PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged to continue the good work initiated by the fifth phase President, the late Dr John Magufuli.
The Head of State made the commitment through her official twitter handle @SuluhuSamia, as the country yesterday marked two years since Dr Magufuli passed away.
"It is two years today since we lost our former fifth phase President, the late Dr John Pombe Magufuli ... may our Almighty God continue to grant him good rest and give strength to all family members. The Sixth Phase government will continue honouring him by continuing the good things he started," President Samia said through her Twitter.
President Magufuli died on March 17, 2021 from heart complications and was buried in his ancestral home of Chato in Geita Region on March 26, 2021.
Following Dr Magufuli's death, the then Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as Tanzania's first female President.
In marking two years of Dr Magufuli's death, President Samia was yesterday represented by Minister for Defence and National Service Innocent Bashungwa in a special mass to pray for the late president.
The mass was held at Mlimani Rubambangwe Catholic Church in Chato District, 100 metres from Dr Magufuli's ancestral home.
Speaking on behalf of Dr Samia, Minister Bashungwa said that the government will continue to honour and keep up all good things which Dr Magufuli had wished to grant to Tanzanians.
"It is two years since we lost our president Dr Magufuli... it is a fact that he will be remembered by the government and Tanzanians in general due to his vision and development marks he left to Tanzanians," Mr Bashungwa said.
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For her part, Dr Magufuli's widow Janeth Magufuli expressed gratitude to Tanzanians for their continuous prayers for the late Dr Magufuli.
She also thanked the Roman Catholic for continuing to honour Dr Magufuli.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Rulenge- Ngara has officially announced March 17 as the day to commemorate the death of Dr Magufuli.
Catholic Diocese of Rulenge- Ngara Bishop Severine Niwemugizi said that the church has officially approved the day which will be marked annually, noting that Catholic believers should take note of the date by praying for the late Magufuli.
"This day is now official to be marked every year ... I will be coming here every 17 March for the prayers," Bishop Niwemugizi said.
Magufuli who died at the age of 61 years was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in March 2021. He served as Minister for Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and was chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2019 to 2020.
He was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1995 before he was appointed Deputy Minister for Works from 1995 to 2000. He then served in the cabinet as Minister for Works from 2000 to 2005, Minister for Lands and Human Settlement from 2006 to 2008, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries from 2008 to 2010, and as Minister for Works for a second time from 2010 to 2015.
Running as the candidate of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the country's dominant party, Magufuli won the October 2015 presidential election and was sworn in on 5 November 2015 and he was re-elected in 2020 and served the post until his death on March 17, 2021.
