Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu says President Samia did not err to name a lion after his name

Dar es Salaam. Opposition Chadema Vice Chairman Tundu Lissu has said that President Samia was not wrong when she decided to name a lion after his name due to his background.

Lissu’s comments follow an utterance by President Hassan during the just-concluded Kizimkazi Festival.

On Sunday, August 25, 2024 President Hassan gave reasons, at the festival, regarding her decision to name one of the lions at the event's wildlife exhibition after opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

The festival, which ended on August 25, 2024, featured various events, including an exhibition showcasing live wild animals.

Speaking during the climax of the festival, President Hassan recounted how she was struck by the feisty nature of one particular lion in the exhibition.

"Yesterday, clips were being circulated, and there was this fierce and unruly lion," she said.

Curious to know whether the lion had been named, President Hassan asked the organizers, only to find out that it had not.

"I told them to give it the name of my child, Tundu Lissu, because it was as restless as my child, Tundu Lissu," she said.

The unexpected remark drew laughter and applause from the audience.

And, when contacted by The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi Lissu said that he was born into a lineage of Kinyaturu warriors, people who once killed lions that attacked their cattle and thieves who stole their livestock.

"In Kinyaturu, these warriors are called 'ahomi' (singular 'muhomi'). My paternal grandfather, Mughwai, was a muhomi; he killed a lion that invaded and killed his cattle.

My father, Mr Lissu, was also a muhomi. He killed lions twice when they invaded and killed his cattle," Lissu said.

Therefore, he said that even though President Hassan may not be aware of these details, she was not wrong in calling him a lion, an animal associated with strength, courage, and authority in many cultures around the world.

The Kizimkazi Festival, which started as a farewell event for President Hassan in 2015 when she was appointed as the running mate to the late President John Magufuli, has since grown into a significant cultural event in Zanzibar.

Officially recognized as a festival in 2020, it has become a platform for both cultural celebration and regional development.

This year's festival, held from August 18 to 25, featured various activities that highlighted the rich cultural heritage of Zanzibar and the development projects in the Kizimkazi area.