Clerics stress wisdom at ex-leader’s requiem

Dar es Salaam. Catholic bishops yesterday asked the public to table wishes of their hearts before God to receive His blessings.

They made the statement when presiding over a funeral mass of the late former President Benjamin William Mkapa at the Uhuru Stadium.

They said the public should read Mr Mkapa’s autobiography: ‘My Life, My Purpose: A Tanzanian President Remembers’ where he outlines his life during childhood, presidency and after retirement.

They also said Mr Mkapa’s demise would deny Tanzanians and the continent’s population his fatherhood and wisdom.

Bishop Taricisius Ngalalekumtwa of Iringa Diocese led the mass where thousands of mourners paid their last respects to the fallen former leader.

He was assisted by Mahenge Diocese Bishop Agapiti Ndorobo, Antony Banzi of Tanga and Alfred Maluma of Njombe Diocese.

Preaching during the Mass, Bishop Ngalalekumtwa said King Suleiman asked God to give him wisdom as he succeeded his father and went on to become a great leader.

“What would you request God to do for you today….he would be tired by a long request list from you. Do our requests take us to the purpose of our creation?” he questioned.

He added: “This is where the former President, the late Mkapa, leaves us with a memory. Through his publication: ‘My Life, My Purpose: A Tanzanian President Remembers”.

“I am lucky to have a copy of the book. I have read it from the first to the last page. You need to ask yourself if your life reflects God’s purpose of creation. Ask yourself whether your life in this world is a blessing to others,” he said.

He added: “Ask yourself if you have made perfect requests, which are related to eternal life because that is where there is wisdom.”

For his part, Bishop Ndorobo said Mr Mkapa was a good father who loved Tanzanians and citizens of the entire continent.

“I worked closely with Mr Mkapa during Pope John Paul II state visit to Tanzania as well as at a fundraiser when I served as the Mahenge Diocese Bishop,” he said.

“Mr Mkapa was a gift from God to Tanzanians. Therefore, we should thank God for his life. I promise you Mama Mkapa (departed leader’s widow) `that we will continue praying for you,” he said.

He Bishop added: “We will also pray for the late Benjamin Mkapa because he loved all Tanzanians. Hopefully, he will pray for us.”

Former Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe described the fallen leader as a person who played a significant role in dispute resolutions.

“Mwalimu (Julius Kambarage Nyerere) trusted his capabilities, intelligence and good leadership. He used to tell me that we are born to solve people’s problems,” he said.

He called on the public to appear in large numbers to bid farewell to the fallen leader, suggesting that retired leaders should write autobiographies in order to keep records for the future generations.

Leaders of the Coalition of Women and Constitution Tanzania (CWCT) described the fallen leader as a person who played an important role in amplifying gender issues in the country.

The CWCT chairman, Prof Ruth Meena, said during a televised event that he ensured Tanzania’s women benefit from resolutions of the Beijing Conference, which took place between September 4 and September 15 in 1995.

“The conference came up with 12 resolutions of which the Mkapa administration picked four of them,” she said.

The institution’s executive director, Ms Mary Rusimbi said the Southern African Development Community (Sadc’s) Gender Protocol was inked during his leadership.

“The protocol aimed at realising the 50 percent representation of the women at various leadership levels and development processes. Through the Maputo protocol voices of women in development processes such as policies and budget could now be heard,” she said.

Thousands of mourners arrived by 7am with some of them failing to control themselves as the coffin bearing the fallen leader arrived at the stadium at 9:40am ready for the farewell mass.

The body was then carried by Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) colonels who walked at a slow pace. The body was carried in an open car from Lugalo Military Hospital passing through the Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Kilwa and Nelson Mandela Roads.

Apart from the religious leaders, other notable faces in attendance at the Mass was the departed leader’s wife, Anna Mkapa, President John Magufuli and his wife Janeth Magufuli, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

Others were: Zanzibar’s second Vice President, Seif Ali Iddi as well as Defence and National Service minister Hussein Mwinyi, among others.

The departed leader’s body remains will remain at the Uhuru Stadium until Tuesday, July 28, 2020 when he will be flown to his home village of Lupaso, Masasi District in Mtwara Region for burial slated for Wednesday, July 29, this year.