NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Five people, including four children, were killed in an alleged stampede during a public view of the body of former Tanzanian President John Magufuli over the weekend as regional leaders joined Tanzanians to pay his last respects to the controversial leader.
Magufuli was one of the most prominent skeptics of COVID-19 in Africa, and although his government announced he had died of heart failure on Wednesday, opposition leaders and critics accuse him of dying from complications of COVID-19.
Tens of thousands of Tanzanians came out to see Magufuli’s body at the Uhuru Stadium in the country’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, over the weekend.
Suzan Mtua, 30, died with four school-age children from the same family when there was a stampede of people wanting to see the body on Sunday, said Heri Mtua, a family spokeswoman.
“The children had demanded that they also attend President Magufuli’s funeral,” he said. “Later that day, we got a call in the evening from an unknown person who was using Suzan’s phone.” The person who called said the owner of the phone had been taken to a hospital. But his body was eventually found in the funeral home, he said.
The children were between 7 and 12 years old.
Hundreds of people who attended the funeral fainted and authorities said they would issue a statement Tuesday on the number of people killed at the national event.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was and succeeded Magufuli’s vice president, joined nine African heads of state on Monday for Magufuli’s state funeral.
Among them were Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, Azali Assoumani of the Comoros, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Edgar Lungu of Zambia and Mogkweetsi Masisi of Botswana.
“We mourn the loss of our friend, our brother, a hard worker,” said Kenyatta, president of the East African regional community.
“It showed us that, as Africans, we have the potential to free ourselves from dependence on foreigners. As Africans, we have the potential to manage our economies and ensure that our people do justice,” he said.
Magufuli had been out of public view since February 27, when he swore in a new secretary-in-chief after the death of his predecessor with what many speculate about COVID-19. For days government officials denied that he was wrong in alleging that he was busy and that the president is not required to make public appearances.
Magufuli will be buried on Friday.