I would have been present at the accident that killed Sokoine – Hamad

Today is April 12, 2024, it is 40 years since the Prime Minister of Tanzania, late Edward Moringe Sokoine died in a car accident in Morogoro region.

Among the people who remember this day very much is the veteran politician in the country Hamad Rashid Mohamed, who says he was also present on the trip on April 12, 1984 that caused the death of Sokoine.

Hamad, who used to be the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Health of Zanzibar, but is now the Chairman of the ADC political committee, says that four days before the accident, Sokoine ordered him to go to Zanzibar.

“Four days before the accident, he ordered me (the late Sokoine) to go to Zanzibar to take the paper presented to the BLM (Council of Revolution) and the Ministry of Commerce that gave permission for Zanzibari who are abroad to import goods and come to do their business. Elder Mwinyi said “Zanzibar is good come on”.

“After I sent him (Sokoine) a presentation in Dodoma while I was in the position of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Representative of the Revolutionary Council, Hayati Sokoine told me that when we finish the Parliament, you and I should go directly to Mwalimu (Nyerere) and advise him to implement this policy, so that Mainland Tanzanians should be able to bring aid to their brothers and do their commercial activities to reduce the shortage of goods. (Hayati Sokoine) wanting me to get into his car.

“The night before the trip, I received information that my father, Sheikh Rashid Mohamed, was very ill on the island of Pemba, so I had to go to Pemba first by helicopter to pick up my father and bring him to Muhimbili (National Hospital). When I arrived in Pemba, he (Sokoine) had an accident.

“I took my father and went to Dar (in the city of Dar es Salaam). Today is a heavy day for me because I remember how close we were to Sokoine’s life. May God give us a happy ending. Amen,” said Hamad Rashid.