UNION presidential candidate on CHADEMA ticket, Mr Edward Lowassa, yesterday led hundreds of mourners in Dar es Salaam in the burial of the Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Dr Emmanuel Makaidi.
The Registrar of Political Parties, Judge Francis Mutungi, CHADEMA presidential running mate, Mr Haji Duni Haji, National NCCR-Mageuzil Chairman, Mr James Mbatia and CCM Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Mr Philip Mangula, were among the mourners.
Judge Mutungi described the late Makaidi as a true fighter of development whose struggles contributed a lot to changes in the political arena in the country. “We will remember him as the first chairperson of political parties’ council, he brought challenges, which ushered in changes in the country’s political scene,” he said.
Justice Mutungi noted the recent demise of prominent people in the country who vied for various political offices, urging the people not to relate the incidents with politics. Saying that God has various ways of sending his messages across, he appealed to the faithful to learn from such incidents as he could be sending a certain important message.
“The death of Dr Makaidi should remind Tanzania to conduct peaceful elections,’’ the registrar told the gathering.
Evangelical and Missions Ministries Church leader, Reverend David Davis, said many people tend to forget God once they hit success, forgetting that life was meaningless without His word. “Our country is blessed with everything. We only lack fear of God.
Many forget to dedicate their life to the maker of this world,” he pointed out. Reverend David said it was high time Tanzanians stopped involving themselves in superstition and negative behaviour that might plunge the country into chaos.
Moreover, he said, everyone should learn to speak positively about Tanzania, especially in the last lap to the general election. He said without invoking the word of God, everything will be doomed to failure.
A don and politician, Professor Mwesiga Baregu, said they had been together with the late Makaidi in various movements for change since 1990, observing that the death of Dr Makaidi should be viewed as a victory sign. NCCR-Mageuzi National Chairman, Mr James Mbatia, said Dr Makaidi was all out to make sure the coalition’s plans were on track.
“No matter how small his party was, he was firm and full of wisdom because of his age and expertise in politics,” he added. Dr Makaidi died last Thursday after developing a stroke late on Tuesday (October 13). He was rushed to Best Dispensary for emergency treatment.
In the 2005 general election, Makaidi ran as the NLD presidential flag bearer and was placed seventh out of ten candidates, receiving 0.19 per cent of the total votes.
This year, the late Dr Makaidi was contesting the Masasi parliamentary seat on the NLD ticket under the UKAWA umbrella. He is survived by a widow, ten children, four grandchildren and three great grand children.
Culled from Daily News
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