Written by JAMES MWAKISYALA

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - The doyen of Tanzania state and Ujamaa socialism, Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa, has passed on ten year after the death of the father of the nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, marking the end of an era of humble and patriotic politicians that will be hard to replicate.

 
He died on December 31st December, 2009 at the age of 83 years in Dar es Salaam after undergoing a medical check up for malaria in readiness to fly overseas for medical treatment of other ailments.

 
Announcing the death, President Jakaya Kikwette said Rashidi Kawawa died of a serious bout of diabetes, but was known to have been sick for the last 15 years.

 
He was buried at his home in Dar es Salaam on January 3, 2010 next to the grave of his wife Sofia under Muslim rites and a 19-gun salute by the army. During his political life that began in 1955, he served in many positions including Prime Minister, 2nd Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Minister for Defence, Secretary General of the ruling Tanganyika African National Union (TANU)- the predecessor of the current ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

 
He was popularly known as 'the War Lion' - 'Simba wa Vita' in Kiswahili because of his active part in the liberation wars of southern Africa and leading the Tanzanian army to fight the invading Ugandan forces of Iddi Amin in the late 1970s.  

 
He is survived by his third wife and 13 children from two wives, who have also passed on, and several grandchildren.

 
He rose from an actor starring in the film 'Mhogo Mchungu' and a number of others in the early 1950s to head the Tanganyika Federation of Labour (TFL) and then politics.

 
He thrice refused government offers to build him an expensive mansion to live in just as Mwalimu Nyerere did and was never implicated in any financial scandal for the rest of his life which gave him the moral right to counsel presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi, his successor Benjamin Mkapa and provided advise on handling difficult political issues since he retired from active political life in 1985.

 
Until his death, Rashidi Kawawa, was revered by many and his opinions were taken seriously.