three, using the money she raised from her small farm of maize and beans.
The relief from the fees burden enabled her to divert funds to the unfinished house she now lives in. It was the ultimate achievement. She even organised with the village Lutheran Church priest for a special thanksgiving mass and prayer wishing Magufuli a very long life.
But, as she commemorated her son’s death inearly March, she felt that something ominous was about to happen on the ‘Ides of March’ (March 15th) - as William Shakespeare put it. And the owl’s arrival accentuated that feeling.
Indeed, On March 17 (2021), her hero and saviour, President Magufuli passed on. She recalls that there are many memorable Magufuli-inspired developments which have touched her. These include that of a year ago when some young men passed by her village and urged villagers to pay Sh27,000 so as to be connected to electricity supply under the Rural Electrification Authority initiated by President Magufuli. She paid the money - and now she has electricity in the house, enabling her school-going children to comfortably read and do their school homework under bright lights at home.
The long-abandoned village water supply project whose allocated funds had been filched by some government officials with questionable probity has been revived and successfully implemented. And the crooked officials were prosecuted under Dr Magufuli’s no-nonsense anti- corruption drive.
Now my aunt has piped water in her house. She no longer has to hoof it two kilometers to a muddy pool in a treacherous gorge to get much needed water.
The village health centre is presently up and running after a five-year hiatus during which funds were misappropriated by unscrupulous officials who are facing the music at the local courts.
Besides, my aunt is getting requisite medical attention using her newly-acquired health insurance cover - all thanks very much to President Magufuli and his administration’s initiatives.
The road by her house is now smooth and no longer that much pot-holed cattle path that was feared by all sober minded motor vehicle drivers. Cars, trucks and buses are now cruising by, enabling my aunt to easily travel to and from almost everywhere - and also ferry her produce to markets. Again, all this is thanks to Dr Magufuli and his Tarura outfit.
The village school whose classrooms, washrooms and teachers’ houses were pathetic, to say the least, have been refurbished.
Again, funds allocated for these projects had been misappropriated by unscrupulous officials. But the officials were held to account - and some of money had been recovered.
My aunt can now easily see that the village children are today proudly and confidently enjoying their school life. She is indeed happy.
But then, in the ‘Ides of March’ situation, the mover and shaker of all these positive changes, President John Magufuli, has suddenly gone back to his Maker. And, for that, my aunt is mourning, inconsolable.
I plan that, at the end of her self-imposed lockdown after March 26 this year [when President Magufuli’s body would have been interred at his ancestral home in Chato’s Mlimani Village], I will go to Uhambule to talk to my aunt.
I will, among other things, inform her that there is a new ‘Magufuli’ in town - President Samia Suluhu Hassan - who has pledged to carry on the Magufuli torch, and continue to bring hope to Bongolanders.
And that Samia is a ‘Mama’ like Auntie. I will advise my aunt that she should again go back to church and pray for the new torch bearer. God Bless Bongolanders and Tanzania.