John Pombe Magufuli: Late President Led Prayers Before Passing Away
- In the days leading to his death, late Tanzania president John Magufuli did not relent in his faith in God
- According to the family spokesperson Ngusa Samike, Magufuli led prayers with medics and also received special blessings from Cardinal Polycarp Pengo
- Chief Sheikh, Mufti Abubakar Zubeir also prayed for him just before he breathed his last
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Late Tanzania president John Pombe Magufuli led prayers with nurses and doctors in the last days before his death, the family spokesperson Ngusa Samike has revealed.
Source: Facebook
Magufuli passed away on the evening of Wednesday, March 17, at Dar es Salaam due to a heart condition as announced by newly-sworn in President Samia Suluhu.
According to Ngusa, even on his death bed, Magufuli was still the same staunch Christian who believed in God and he led prayers and songs together with his doctors and nurses.
Additionally, the late president also received special blessings from Cardinal Polycarp Pengo and Father Padre Alister Makubi.
Chief Sheikh, Mufti Abubakar Zubeir also prayed for him just before he breathed his last.
Magufuli's death
As earlier reported, the Tanzanian leader passed away on the evening of Wednesday.
According to Suluhu, Magufuli began feeling unwell and was taken to Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute on Saturday, March 6.
On Sunday, March 7, he was discharged after assessment by cardiac specialists.
However, his condition deteriorated on Sunday, March 17, and he was rushed to the hospital for treatment for chronic heart disease.
Burial on March 26
On Saturday, March 21, the Tanzanian government rescheduled the burial of the former president.
The burial date was was moved to Friday, March 26 and not Thursday, March 25, as was initially indicated.
The changes were informed by the need to allow residents of Magufuli's Chato home village in northwestern Tanzania to view his body and pay their last respects to their fallen son.
The Chama Cha Mapinduzi leader had expressed his wish to be buried at his village home and not the special leader's cemetery in Dodoma.
Briefly.co.za also reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a special tribute while attending Magufuli's funeral in Dodoma, Tanzania.
Magafuli's passing was announced by then vice-president Samiah Suluhu Hassan after the president was nowhere to be seen for around two weeks. According to the official explanations, Magufuli died due to heart complications.
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Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Mxolisi Mngadi (Editor) Mxolisi Mngadi is an entertainment reporter. He graduated in 2002 from Damelin with a Diploma in Journalism, majoring in African and International Studies, Journalism and Electronic Media. He then started his journalism career at the Daily Sun newspaper, went on to The Citizen, and worked as a senior reporter at News24. He has been a writer for more than 15 years.
