Former death row inmate shares story of pain, horror and miracles 

He was a humble trader whose business was to sell the Ilala liquid to drown some sorrows away.  At home he was called daddy and husband with several other family members relying upon him for survival.  Things seemed to move well until one day he committed the ultimate sin of trying to be a Good Samaritan to bail out someone he knew, little did he know that his life was going to turn into a nightmare.   Welcome to the life of Tete Kafunja, a very famous inmate in Tanzania who stayed on death row for 18 years, but who unlike other inmates on death row all over the world,   was lucky enough to have not issued his last words and thus, they could not feature in some of the deadly compilations by Rob Warden, executive director, Center on Wrongful Convictions.   Our correspondent Rose Ngunangwa managed to catch up with Tete Mwamtenga Kafunja (66) at his house at Mbezi, 14 years after he was set free by the Court of Appeal for an interview ahead of the World Day against the Death Penalty marked on October 10. Read on:

Q:  Can you please give us a brief history of how you ended up on death row?

R:  “I was a businessperson who ran a joint at Manzese called Mary Bar when I was called to bail a person I knew in one of the police station only to be implicated in the murder of a person I never knew his name let alone his face. This happened in 1990 in Dar es Salaam where I was informed that the person I was to bail had told the police that I was an accomplice to the murder of Geofrey Shambarai and had fled with the murder weapon. At first, I thought it was mere fiction as I knew nothing would happen as I was innocent.  However, in September 1990, I was accused of murder and was sentenced to death.

Q:  How did it feel when you heard the judge pronounce the sentence?

R:  I lost all my strength   and did not know what my fate was.  It was a nightmare.  I could not even walk.  My clothes were all soaked from the sudden sweat I felt.  It was a horrible feeling especially knowing that my life was going to end for something I was not part to.”  Somber mood reigned as my friends who had been following up the case broke into tears.  It was a very emotional day that I will never forget.

Q: What was the most frightening thing you encountered while on death row?

Rejoinder:    You must understand that once on death row, you are treated a bit different as even our clothes were different from the rest.  Even more horrifying is the fact that each of the prisons had a hanging place next to us.  It was scary at night especially when prisons wardens came I got scared.  At times they would call and you would think you are about to die. You sleep day and night thinking of dying. Whenever you hear doors open with chains, you feel you are heading for the chamber. Dying is what goes on around throughout the mind. This does not disappear. I may be free but there are days I can’t sleep and think I am there. That is the psychological torture that you learn to live with while on death row.

Q:  While on death row, did you come around a case where people were executed?

R: Yes, two men were sent for execution and it even got scarier knowing I may be next.

Q: How did you survive then?

R: While on death row, those involved in the murder of Shambarai were arrested in December 1990 where they testified but denied knowing me. However, the road to freedom seemed to be rough as despite filing for my appeal, things were not moving as I had anticipated until 2007 when I decided to take the tough road.

Q: What did you do then?

Rejoinder: The appeal was taking too long and I decided to go on a hunger strike as I felt it was unfair that I should pay for a crime that I did not commit.  At that point, I lost hope and decided it was better to die from hunger than to suffer an execution. The situation became so critical that on the 7th day, wardens were forced to call other inmates to pick me up as I was too weak to walk where they put me on drip at the hospital within the prison.  I told them I would not eat until sure of my appeal.  A few days later I received court papers calling me to appear at the Court of Appeal in Dar es Salaam.

Q:  When did the judges relay the good news?

Rejoinder:   I went for an appeal in August and eventually in October 10, 2008 that is when the Judge set me flee.  In actual fact, the ruling was done in English and I never understood a word until a court clerk told me that I was free.  A few minutes later, my defense lawyer came down to inform me and it was indeed one of the happiest moments.  I was sent back to the prison for formalities where I managed to bid farewell to fellow inmates while giving them words of hope to never despair.

Q: How has life been 14 years as a free man?

Rejoinder: It has been tough a bit because I have never been able to reunite with my wife and 2 children.  The last time I met them was in 1993.  Sadly, my parents died when I was in prison.  I was the lone child in the family and went there only to find out that someone had sold our land as they thought that I had been executed.

Q: What do you do to earn a living?

R: Life has been tough as I survive by the grace of God as I have been working as a casual laborer be it in farms or whatever I can so long as it is legal work.

Q: one last word to those reading here?

Rejoinder: My life has been tough, I kindly request well-wishers to support me to engage in business as I am strong and healthy but have no capital to do so.   A Good Samaritan gave me a place to stay and has allowed me to engage in business.  I have no rent to pay her but she has been very understanding.  I also know how to drive a Bajaj although I need a license but have got no means to pay for it.

Based from the interview, it suffices to say Rob Warden, executive director, Center on Wrongful Convictions was right when in his   book the last words he said,

Whether you favor or oppose the death penalty, you won’t think about it the same way after reading the last words of the condemned—some remorseful, some spiteful, some humorous, all tragic. Most horrifying is the realization that some of those who claimed innocence until the end probably were telling the truth.”   At the end of it all, life imprisonment suits better to avoid killing innocent people on the way.  The writer is an Executive Director for Tanzania Media for Community Development and can be reached via sangunangwa@gmail.com.

•  Those willing to support Tete Kafunja can reach him through his mobile numbers +255 713332794 or +255783177480.