Ace actor ‘Mzee Small’ granted his wish to be buried in Dar

Dar es Salaam. Renowned comedian Said Ngamba alias Mzee Small, 59, who died on Saturday night at Muhimbili National Hospital, will be buried today evening at Tabata Segerea cemetery.

Mzee Small, who was born in Kilwa-Mingumbi in 1955, started his acting career about 31 years ago under the tutelage of the late Said Seif alias Unono.

His elder son Muhidin Said Ngamba revealed that the actor wished to be laid to rest at Segerea to enable many of his followers to participate in burying him.

“He told us so and also left a will indicating that he preferred to be laid to rest here in Dar es Salaam,” said Mr Ngamba.

Mr Ngamba said the deceased was taken to hospital on Saturday morning after his family realised his condition had deteriorated. Prior to that, he was recovering from a stroke.

“We took him for a CT-Scan which revealed a blood clot in his brain that resulted in high blood pressure,” said Mr Ngamba.

During his life Mzee Small worked with various acting troupes under companies such as the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC), National Shipping Agencies Company Limited (Nasaco).

At the family house in Tabata Kisiwani, some artists paid tribute to the late comedian whom they credited for teaching them how to act, bemoaning the void that the death has created.

“He taught us how we could handle our acting as well as assuring us that he was always behind us, trying to correct us whenever we got it wrong,” said Mr Seif Mbembe.

He added that Mzee Small always wanted to see his people reaching his heights, as a result he was always encouraging upcoming artists to work hard.

The deceased who was working with Home Shopping Centre on contractual basis is survived by a wife and six children.