Mourners line up on Dodoma streets to bid Magufuli farewell

Most mourners in Tanzania’s capital city Dodoma will pay their last respects to President John Magufuli lined up in the streets rather than at Jamhuri Stadium, due to a large number of people in attendance.

This will prevent chaos as the number of mourners surges, Dr. Bilinith Mahenge, Dodoma’s Regional Commissioner, said in a statement.

He added that this would give each citizen ample time to pay last respects in a more conducive environment.

“The turn up is too big for the stadium, hence citizens who want to bid their final goodbyes will have to line up in streets when the carriage carrying the body will go around the streets of Dodoma,” his statement said.

Some people were allowed into the stadium on Monday.

On Sunday, when the body was in Dar es Salaam, thousands of people flocked the Uhuru Stadium to pay their last respects, causing chaos, while others breached the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) as they bid the president farewell.

Several people were seen collapsing, with unconfirmed reports of injuries.

When the body arrived in Dodoma on Sunday, a number of citizens lined up from the airport to Chamwino with others matched alongside the car carrying the casket.