Beatification cause of Tanzania’s first president now at witness interrogation stage

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — The beatification cause of Servant of God Julius Kambarage Nyerere , Tanzaniaʼs first president, has reached the stage of interrogating witnesses, a Tanzanian Catholic bishop involved in the process said, describing the phase as critical in establishing the late leaderʼs reputation for holiness and heroic virtue.

In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, Bishop Henry Mchamungu , the episcopal delegate in Nyerereʼs cause, said the diocesan inquiry is currently gathering testimony about the late presidentʼs life, faith, and virtues.

"We are in the process of interrogating witnesses,” Mchamungu said. “This is a very important stage because we have to ask people many questions to obtain sufficient information about the life, virtues, and faith of Mwalimu Nyerere.”

The bishop, who spoke to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the 21st AMECEA Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) July 19–26 in Nairobi, Kenya, explained that the tribunal conducts detailed interviews with each witness.

“Each witness is asked many questions — sometimes one person can be asked 30 or even 40…