Prof Jay left homeless after Magufuli orders demolition of his Sh4.5m mansion
Bongo flava veteran hip hop hit artiste Joseph Haule popularly known as Professor Jay, is counting his losses after the Tanzanian government moved to demolish his mansion worth over Tsh100 millions (Sh4.6 million) that stood on a road reserve, going against a court order.
The devastated 41-year-old rapper who joined politics in 2015, clinching Mikumi parliamentary seat, criticized President John Magufuli government’s decision to render him homeless by destroying his mansion that he built over a period of 10 years with fortunes made from music in the leafy suburbs of Mbezi, Dar es Salaam.
In August this year, his house was among other several that were marked for demolition by Tanzania Road Authority (Tanroads) for being built on road reserve that was needed for expansion of the Morogoro road into a highway.
Professor Jay, who belongs to the opposition party Chadema that has been critical of President Magufuli’s government, moved to court to block Tanroads decision but the authority went ahead and demolished the house.
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Confirming the news, the popular musician lamented “Mimi ni mmoja wa wahanga wa hili zoezi la kubomolewa nyumba zetu huku Mbezi Kimara Tarehe 29/9/2017… Nimesikitishwa sana jinsi Tanroads wanavyoweza kujichukulia maamuzi bila ya kujali mhimili muhimu wa Mahakama wametoa maagizo gani?? Na taratibu zilizotumiwa kubomoa nyumba yangu bila ya mimi na Tanesco kupewa taarifa saa kumi na mbili jioni (haukuwa muda wa kazi) na kubomoa huku Umeme ukiwa unawaka ni kitendo ambacho kwanza kina hatarisha maisha ya wabomoaji wenyewe, maisha ya familia yangu pamoja na majirani zangu, Limenisikitisha zaidi. Lakini naamini kila kitu kinatokea kwa sababu maalum. Nimejifunza kumtegemea na kumshukuru Mungu kwa kila jambo.”
(I’m one of the victims whose homes were demolished during an exercise that happened on 29/9/2017. It’s so disheartening the way Tanroads decided to go against the court order and carry out the exercise. This is a house that took me so many years to build and cost me a fortune. They demolished the house with electricity still flowing thus endangering the lives of the demolishers themselves, my family and my neigbours. I’m so saddened. But everything happens for a reason. I’ve learnt to depend on and thank God in every situation.)
Professor Jay’s tribulations comes as even as across the boarder Ugandan dancehall musician-turned-politician, Bobi Wine, also had his mansion hailed with explosives thought to be grenades for opposing President Yoweri Museveni’s plans to removes the presidential age limit.