(14 Oct 1999) Natural Sound

The government of Tanzania announced on Wednesday that former President Julius Nyerere has suffered a massive stroke and doctors say he will never recover.

According to Tanzanian media reports, Nyerere was declared clinically brain dead last week, and his family are now at his bedside deciding whether or not to switch off life support systems.

The 77-year-old has been in a London hospital since last month where he has been receiving treatment for leukaemia.

Nyerere led Tanzania to independence from Britain in 1961 and ruled the country until 1985.

Former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere is among the most respected and influential African leaders alive today.

He was Tanzania's first President, bringing the country to independence from Britain in 1961.

He remained in power for 24 years, before he voluntarily stood down in 1985 - making him one of the first African leaders of his generation to give up power willingly.

However, during Nyerere's time in office, his policies virtually destroyed Tanzania's economy, turning the country into one of the poorest in Africa.

Many of the former president's opponents have also described him as authoritarian.

But many foreign leaders see Nyerere as an elder statesman.

One of his major diplomatic ventures after he stepped down from office was his 1996 effort to mediate in the political and ethnic conflict in Tanzania's western neighbour, Burundi.

More than 200-thousand people had been slain there since 1993.

Nyerere also remained an influential power broker at home, hand picking two successive presidential candidates put forward by his Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

One of Nyerere's last appearances in public was at the funeral of Zimbabwe's Vice President Joshua Nkomo earlier this year.

The former Tanzanian leader was diagnosed with chronic leukemia last year and was admitted to St Thomas's Hospital in London earlier this month.

Wednesday's announcement by the Tanzanian government that he has suffered a major stroke and will never recover confirms last week's media reports that he had been declared clinically brain dead.

His family are now reported to be at his bedside deciding whether or not to switch off his life support systems.

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