Somalilandsun – On, the 19 th November the entire International Community commemorates the struggle for liberation of Mankind, Peace and Human Diginity. We remember one of the prominent figures, an interlectual of our time, the late Idrissa Abdallah Majura, born on the 9 th November, 1938, in a small village of Gera/Katale, Kagera Region in Tanzania.
He was among the first few students from the then Tanganyika Mainland who got a scholarship to study in Zanzibar. He studied Education, Economis and Law and was regarded by his Colleague and Students as a genie, an ingenious highly gifted, accurate and precise, serenity and warmhearted both in his academic carrier as well as social integrity. He was also an outstanding Sportsman known in every corner of the entire Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, by young and old, rich and poor, literate and illiterates. He dominated in the National Football Squard as unbeatable Goalkeeper in the then East African Challenge Cup and other International Tournaments. He set everlasting records in Athletics in 1500m and 800m which remain unbrocken until now!
It is well known that he didn’t involve himself in politics, but he supported the 1964 Revolution and the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form Tanzania. Even if he spent a long time of his life in Zanzibar, he didn’t forget his home place. He helped in large scales in many spheres of life, in Education, Social, Cultural, Health and Economic Development. He sponsored many children and students with scholarships, paid their schoolfees, uniforms and treatment. In 1969 he decided to return back to his home place to take care of his family and parents who were now old. Thousands of people gathered to welcome him back home as he was their great hope and inspiration.
But everybody was taken by surprise, with shock and dismay, as he was arrested and taken back to Zanzibar under the accusation of treason trial for plotting to overthrow the Government of Abeid Karume! Due to undisclosed circumstances, though the Union Government knew exactly what his fate could be, he was deported back to the Island to face the ruthless, brutal, torture, and crime against humanity of Karume’s reign of terror!! Many Zanzibaris, intellectuals and anyone who dared to criticize Karume, perished in “dark cells of torture” or if lucky, faced life imprisonment. It’s obvious and painful to learn that
Idrissa Majura was deprived his life by denying him any right to defend himself in the court of law against these accusations. It is known that after he was killed, some prominent figures in Karume’s circle regreted to their maximum after discovering that those accusations against him had no any single fact of verification whatsoever. Until today it’s not clear why and how this prominent figure was executed and where he was buried. The International Community has now shown interrest in this issue and soon or later his fate will be known.
May Allah rest his Soul in PEACE – AMEN!
By: Projectus Ishengoma Lugumalila
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