Ulimwengu: Iscariots Busy Praising Nyerere while Burying Critical Analysis of his Legacy

[Waberoya]

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves...





William Shakespeare puts these words in the mouth of Caius Cassius who is eagerly reasoning with Brutus to take his rightful place in Rome and stop kowtowing to Julius Caesar, who had assumed such powers that he was seen as a superman.


This quote from one of the Bard’s greatest dramas, Julius Caesar, is not necessarily relevant, contextually, to what was happening in Tanzania a week ago.For, while Cassius was urging his friend Marcus Brutus to lead a conspiracy against, and to overthrow Caesar, the “petty men” of the Tanzanian political class were busy demonstrating that their own Julius was indeed a Colossus, and they are busy looking for their own “dishonourable graves.”The occasions were organised to celebrate the life and work of Julius Nyerere, the founding father of Tanzania, who passed away 12 years ago last week, and the organisers had a dark sense of humour in the choice of the people they chose to grace these commemorative events.



As if by design, they chose individuals who, by their overt actions, over the 12 years, have demonstrated that they have precious little to do with Mwalimu, unless, of course, it is to undo everything he stood for and did, and to erase his legacy.


It’s a bit hard to understand why such people were chosen to honour in symposia a man they have so
decidedly negated in their lives, except the fact that for a long time they served under Nyerere and pretended to be loyal disciples, which even Judas Iscariot was to Jesus.There are many people — both within Tanzania and without — who have kept the faith and shielded Mwalimu’s flickering flame, which is now buffeted by the strong winds of reaction in the country. Clearly, these would have been the most appropriate individuals to lead these commemorations.


But then, on occasions like these, our Iscariots are eager to bask in the faded glory of their pasts as Nyerere’s errand boys, for that, rather than disciples, is what they have shown us they were.

Disciples take up the word of the master and run with it, carrying it far and wide, testifying before angry tyrants and hungry lions, staying on-message to the death.

Errand boys, on the other hand, decamp the moment the master is dead or apprehended; they are taken over by whoever happens to have taken the place of the master, however unworthy, because what they are looking for is really not a master but a paymaster, and anyone will do. They will embrace any new faith — but mostly faithlessness — that comes with a miserable cheque.

They will go to the Nyerere memorials because these latter are forums that attract a lot of attention, especially among the youth, who may be tempted to idolise Kambarage because they see that their future has been stolen from them by their rulers, and the tendency is to view the past as an idyllic, faultless, blissful paradise lost, incarnated in Mwalimu.


They cannot appreciate the great man critically, warts and all, with all the great mistakes he made.These young people are routinely short-changed by these symposia led by these bogus disciples, because hypocrites cannot offer critical analyses: They either savage their former icons when it is safe to do so, or eulogise them and shower them with praises they may not really deserve, if the subject is still popular — and Nyerere’s popularity is soaring by the day. So the “petty men” can only sing his praises.


A holistic appreciation of Nyerere, one which would help Tanzanians celebrate his truly great thoughts and deeds, while noting for future avoidance all the negatives associated with him, would stand us in better stead.


Jenerali Ulimwengu..East African October 24-30, 2011

 

[Pezzonovante]

Ulimwengu is my mentor and teacher he made me to study political science so nampa big up

 

[Mikael Aweda]

This is an excellent comments, Jenerali ulimwengu is an intellectual.

 

[mharakati]

well put Jenerali. always on point

 

[WildCard]

Walioniudhi zaidi ni Chuo Kikuu cha Dar. Chuo hiki ndicho kimetutolea WANASHERIA wanaoandika MIKATABA hii tulionayo na MAHAKIMU, MAWAKILI wa ajabu kabisa, ndio kimetutolea WAHANDISI wanaotujengea na kusimamia miradi mikubwa ya barabara, majengo, madaraja ya ajabu, ndio kimetutolea watawala wetu wengi anaowasema Jenerali hapa, ndio kimetutolea WACHUMI wa ajabu kabisa duniani, halafu eti kinaandaa makongamano ya kumuenzi MWALIMU.

 

[Bigaraone]

This is the strong worded analysis worthy praising.Bravo Jenerali. Hope there are other Ulimwengus that need to come forward and give the analyst an upper hand. However, if Ulimwengu happens to be on this chat would help us clarify as to why he and his compatriots have been too soft to some rulers and being strong to some. If I may contextuliase many Ulimwengus are calling a spade spade when it comes to Mkapa-third phase President on the wrongs he committed either deliberately or by virtues of his being a president but not to Mwinyi and the incument President Kikwete.

It's undoubtedly true, alaysis on drawbacks in the mining industry has not been widely and comprehensivelly done so that Tanzanians and the world at large can know who did what and whose interest. Much of the analyses blaime it to the Mkapa's regime. However, if one goes further into ducumentary reviews, it is discovered contracts on mining activities were launched by Mwinyi's regime when Kikwete was Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. The Barrick and Anglo Ashanti- the biggest companies in mining industry got awarded mining areas by Mwinyi's regime. However, writers the likes of Ulimwengu, Mbwambo, Rweyemamu's before he succumbed into corrupt MAFYA type mtandao and others have always been shy to explain this on dimension.

While we agree people who were invinted during Nyerere commemorations are not worthy disciples of the great stateman, we need to go further in our analysis in a simple clear language that so and so archtected this problem and hence the whole nation is in a mess. We need to explain if Azimio la Arusha had not been burried by the so called Azimio la Zanzibar could we have wintnessed grabbing undertaken in mining sector? Could we have fishy corrupt contracts the likes of Meremeta, Tangold, EPA, Richmond and the likes?

 

[Nyambala]

Walioniudhi zaidi ni Chuo Kikuu cha Dar. Chuo hiki ndicho kimetutolea WANASHERIA wanaoandika MIKATABA hii tulionayo na MAHAKIMU, MAWAKILI wa ajabu kabisa, ndio kimetutolea WAHANDISI wanaotujengea na kusimamia miradi mikubwa ya barabara, majengo, madaraja ya ajabu, ndio kimetutolea watawala wetu wengi anaowasema Jenerali hapa, ndio kimetutolea WACHUMI wa ajabu kabisa duniani, halafu eti kinaandaa makongamano ya kumuenzi MWALIMU.

Mkuu na wewe ni mojawapo ya haters wa UDSM hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Well if u think critically do u think UDSM ndiyo tatizo????????? maana uliyoyaeleza hapo yapo Kenya,Uganda, SA, Malawi, Zambia u name it!!!!!

 

[Nyunyu]

Kama BWM nina uhakika huyu jamaa huwa anam-hate Late JKN!!! BWM ni mlafi kuliko tunavyodhani...

 

[Ndahani]

Unajua leo hii watanzania tumekuwa wasanii tuliotukuka. Kila kitu tunachofanya ni kwa ajiri ya kupata umaarufu au kujiongezea kipato.Kwanini tusitumie jina la Nyerere kwa kujiongezea?

 

[Waberoya]

This is an excellent comments, Jenerali ulimwengu is an intellectual.

He deserves Honorary PhD not Kikwete!!!

 

[Mkandara]

Haihitaji mtu mwenye Phd kufahamu kwamba CCM imepoteza mwelekeo toka Azimio la Zanzibar.. CCM ni Liberal party, for Communalism (UJAMAA na KUJITEGEMEA) Against Bourgeoisie,imperialism and exploitation of all kinds..Lakini leo tunaona quiet the opposite, tena kibaya zaidi they are for modern Colonialism!