Samia laments loss of Mwinyi's wisdom, compares him to burned library

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan led Tanzanians on Saturday, March 2, 2024, to the national burial of previous President Ali Hassan Mwinyi in Unguja, Zanzibar.

She addressed the crowd in a mournful tone at the New Amani Complex, grieving the recent loss as if it were a library that had been burned down.

The Head of State hailed Mzee Mwinyi as a wonderful leader who highlighted the importance of translating leadership into service to people and maintaining diligent and ethical services.

"Throughout my tenure, I've tried to follow his steps, though I am uncertain of my success," she remarked.

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President Hassan described the deceased as a burned-down library, claiming that in her bid for the country’s leadership, she had been trying to reap from Mzee Mwinyi’s wisdom and follow in his footsteps.

 "However, I'm not sure if I fitted his shoes. But all I can tell is that the library has burned down," she lamented.

"I recall praying to God once, when we were celebrating his birthday, that Mzee Mwinyi would live to be 100. I am confident he will reach the age with the same good health that will allow us to meet him and reap the wisdom, laugh and enjoy with him," she continued, noting, however, that human plans often differ from God's.

She committed to carrying out his agenda by promoting people's well-being, defending justice and growing the country's private sector.

President Hassan recalled Mzee Mwinyi's legacy, saying he would be remembered for the good principles he upheld since childhood, particularly the importance of exercise, which has recently been advocated as a means of containing noncommunicable diseases.

The Head of State stated that Mzee Mwinyi's resignation letter as Home Affairs minister in 1974 demonstrates that he understood that because problems arose under his watch, he was held accountable.

"Therefore, he has a legacy of understanding that a position is a surety. How many ministries are considering this? However, Mzee Mwinyi resigned to establish good records in his party (CCM) and the government, which should be emulated," she said.

She said that the deceased would be remembered for his love of the Kiswahili language, noting that while he will be remembered for the revival of the East African Community (EAC), Africa will remember him for his support in the conclusion of the continents' liberation struggles following the abolition of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, as well as for providing asylum to migrants from the Great Lakes region.

During the event, the deceased's son, Mr Abdullah Mwinyi, could not hold back emotions as he took the podium to describe his father, saying he was blessed with a long life.

"We were not used to seeing him fall sick except for the last two years when he fell sick, which eventually led to his death, which occurred on Thursday, February 29, 2024," he went on to say.

Mr Abdullah was delivering the family message at the national funeral ceremony.

He was overcome with sadness and struggled to keep his tears from falling.

He complimented President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her close relationship with the family during his father's illness: "Every time you had time, you came to see him, which was soothing. The last time you came, he shed tears," Mr Abdullah remarked, wiping his eyes.

Mr Abdullah was not the only one who could not hold back his tears; Zanzibar's President, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, was also spotted wiping away tears when his brother delivered the family's condolences.

For his part, Prof Ibrahim Juma, Chief Justice (CJ), hailed the deceased as someone who valued the rule of law and pushed for citizens' growth and well-being.

"Mzee Mwinyi was a person of justice, and this was evident when he decided to resign from his ministerial position, believing that by stepping aside, the law would take its course," he said, referring