Final tribute for diplomat Mahalu Saturday
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIANS will on Saturday bid farewell to one of its most distinguished legal scholars and diplomats, Prof Costa Ricky Mahalu, who will be laid to rest at Kinondoni Cemetery in Dar es Salaam.
Prof Mahalu (77), who passed away on Monday at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) while receiving treatment, will be buried following a series of funeral activities scheduled to take place in the city.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ yesterday, family spokesperson Shariff Maajar said the body of the late professor will be taken to Karimjee Grounds on Saturday to allow the public and leaders from various sectors to pay their last respects.
“On Saturday morning at around 9:00 am, his body will be taken to Karimjee Grounds to allow the public to pay their last respects, where tea and lunch will also be served,” Maajar explained.
He added that a requiem mass will be held at the grounds before leaders from different sectors deliver condolence messages.
“After the mass, leaders will deliver their messages, after which the public will have the opportunity to pay their final respects, before we proceed to Kinondoni Cemetery for the burial,” he said.
Maajar described the late Prof Mahalu as an influential figure whose contribution to legal education shaped many leaders and professionals in the field.
“We are proud of the legacy he leaves behind because he made significant contributions to education. Anyone who leaves behind such fruits in education has rendered great service to the world by educating others,” he said.
According to him, Prof Mahalu taught and mentored many students who later rose to prominent positions in the legal profession.
“He taught many students; some have become judges, others distinguished lawyers and some have become lecturers themselves after being taught by him. He did tremendous work in education, and that is how we will always remember him, as someone who devoted his life to educating society,” Maajar added.
Brigadier General John Mbungo, who once studied under Prof Mahalu, said he had known the professor for many years since his early days at the University of Dar es Salaam.
“I first met him in 1990 when I began my first year at the Faculty of Law at the University of Dar es Salaam. He was among the lecturers who taught us law,” Brig Gen Mbungo said.
He added that their relationship continued beyond the university, especially as Prof Mahalu later rose to national leadership positions.
“I continued to know him because he later became a national leader admired for his professional competence and deep expertise in his field,” he said.
Brig Gen Mbungo noted that the nation will remember Prof Mahalu not only for his leadership but also for his outstanding expertise in maritime law, the area in which he specialised.
