Tanzania’s late president John Magufuli has been laid to rest at his ancestral village in the country’s Northwest.
Magufuli aged 61 died last week after suffering from what authorities described as a heart condition, however questions remain over the true cause of his death which the opposition says was from Covid-19.
Until his death, Magufuli was absent from public life for about three weeks.
Nicknamed the “Bulldozer” for his leadership style, Magufuli was buried in Chato after nearly a week being mourned by crowds in various cities as his casket was moved around the country.
Tens of thousands of mourners flocked to see his body in state in the cities of Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Zanzibar, Mwanza and Geita, weeping and throwing petals as it passed in a motorcade.
In Dar es Salaam the crowds were such that a stampede ensued, resulting in the deaths of at least five people.
In Chato, his final stop, Magufuli was buried in a family plot after prayers, the singing of the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.
Leaders of different religious faiths who attended the service assured their support for Hassan, who under the constitution will serve the remainder of Magufuli’s second term until 2025.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, his successor and Tanzania’s first female president, vowed to complete the work of a leader who leaves a complex legacy behind.
Magufuli is hailed for his fight against corruption and massive infrastructure projects but criticised for the stifling of democracy and crackdowns on the media, civil society and the opposition.
His legacy is also marred by his Covid denialism, which saw Tanzania refuse to issue data or take any measures to curb the spread of the virus.
