Barua aliyoandika Nyerere kwa mawaziri na viongozi juu ya "Ujiko" a.k.a Pomposity!

[Gamba la Nyoka]

Huyu siyo Benjamin Mkapa(mwandishi wa raisi enzi hizo). aliyeandika hii speech on behalf of president Nyerere?. maana Ben kwa kimombo hajambo tele!.

 

[Taso]

the President of Tanganyika is fast becoming the worst public nuisance the city of Dar-es-Salaam has ever had to put up with! Whenever he decides to go out, whether to dinner, a dance, or even to visit some friends, the normal flow of traffic has now to be interfered with.

yeye si ndio Rais, sasa haya anamwandikia nani, dereva wake?

viingereza vireeefu ili Malkia wa Uingereza asikie ampe ujiko

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Lakini, hotuba yake moja ambayo haijawahi kuchapishwa ni ile aliyowatolea wale vijana walioandamana hadi Ikulu wakigomea JKT; Hii hotuba ikisomwa leo kuna watu watachapwa viboko. I'm so tempted to put it here one of these days kwani wale wale vijana aliowabwatukia (literally) siku ile ndio wengine wameshika madaraka leo hii na wanatusumbua.

 

[Waberoya]

On 7th July 1963, the president spoke against pomposity. Few days later (On July 13) he issued the following letter to all ministers and government officials. The letter was released to the press. Considerable improvement followed these instructions.

My Dear Colleague,

On Saba Saba Day I was obliged to speak publicly against something which I have been complaining about for some time; that is the growing tendency within the Government to confuse dignity with what I consider to be sheer pomposity. This is a tendency which must be checked at once if it is not to destroy the very thing it is, presumably, intended to emphasize – the dignity of the Republic and the respect due to the Government of the Republic.

By this letter I am asking every person in a responsible position both in TANU and Government to help in stamping out this disease.

I will give a few examples to illustrate the sort of thing I mean by pomposity. I could give many more. You all know them.

When we became independent, we started by singing the national anthem every time the Prime Minster arrived anywhere, even at supposedly informal dinner parties. This, already, was rather unnecessary; but, as a little over-enthusiasm was fairly understandable just at first, I have hoped that in time we should learn to reserve the anthem for the really ceremonial functions at which its playing is appropriate. It seems I was too hopeful; for now we sing it whenever a Minister, a Parliamentary Secretary, a Regional Commissioner, or an Area Commissioner arrives at a gathering of any kind anywhere in Tanganyika!

Nothing could be more disrespectful to our national anthem than to treat it as a popular song-hit, or a ‘signature-tune' to be ‘plugged' the moment any member of the Government appears on the scene. Yet this is exactly what we are doing. We sing the national anthem on the most unsuitable and unlikely occasions; and if some unfortunate passer-by does not happen to notice us, we take very serious offence and start shouting about ‘insults to the Republic! This is not only ridiculous, but very undignified. It is we who must learn to treat our national anthem with more respect. Indeed, if it is true that over-familiarity breeds contempt, then we are ourselves guilty of exposing the anthem to the risk of ridicule.

It is exceedingly unlikely that anybody, whether he is a Tanganyika citizen or a foreigner, would deliberately ignore the playing of the national anthem. After all, it is customary in every country in the world for visiting foreigners, as well as the local public, to show their respect by standing to attention while the anthem is being played. But is not customary in other countries to play or sing their national anthem without any warning, just because some official of the Government happens to have dropped in unexpectedly at a small gathering, or landed at an airstrip on a visit to his mother in law! Supposing we were on holiday in another country, and we happened to overhear a small group of young people burst into song as they greeted some- to us- unknown figure; we should be very startled to find ourselves suddenly accused of insulting behavior because had failed to recognize the tune as their national anthem!

It is the same with police escorts. We managed to get about quite well without them, when we were not in the Government; but I'm told we cannot now do without them altogether. I admit, therefore, that there may be certain ceremonial occasions when it is necessary for the President, o the Vice President, to have a police escort for example, when receiving a State visit or when there is to be a State Opening parliament we have to make sure the roads are clear so that the President arrives punctually at his destination. In a case like that the preliminary clearing of the road from The State House to Karimjee Hall is necessary, and the public can easily appreciate why it is so. But, as with the playing of the national anthem, the intrinsic importance of the occasion must itself be sufficient to warrant the use of a police escort. It is meaningless, in fact is is insulting to the public, if we try and use an escort, or play the national anthem, as a means of embroidering the most ordinary occasion with a sham pomp which it does not merit!

The office of President, in this or any other sovereign republic, carries with it the duties and the responsibilities of the head of State. It does not, or it most certainly should not, oblige its holder to become the greatest public nuisance in the capital city! Yet, as a result of this growing insistence on pomposity and ostentation, the President of Tanganyika is fast becoming the worst public nuisance the city of Dar-es-Salaam has ever had to put up with! Whenever he decides to go out, whether to dinner, a dance, or even to visit some friends, the normal flow of traffic has now to be interfered with. If he has not had time to warn the police well in advance, then other road-users on the route to his destination will suddenly find themselves being cleared out of the way (like so much unsightly rubbish) to leave the road clear for the President's car. And, acting under orders to get it clear immediately, the unfortunate police outriders have no time for courteous explanations; so that the mere ‘ordinary' motorist has to be waved off the road with a rude abruptness, and sublime disregard for his own convenience, which can do little to enhance his respect for the cause of it all! If, on the other hand, the police have had sufficient warning to enable them to do their work efficiently, then all traffic within a quarter a mile of the route may be brought to a standstill for anything from half an hour to an hour before the President leaves the State House.

If I were not myself the President, I should by now have taken to ringing up The State House before ever attempting to fix any appointment with a friend; for it is rapidly becoming impossible for anybody in Dar-es-Salaam to guess how long it will take him to drive from point A to point B without first finding out whether the President also intends to go out on that particular day!

And it is not only the public who suffer, but the police themselves. It is difficult, to say the least, for them to live up to the repeated injunctions of TANU and the Government to ‘treat the public with consideration and courtesy', and tat the same time to carry out sudden orders to clear bewildered motorists from the public thoroughfares in a matter of minutes!

Once we even had a serious accident as a direct result of this insistence on the very maximum pomp. I was going to Morogoro. Two police cars had been proved as escort, but at the last moment it was decided that this was not impressive enough, so a motorcycle outrider was ordered to go ahead of the police cars. As he was hurrying to obey this order something happened, and his motorcycle overturned. He was severely injured, and lost for his teeth- all in cause of enhancing the Presidential Pomp.

Then, too, there is the question of The State House grounds. It is much more difficult to enter the State House grounds now than it was under Colonial Rule. There have been several occasions when I have wanted passers-by to be allowed into the grounds to enjoy a ngoma that was going on there. But it has proved impossible for me or anybody else to the Gate opened. Presumably this could only be authorized by means of a Cabinet Directive! I, myself, cannot leave The State House grounds without the Guard at the Gate being called to announce to the whole city- by a fanfare of trumpets – that the president is going out!

Hitherto, whenever I have questioned the value of all this very undemocratic pomposity, I have been assured that ‘the people like it'. But this is highly doubtful. Do the people really like being refused permission to join the ngomas which they can see going on, on the other side of the State House barriers? Do they really love being shouted at to get off the road because President, or a Minister, or a Regional Commissioner, is taking an afternoon drive? Do they really feel a surge of pride and patriotism every time they are expected to stop what they are doing and stand to attention just because some newly appointed official, whom they may not even have seen before, is being ‘serenaded' buy his friends with the national anthem?

We should stop deceiving ourselves. This sort of pomposity has nothing to do with the people, for it is the very reverse of democracy. We must stop it. We must begin to treat pomposity with the scorn it deserves. Dignity does not need pomposity to uphold it; and pomposity in all its forms is a wrong. Even if it were proved that the people really did enjoy it – which I very much doubt – it would still be a wrong; and as such it would still be our duty to put a stop to it, and to tell the people that what they had learned to enjoy was wrong.

Yours Sincerely.


From: Freedom and Unity, Pg. 223 (digital transcription by MM).



My Take:
Have we fallen back to this ill attitude of pomposity? like buying a 258 million car for Minister? Do you think the current president has the audacity to issue similar or even stronger worded letter than Nyerere's?

Duh! nimesoma tena na tena!! It is nice letter truly nice especially in these days!

Nakumbuka obama wakati anaingia ofisini alisema anasoma sana vitabu na majarida ya Lincoln!! am wonder if Kikwete I mean this we all know ikwete have ever read Nyerere's publications , I believe Mkapa did read though he purposefuly digressed from baseline! Mwinyi-I dont know


By the way, are there any Nyerere's publications available online? ( Apart from books which are available in Amazon) is there any organization/institution have done digital transcribed as you did.

Thanks MM for this letter!

 

[Bantugbro]

Hivi Mkwere na Mtoto wa mkulima huwa wanasoma haya mambo kweli?

 

[Ndinani]

"...as a result of this growing insistence on pomposity and ostentation, the President of Tanganyika is fast becoming the worst public nuisance the city of Dar-es-Salaam has ever had to put up with! Whenever he decides to go out, whether to dinner, a dance, or even to visit some friends, the normal flow of traffic has now to be interfered with. .."

JK UPO?

Not only is the flow of traffic interrupted along bagamoyo road every weekend when Jakaya has to drive to/from Msoga, but traffic has to come to a standsill for ours when his wife is driven to visit her friends within the city!! Talk about lack of intergrity and pomposity at its worst!!

 

[bucho]

Nakumbuka obama wakati anaingia ofisini alisema anasoma sana vitabu na majarida ya Lincoln!! am wonder if Kikwete I mean this we all know ikwete have ever read Nyerere's publications , I believe Mkapa did read though he purposefuly digressed from baseline! Mwinyi-I dont know




mwinyi sijui hata kama lugha inapanda teh teh.

Thanks MM for this letter![/QUOTE]

 

[Kachest]

Hapa kwa JK kazi kweli kweli barua kama hizo kwake ni historia, hajali hata mkisema it is only four year yeye anakula pensheni kwa mgongo wako. Mtoto wa mkulima kukataa gari la m 258 ni kichekesho kwani halirudishwi kiwandani litatumiwa na wachini yake labda Mkuchika

 

[Epifania]

ndani ya serikali hawana muda wa kupitia vitu kama hivi pengine vingekuwa vikiwakumbusha kurudi kwenye mstari pindi wakipotoka

Kuna msemo unasema, ukitaka kumficha mwafrika kitu, ukiweke ndani ya kitabu maana hatuna tabia ya kusoma. Sidhani kama hao viongozi wetu wamewahi ona hii. Bigup Mwanakijiji

 

[Nyambala]

What a nice piece? Kwa aina ya viongozi tulionao kuanzia JK mwenyewe na mashabiki wao watakutuhumu Mkjj kwamba huu ni uzushi!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mdondoaji]

It is true that our current breed of leaders want to be treated like royalty. They have come to expect that it is their right as holders of certain positions to be given this sought of respect. A respect which is superficial because it is not earned but rather forced. Our leaders have developed this elitist mentality and an attitude of entitlement.

Last week I was surprised to learn that the motorcade for the U.S. president obeys all traffic rules during non official trips. Meaning that the road is not cleared up because Mr. President is going to visit a friend or taking the first lady out to dinner etc. In fact the U.S. president actually pays for his own meals when not on official state business. All these little things and much more.

I bet you in Tanzania if the president wants to have a birthday dinner for mamaa it is tax payer money being used. If the president wants to buy his wife an anniversary git it is the tax payers money. Every personal expense if footed by tax payers even though the president and most of his subordinates are paid handsomely.

Personally I think we suffer from "umasikini" mentality. Our leaders don't feel like they are leaders without putting themselves above the rest. They see it as unleader-like to be like the common mwananchi. This is the problem with most successful Tanzanians and not just government leaders. They are not humble and do not remember where they came from.

But here I think JK Nyerere made a crucial mistake. Instead of merely complaining about it as the most powerful president we ever had he should have done something about it. He should have spear headed legislation that would have limited some of these act. It could have been placed into law that police escort would only be provided for such and such occasions etc.

I'm one of those people who believe that a new constitution is a must and a new code of conduct for government officials should be kept in place. If our leaders do not have the moral conscience to know when enough is enough let's do it for them by placing those limitations in law.

There is a mentality that we should pay for everything our leaders uses. Further when they retire they will continue to be our president this is a disgrace. Constitution is a must to remove this.

 

[Waberoya]

Huyu siyo Benjamin Mkapa(mwandishi wa raisi enzi hizo). aliyeandika hii speech on behalf of president Nyerere?. maana Ben kwa kimombo hajambo tele!.

Ben ana kiingereza kizuri, na Nyerere alikuwa na kiingereza kizuri zaidi. I mean kama Mkapa angekuwa mwandishi wa vitabu, basi ungeona hana tofauti sana na Nyerere katika style ya kuandika tu, tofauti yao ni Nyerere alikuwa akimaanisha na Mkapa anaigiza!

 

[zomba]

Nyerere talks about National Anthem being played, sung, inappropriately, he talks about traffic being stopped (for hours, if you were there at that time you'd know what I mean). Haalafu Mzeemwanakijiji unapinda na kuanza kuongelea magaro ya million 280, vipi wewe?

Unafikiri lile Rolls Royce na yale ma benz ya wakati wa Nyerere kwa sasa thamani yake ni ngapi?

Wacha pumba hizo, ndio maana siku zote huwa nnasema wewe ndio PUmba namba moja hapa JF. Unapenda kubadili mtazamo halisi wa mambo kwa mtazamo hasi na si chanya.

Watu kama wewe ni hatari sana kwa kuchonganisha jamii. Nadhani umeshawahi kuwachisha watu mpaka ndoa zao, kwa fitina za namna yako. Kwani hii tabia haiwezi ikawa ni ya humu JF tuu. Tabia mbaya mtu huwa nayo siku zote.

 

[Njilembera]

mwinyi sijui hata kama lugha inapanda teh teh.

Thanks MM for this letter![/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Jamani, Mwacheni Mzee Mwinyi. Kwa taarifa yako Mzee Mwinyi ana ung'enye( kiingereza) kilichosheheni msamiati, nahau na lafudhi inayozidi hata baadhi ya Waingereza. Hana pomposity za kina BWP na JK!

 

[Njilembera]

Unafikiri lile Rolls Royce na yale ma benz ya wakati wa Nyerere kwa sasa thamani yake ni ngapi?

Wacha pumba hizo, ndio maana siku zote huwa nnasema wewe ndio PUmba namba moja hapa JF. Unapenda kubadili mtazamo halisi wa mambo kwa mtazamo hasi na si chanya.

Watu kama wewe ni hatari sana kwa kuchonganisha jamii. Nadhani umeshawahi kuwachisha watu mpaka ndoa zao, kwa fitina za namna yako. Kwani hii tabia haiwezi ikawa ni ya humu JF tuu. Tabia mbaya mtu huwa nayo siku zote.

Kwanza unaaibisha Dar yetu kwa kulitumia kama jina lako. Pili wewe ni hatari kuliko mtu yeyote ambaye unaweza kumfikiria katika kuchochea wananchi! Unawanyima uhuru, unawachokoza kwa kuwaambia yote ni sawa! Tatu, Nyerere, alipiga vita sana magari ya kifahari Ikulu miaka ile ya mwisho ya 1960 na mwanzo 1970. Alifanya ikawa kama ni dhambi kiongozi kuonekana anaendeshwa kwenye Benzi. Ile Rolls Royce aliikuta Ikulu, lakini usichanganye mambo. Wapo wasaidizi wa Raisi ambao wanafikiria kujikomba kwa Raisi kwa kununua mavitu ya thamni kubwa, na ndivyo mtoto wa mkulima alivyofanyiwa. Alijali sana kuwepo kwa tofauti kubwa ya kipato baina ya wananchi. Na alifanya yote haya kwa vitendo. ALipungumza mshahara wake na wa mawaziri wake. Hakusita kumkemea mpuuzi wa namna yeyote. Ufisadi ulikuwepo, kama ilivyo desturi ya mwanadamu lakini aliiangamiza maana yeye hakushiriki. Kama unakumbuka jinsi alivyoshughulikia ule uagizaji wa ndege za George (Hallacks!)

 

[Hume]

Nyerere talks about National Anthem being played, sung, inappropriately, he talks about traffic being stopped (for hours, if you were there at that time you'd know what I mean). Haalafu Mzeemwanakijiji unapinda na kuanza kuongelea magaro ya million 280, vipi wewe?

Unafikiri lile Rolls Royce na yale ma benz ya wakati wa Nyerere kwa sasa thamani yake ni ngapi?

Wacha pumba hizo, ndio maana siku zote huwa nnasema wewe ndio PUmba namba moja hapa JF. Unapenda kubadili mtazamo halisi wa mambo kwa mtazamo hasi na si chanya.

Watu kama wewe ni hatari sana kwa kuchonganisha jamii. Nadhani umeshawahi kuwachisha watu mpaka ndoa zao, kwa fitina za namna yako. Kwani hii tabia haiwezi ikawa ni ya humu JF tuu. Tabia mbaya mtu huwa nayo siku zote.

Mh! Huyu naye katoka wapi? Mbona umehama kabisa kwenye mada? Kwenye article hii amekuchonganisha na nani?

 

[zomba]

Mh! Huyu naye katoka wapi? Mbona umehama kabisa kwenye mada? Kwenye article hii amekuchonganisha na nani?

Ama kweli, yaani wewe huoni anachochonganisha na nimekileza kwa ufasaha katika post uliyoijibu.

 

[DENYO]

Nyerere is the hero yesterday, today and tomorow -NAMKUBALI MZEE HUYU ACHANA NA WANAFIKI NA MAFISADI.

 

[hashycool]

this country needs patriots...right now i dont give a shit about somebodys well constructed dumb ass cvs... because last time i checked
these crooks with them highly decorated honors and shit like that, did us no good....i salute nyerere, he did put a good hustle for this country.

 

[Zakumi]

Cherry picking at work. Isn't the same guy who fondly approved "Zidumu Fikra za Mwenyekiti wa CCM" in every meeting he attended.