for prayers: UPC and family members carry Obote’s body to the church for a service in Johannesburg

By Allen Mutono in Johannesburg
A Funeral ceremony was held yesterday in Johannesburg, South Africa for the former Ugandan President Apollo Milton Obote who died on Monday.

The keynote address was delivered by UPC UK external coordinator Joseph Pinytek Ochieno at the ceremony that lasted two hours and ended at 6:00pm.

In a related development, the South African Government will give the late President a full ceremonial send-off today.

The South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, who represented his government at the funeral service, praised Obote for his contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle.

He said Obote, Kaunda and Nyerere, in what was known as Mulungusi Club, had a strong resolve to end colonialism in sub- Saharan Africa.

He also praised him for his role in building the OAU, now the African Union. He said the common man’s charter of 1969, was a brave move from a president leading a new country in a new Africa.

He said Obote made many mistakes just like many leaders of his era. “He made these mistakes because of the different conditions they were leading at the time.” Mourners were also addressed by Uganda’s State minister for foreign affairs Nshimye Sebuturo, who praised Obote for liberating Uganda from colonialism.

Jimmy Akena, who addressed the mourners on behalf of his family, thanked the South Africa for the hospitality, Zambia for the support to his father and the government of Uganda for agreeing to accord his father a state funeral and pay his hospital and other bills.

He said on Saturday, the body will be flown to Lusaka for another ceremony and leave on October 18 and land at Entebbe at noon. It will lie at the UPC headquarters at Uganda House for the afternoon before it is taken to Mulago Medical School.

On Thursday, the body will be at Kololo Airstrip for the state funeral. From there, the body will depart by road, making brief stops in Jinja, Iganga and Tororo and spend the night in Mbale. On Friday, it will leave for Kumi, Soroti and will spend the night in Lira. On Saturday it will be in Apac. On October 23, Obote will be buried at Akokoro.
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