Tanzania’s Magufuli Laid To Rest

Mourners have lined the streets of Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam to pay their last respects to ex-President John Magufuli.

His successor Samia Suluhu Hassan led the procession, with the coffin draped in the national flag taken to the Uhuru Stadium to lie in state.

Opposition politicians say that Magufuli, 61, had contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.

He was a Covid sceptic who at times denied the virus affected Tanzania.

Magufuli was the son of a peasant farmer and went on to became Tanzania’s president in 2015.

Some residents wept and threw flowers on the coffin which was pulled by a military vehicle on Saturday.

President Samia, who was sworn into office on Friday, led the government procession in which many wore black or green and yellow to represent the colours of the ruling party.

She is Africa’s only current female national leader – the Ethiopian presidency is a largely ceremonial role – and joins a short list of women on the continent to have run their countries.