Tanzania is celebrating an unlikely hero — a humble fisherman whose courage rewrote the script of an otherwise tragic day.
Jackson Majaliwa, a local fisherman from Bukoba, sprang into action when a passenger aircraft crash-landed into Lake Victoria. With no protective gear, no training, and no hesitation, Majaliwa smashed his way into the wreckage and pulled out 24 terrified passengers trapped inside the sinking plane.
Witnesses say he was “the first responder before the responders,” diving repeatedly beneath the fuselage as water rushed in. His bravery bought precious minutes that ultimately saved lives.
In recognition of his extraordinary heroism, President Samia Suluhu Hassan personally offered him a job in the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Brigade, transforming the fisherman into a national emergency service officer almost overnight.
Majaliwa was also given a $438 reward, a symbolic gesture that sparked public debate but did little to overshadow the nation’s admiration for his fearless intervention.
From the shores of Lake Victoria to the corridors of power in Dodoma, Jackson Majaliwa’s name now stands for raw courage, selflessness, and the spirit of a true Tanzanian hero — a man who didn’t wait for help, but became the help when it mattered most.
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