Former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa has passed away.
The government of Tanzania announced on Friday that the Former Tanzanian president, Benjamin Mkapa has died..
Late former president Mkapa aged 81 years was born in 1938 in south-eastern Mtwara. He died in a Dar es Salaam hospital.
He studied English in a tertiary institution in Uganda. He worked as a journalist before he got appointed by the country’s first president, Julius Nyerere to be the press secretary.
He held several posts in the country’s cabinet which includes foreign minister and information minister. He also served as ambassador to the United States before he was elected president.
He was the country’s third president after gaining independence from Britain in 1962. He ruled from 1995 to 2005.
President John Magufuli in a short televised speech said “I’m saddened by the death of the third president of Tanzania and that is a big loss for us as a country. Let’s pray for him and more information will follow later”.
Tanzania will hold a period of seven days of mourning, during which the national flag will be flown at half mast.
The cause of his death was not revealed.
