President Magufuli's advice to freed music duo accused of defiling 10 minors

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli on Tuesday met with freed music duo Nguza Viking and his son Papii Nguza and had some ‘parental’ advice to give to the accused child defilers.

According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications yesterday, they thanked the Head of State for the forgiveness, promising to be law abiding citizens and working hard.

“I just don’t know what to say, I am very glad for meeting Dr Magufuli to thank him for his for-giveness. I was praying for this moment. I am now ready to resume working,” the musician is quoted by the statement as saying.

During his Independence Day address at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma, President Magufuli pardoned the two musicians alongside 61 others who were on death row.

Mr Viking and his son, Mr Nguza, were sentenced to life imprisonment on June 25, 2004, after they were found guilty of raping and defiling Mashujaa Primary School pupils aged between six and ten years in Sinza area, Kinondoni District.

Speculation was however rife that there was more to the child rape allegations than met the eye, with talk that the duo could have been victims of trumped-up charges due to rivalry over lovers with some prominent people.

The duo filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in 2013 but the judgment was upheld.

At State House yesterday, the musicians prayed for President Magufuli and the country as a whole, informing the Head of State that they were planning to resume their musical career.

During the meeting, Dr Magufuli advised the family members to thank the Almighty God since He was the one who granted forgiveness.

“I was told you eagerly wanted to see me and I decided to grant your wish. You should thank God for the forgiveness and now you must get down to working hard,” he stated.

One of their hit songs ‘Seya’ was especially popular across East Africa andextolled the cooperation between the man and his son in entertaining their legion of fans.

During their jail time, Nguza occasionally got to entertain the public with fellow inmates as members of the prison band.