By Almachius Kanyasi
Tanzania. President of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli, has found himself in public tears after failing to restrain himself as he described his last conversation with the retired third term President, Benjamin William Mkapa.
This happened on Tuesday 28 July 2020 at Uhuru Stadium, Dar es Salaam during the National Funeral Service for the body of Mkapa who passed away on Thursday 23 July 2020 at 3:30 pm with a heart attack.
Addressing the nation at the event, which was attended by thousands of mourners at the stadium, President Magufuli said no one could describe Mzee Mkapa better than he described himself in his book My Life, My Purpose.
In his speech, President Magufuli, who was several times calm, with tears in his eyes, said Mkapa’s death was a great blow to the nation.
“I personally spoke to Mzee Mkapa on the phone a few hours before he died, I remember he told me” John don’t worry I’m fine “. I did not know the words were to say goodbye, I thank God for the gift of Mzee Mkapa to be with him.
“Mzee Mkapa had a reputation for nurturing and developing leadership talents, he was the one who raised me but as you will recall he appointed Mzee Kikwete as Minister of Foreign Affairs for ten years who later came to inherit his presidency.
“Mzee Mkapa is my hero, even when I was in trouble Mzee Mkapa never left me, he did not want me to fall, he raised me as his child, sometimes tears come but even Kikwete I saw him that day crying so do not surprise me.
“Tanzanians remember Mzee Mkapa for his economic transformation, when he came to power our country was in financial trouble, and at that time he began to pay off debts and began to persuade financial institutions and donor countries to cancel their debts.
“Mzee Mkapa passed away just eight months after launching his book My life, My purpose on November 12, 2019, in which he described in detail the history of his life.” said Magufuli
Paya-Network 
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