Analysis of condolence response to the death of Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli on Facebook

Abstract

This study investigated on condolence comments posted on Facebook pages in response to the death of the fifth president of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. A total of 200 comments were extracted from famous Facebook accounts. The findings revealed seven strategies of giving condolences from the most frequently used to the less frequently used: asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness, commenting on the deceased, expressing shock and grief, expressing sympathy, realizing death as a natural part of life, expressing skepticisms and reciting some verses from Holy books like the Bible and Quran. The choice of these strategies was related to respondents’ belief in either Christian or Islamic religion, the status of the deceased before death and nature and contribution offered by the deceased to other people’s life before his death. It is recommended that we should significantly contribute to other people’s life in one way or another so that we can be remembered here on earth at the end of our life like the way Magufuli was and is still remembered because of his good deeds and the significant contributions he offered to other people’s life before his death.