Magufuli meets Nguza Viking and sons at State House
Musician Nguza Vicking ‘Babu Seya’ and his children visits President Magufuli at state House to thank him for pardoning them
Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli met Nguza Vicking (alias Babu Seya and his son Johnson Nguza (alias Papii Kocha) at the State House today, Tuesday January 2, three weeks after they were released from jail following a presidential pardon.
The two musicians had been jailed for life after being found guilty of child molestation. When they lost two appeals they, then, filed a case at the African Court of People’s and Human Rights where the case is still ongoing.
In their visit to the State House today Viking and Papii Kocha were accompanied by two other family members-Francis Nguza and Nguza Mbangu.
The Nguza family thanked President Magufuli for pardoning them and 61 other people, who were either facing death sentence or life imprisonment.
They also promised the President that they will be good citizens and that they will work hard.
“Since we were released we wanted to meet you so that we could thank you in person and today it is a dream come true,” said Babu Seya.
On his part President Magufuli thanked the Nguza family for paying him a visit.
“You shouldn’t thank me rather you should thank God, who is the only one with the power to forgive,” said the President.
The family then sang for the President their hit song, Seya wa Mibalo.
President Magufuli surprised many when he announced that he had pardoned the Nguza family as he addressed the 56th independence anniversary rally in Dodoma on December 9 last year.
Nguza and his three sons were found guilty of sodomy and defilement by the Kisutu Magistrate Court in 2004 and were sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction of Nguza and Papii Kocha was upheld in the two appeals in 2010 and 2013. His two sons were released in the 2010 appeal.
The musician’s case attracted a lot of public attention and speculations that it was politically motivated.
Chadema presidential candidate Edward Lowassa promised to pardon them if he won the 2015 General Election. He lost the election, which was won by Dr Magufuli of CCM.
The Congolese-born Viking has lived in Tanzania for years.
