NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Five people, including four children, have died in an alleged fingerprint during a public viewing of the body of former Tanzanian President John Magufuli over the weekend as regional leaders join Tanzanians to bring the last tribute to the controversial leader.
Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent skeptics of COVID-19, and although his government announced he died of heart failure on Wednesday, opposition leaders and critics accuse him of complications from COVID-19.
Tens of thousands of Tanzanians came out to see Magufuli’s body at 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 a shot was fired by people who wanted to see the body on Sunday, said Heri Mtua, a family spokesman.
“The children had also asked to attend President Magufuli’s funeral,” he said. “Later that day I got a call late in the evening from an unknown person using Suzan’s phone.” The caller said the owner of the phone was taken to a hospital. But her body was eventually found at the morgue, he said.
The children were between 7 and 12 years old.
Hundreds of people who attended the funeral fainted in the crush and authorities said they would issue a statement on Tuesday on the number of people killed in the national event.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was and succeeded Magufuli’s vice president, was joined on Monday by nine African heads of state 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 Comoros, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Edgar Lungu of Zambia and Mogkweets from Botswana.
“We mourn the loss of our friend, our brother, a worker,” said Kenyatta, president of the regional bloc’s East African community.
“He showed us that, as Africans, we have the potential to free ourselves from dependence on foreigners. That, as Africans, we have the potential to manage our economies and make sure our people get justice, ”he said.
Magufuli has been missing from public view since February 27, when he swore in a new chief secretary after his predecessor died with what many speculate was COVID-19. A few days ago, government officials denied that he was ill, claiming that he was busy, and that the president was not required to make public appearances.
Magufuli will be buried on Friday.