OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Monday 8.40pm
SOUTH African flags, at half-mast after former Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere died Thursday, will be raised when he is buried at the weekend, President Thabo Mbeki announced on Monday.
The president initially ordered the flags to be lowered from Friday until Tuesday to honour Nyerere, who died of leukemia in a London hospital at the age of 77.
However, he decided they should be raised when Nyerere was buried on Saturday, Mbeki’s office said.
Mbeki visited the Tanzanian High Commission here to sign a book of condolences and told reporters that Nyerere had made a largely unrecognised but fundamental contribution to “the resolution of the South African conflict.”
“Even some of the bases on which we negotiated (the end of apartheid through democratic transition) were proposed by him,” Mbeki said.
Mbeki wrote in the book of condolences: “Mwalimu (‘Teacher’), through your life’s works, you gave hope to all the children of Africa.
“Those of us who remain, have a responsibility to follow your example, however difficult this may be.”
Mbeki and several cabinet ministers gathered with more than 100 other people at Pretoria’s Catholic Church on Monday for a memorial service for Nyerere.
The president will attend Nyerere’s funeral service in Tanzania’s national stadium in Dar es Salaam on Thursday. Nyerere will be buried on Saturday at the northern Tanzanian village of Butiama, where he was born.
Meanwhile, thousands of Tanzanians lined the streets of Dar es Salaam on Monday to welcome home the Nyerere’s remains.
The Air Tanzania jet carrying Nyerere’s coffin from London landed amidst cheers and wailing, and people fainted right and left.
Police wielding truncheons pushed people back as they surged towards his coffin draped in the green, blue, black and yellow Tanzanian flag. A honor guard fired a 21-gun salute, and guard members fixed their eyes on the ground in a sign of mourning.
Former President Nelson Mandela will not attend the funeral because he is travelling in the Middle East, but his wife, Graca Machel arrived in Dar es Salaam on Monday.
During his 23 years as president of the East African nation, Nyerere was the leader in the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa and hosted hundreds of ANC exiles in Tanzania. — AFP