Leaders, politicians mourn Komba

Speaker Anne Makinda (right) consoles Captain John Komba’s widow, Salome, at the berieved family’s home in Tangi Bovu, Mbezi Beach in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS 

By Saumu Mwalimu and Henry Mwangonde,The Citizen Reporters

In Summary

• The Mbinga West lawmaker, whose spring- board to political glory and fame was music, died at a Dar es Salaam hospital on Sunday where he was rushed by his family members while in critical condition
• The national farewell for the Mbinga West MP, will be done today at Karimjee Hall grounds before his body is transported to his home district of Mbinga in Ruvuma Region for burial slated for tomorrow. A mass was read at his residence yesterday.

Dar es Salaam. Leaders and politicians who thronged Captain John Komba’s residence at Tangi Bovu in Mbezi Beach suburb yesterday expressed shock over the sudden death of their colleague.

Speaking to The Citizen separately at Komba’s residence, CCM Publicity and Ideology secretary Nape Nnauye said that on Saturday, he spoke to Komba, who apologised for failure to attend the CCM’s Central Committee meeting because he was travelling to Iringa. “So, when I got the news about his death, first I didn’t believe it because we had chatted only a couple of hours earlier… receiving the news of his death was really shocking because what I knew was,  he was on his way to Iringa,” he said.

Mchinga MP Juma Mtanda, who  also chairs the Parliamentary Social Services Committee which Mr Komba was a member, said they were supposed to fly with him to Ethiopia for parliamentary duties, so it was a big shock to receive the news of his death.

He said after receiving the information he thought of confirming the news by calling his number where it was received by is son who told him his father was no more.

“When I phoned him he said that he would not be travelling with us for he was going to Iringa for burial of a party member,” he said.

Chadema secretary general Dr Willibrod Slaa noted that Komba’s death was not a blow to his party only but to all Tanzanians. He said:

“The man has left a big gap in the ruling party and the country at large saying the crowd that has come to mourn him was a testimony that he was a man of the people.”

Foreign Affairs minister Benard Membe said the death has robbed the diplomatic community of a very competent person because he was an important element in the negotiations on the border dispute with Malawi.

“He had lots of information which was helping the government as it negotiated with Malawi,” he said.

In attendance also was the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Anne Makinda who said she had known Komba long before he became the MP. She revealed it was her who advised Komba to run for MP in the 2005 General Election.