reporting the proceedings of the second assembly for
94 Int. J. Sociol. Anthropol.Africa of the synod of bishops, Jennings (2009) Nyererescanonization is heartening, because Africa also neededsaints from high political office ostensibly to galvanizemen and women of good will to join hands against thecommon evils besetting African nations. The fact thatboth the political and religious worlds are seeking tocanonise the former ruler is a clear sign that Nyerereaffected these two worlds immensely (Kahura, 2006)
.
However, the process, complicated as it is, involvingtime, money, testimonies, miracles and strict set of rules,has been shrouded in controversy such that calls havebeen made for the proponents of the process to be openand avail the dossier about Nyereres process tosainthood, so that people may understand theextraordinary spiritual virtues that make him a probablesaint (Williams, 2006), while a prominent social analyst,Jenerali Ulimwengu claims that politicians, by their verynature, cannot be saints (Ulimwengu, 2009). This paperis about Julius Nyereres influence in the Tanzania socialand political milieu especially on his policy of socialism(family-hood) and the controversial prospect of sainthoodwithin the Roman Catholic Church. It explores the idealsand core values of Julius Nyerere, his stance on religion/church and its place in Tanzania, his overall impact andlegacy and the controversy about his elevation into asaint. The argument of this article is that Nyereres highratings as a political leader does not necessarily lead himto be canonised in the proper Roman Catholic strands. Itis mainly based on review of the literature and citing hiswritings and pronouncements.
THE PERSON
Julius Nyerere was named
Kambarage which in hisKizanaki vernacular means "the spirit which gives rain"because it was raining so hard on the day of his birth inMarch 1922. When he reached the age of twenty, hejoined the Roman Catholic Church and took thebaptismal name of Julius2,
only to realise that it did notstand for a particularly well known saint (Smith, 1974:40). When Julius Nyerere died on October 14th 1999, hewas eulogised profusely. Thus, the World Bank presidentdescribed him as,
one of the few world leaders whosehigh ideals, moral integrity and personal modesty inspiredpeople right around the globe
(Wolfensohn, 1999).The World Council of Churches (15th October 1999) paidtribute to Nyerere as follows, Julius Nyerere lived asimple life in harmony with his message and the values oftruth and justice to which he referred. Incorruptible andfully accountable, his life and work set an example ofintegrity that challenged his country and people, the restof Africa and the world. In many ways, Nyerere was theconscience of Africa
2
Cynically someone writes, Although he [Nyerere] was a practicingcatholic, his sawed-off front teeth indicated his pagan tribal background(Julius Kambarage Nyerere)
Mwalimu (teacher, as he was referred to) Nyerere isalways cited as good example of a leader who governedand worked for the Tanzania people with the highest levelof ethical standards and unquestionable integrity(Rwechungura, 2005). He disapproved hero worship andwas openly disdainful of personal glorification anddetested building personality cult around his name, lifeand work (Mwansasu, 2004: 1). His simplicity and asceticlifestyle set a high moral standard. Another remarkablelegacy of Nyerere was when he showed an example that,despite his being the Father of the Nation; he would notbe a president for life like others of his era in Africa. Forthe well-being of individuals and the nation in general,Nyerere was committed to peace and unity initiatives inTanzania, especially in the area of religious tolerance.The current president of the United Republic of Tanzania,Jakaya Kikwete, affirmed this in a speech he gave atBoston University (U.S.A.) on September 25, 2006 inwhich he said, The political unity and religious tolerancethat we pride ourselves in did not come by accident. It isa product of deliberate action and the vision of leaders ofTanzania from the founding president, the late MwalimuJulius Nyerere, to the present
thanks to the remarkableforesight of our founding president
specific actions weretaken to engender tolerance in matters of faith andmanage potential cracks to our country. To cap hiscredentials in October 2009, Nyerere was namedposthumously, "World Hero of Social Justice" by the UNGeneral Assembly(
allAfrica.com: Tanzania: African Leaders Back Nyerere's Canonization Cause cited 11thDecember 2010).
Core values
Here, we enumerated the core values of Julius Nyerereand their inherent religious underpinnings.
Equality and human dignity
Julius Nyereres central domestic preoccupations duringthe period of his presidency, were fourfold: (i) promotingthe developing the Tanzanian economy, which he saw asa sine qua non for the accomplishment of most if not allother objectives; (ii) securing and retaining nationalcontrol of the direction of Tanzania's economicdevelopment; (iii) creating political institutions that wouldbe widely participatory and that would sustain theextraordinary sense of common purpose which in theseearly years united Tanzanians under his leadership andthat of the Tanzanian African National Union (TANU); (iv)building a just society in Tanzania, free of severe incomeinequalities, in which all would share the benefits ofdevelopment as it was accomplished (Pratt, 1999:3). In apolicy booklet published in March 1967 on "Education forSelf-Reliance, Nyerere spelt out the values and
objectives of the society he envisioned as follows:
we want to create a socialist society which is based
onthree principles: equality and respect for human dignity;sharing of the resources which are produced by ourefforts; work by everyone and exploitation by none
.At the heart of Nyereres core values was an affirmationof the fundamental equality3 of all humankind and acommitment to the building of social, economic andpolitical institutions, which would reflect and ensure thisequality. He frequently presented his views on socialismas an expression of values, which he felt to be anessential ethical component of a departing African way oflife. Nyerere recognized that the social values oftraditional Tanzania were rapidly being undermined. Evenbefore 1967, Nyerere argued that Tanzanians must find away to progress economically and would not underminethe communal equality of their society. Nyerere realizedfrom the earliest days of his leadership, that his societyneeded modern educated men and women to lead itforward but that the members of these elites were boundto be tempted to set their aspirations by reference to thelevels of material welfare enjoyed by the elites of othermuch richer societies. He knew very well that the materialambitions of the emerging African bourgeoisie werepowerful and hard to contain. His socialist doctrine waseloquently expounded in the famous Arusha Declaration,a doctrine he had formulated and had the blessings of theruling party, TANU. The Arusha Declaration of 1967 wasone of his most influential pieces of writing. TheDeclaration defined the meaning of socialism in thecontext of Tanzania.Inherent in the declaration was the rejection of materialwealth for its own sake. It was a commitment to the beliefthat there are more important things in life than theamassing of riches and that if the pursuit of wealthclashes with things like human dignity and social equality,then the latter will be given priority. His faith in socialismwas an expression of values which he felt to be thedistinctive ethical core of departing African traditional wayof life. His blueprint was his vision of traditional Africanculture. In pre-colonial Africa, he argued that, the threeaforementioned sectors were self-reliant, democratic andegalitarian, respectively. Nyereres vision of traditionalAfrica was largely characterized by equality. He wroteabout a persons right to live in dignity and equality withothers. According to Cranford Pratt, Nyerere strove toachieve material equity, not necessarily equality, butless stratification in wealth (Pratt, 1999b). Ingrained in theArusha Declaration was a clear-cut code of ethics forparty leaders to abide with which excluded economicexploitation of the masses by those in positions of controlin the top echelons of the government4.From a religious point of view, it amounted to a
3
Nyereres belief in equality led him to assert that it is, the basis of all greatreligions of the world (see Neve, 1976, ibid)
4
The leadership code enshrined din the Arusha Declaration was to be dilutedby the Zanzibar resolution of 2001
Mesaki and Malipula 95covenant between the party/government and the peopleas a woman missionary put it,
Nyereres ujamaaphilosophy acknowledged the deeply human and indeedreligious aspirations it signified. Ujamaa looked at thetraditional extended family as a symbol. It signified thehope of turning the whole nation into relatives who wouldcare for each other
it was utopian in the sense of providinga vision of alternative social relations, especially incontrast to the increasingly capitalist relations, that hadcome into the country through colonialism (Giblin, 1992:40). Neve (1976) refers to a paradoxical occasion inwhich Nyerere is said to have likened Tanzaniansocialism to, the religion of socialism and self reliancewithout elaborating (Smith, 1971: 36). Before his death,Nyerere was asked about the continued validity of theArusha Declaration to which he retorted, I still travel withit. I read it over and over to see what I would change.Maybe I would improve on the Kiswahili that was usedbut the declaration is still valid, I would not change athing (New Internationalist Magazine issue 309, 1999).Earlier, when he stepped down in 1985, Nyerere haddeclared that, "although socialism has failed in Tanzania,I will remain a socialist because I believe socialism is thebest policy for poor countries like Tanzania".
Socialism
5 and secularism
In the following extensive quotation, Nyerere reconcileshis doctrine of socialism and belief in God.
Nor is itany business of socialism if an individual is, or is not,inspired in his daily life by a belief in God, nor if he does,or does not, attend a place of religious worship-or prayelsewhere. Socialism is concerned with mans life in thissociety. ..Socialisms concern about the organization oflife on earth does not involve any supposition about lifeelsewhere, or about mans soul, or the procedures offulfilling the will of God or Gods. A mans relationship withhis God is a personal matter for him and him alone; hisbeliefs about the hereafter are his own affair...but areligion which involves human sacrifice, or demanded theexploitation of human beings, could not be allowed tocarry out these practices
Socialism is secular. It hasnothing to say about whether there is a God
.it assumesthe equality of man but people can reach this conclusionby many routes
e.g. that all are created by Him, or dueto scientific evidence or simply because they believe it isthe only basis on which life in society can be organizedwithout injustice
this means that socialism cannotrequire that its adherents be atheists. There is not theslightest necessity for people to study metaphysics anddecide whether there is one God, many Gods, or no God,before they can be socialists. There is nothingincompatible between socialism and Christianity, Islam or
5
It is asserted (Njozi 2004 op cit) that in an interview with the ChristianCentury of March 1, 1972, Nyerere was quoted as saying that his efforts tobuild African socialism in Tanzania represented his determination to translate
in practical terms the teachings contained in The Gospel (sic) of Jesus Christ.
any other religion which accepts the equality of man onearth.The fact that socialism and religion are two differentthings does not mean that socialism is anti-religious
[ina socialist society] members would be free to bereligious, follow what ever religion they wish; the societywould try very hard not to make a decision whichoutrages the religions feelings of any of its members,however small in number
it is thus the essentiallypersonal nature of religious belief which makes itnecessary for socialism to leave religions questions aloneas far as possible-which makes it necessary thatsocialism should be secular-and being secular involvestrying to avoid upsetting deeply held religious beliefshowever stupid they may appear to non-believers:wearing of long hair, pouring libations, ban on music ordancing
because they are important tobelievers
always socialism will try to enlarge freedomand religious freedom is an essential part of mansliberty
(Nyerere, 1974). For him, under socialism, itwas a public concern, only that one fulfilled onesresponsibilities to society and that religion activity as withleisure pursuits belonged to the private domain. It isclaimed that, for the sake of religious tolerance, Nyererehelped to formulate the religious articles in theconstitution of the government of Tanzania. Thesearticles, which are still used, mainly focus on the right tofreedom of religion (Malambugi, 1999)
In development, man (sic) is the purpose
Nyerere extolled the virtues of human beings in pursuingdevelopment, The purpose of development is man
6. It isthe creation of conditions both material and spiritual,which enables man the individual and man the species,to become his best. He continues that it is easy forChristians to understand because Christianity demandsthat every man should aspire towards union with godthrough Christ
representatives of the church frequentlyact as if mans development is a personal and internalmatter, which can be divorced from the society and theeconomy in which he lives and earns his daily bread.They preach resignation; very often they appear to accept
as immutable the social, economic and political frameworkof the present day world. They seek to ameliorateconditions through acts of love and kindness where thebeneficiary remains an object. But when the victims of
poverty and oppression begin to behave like men and try
tochange those conditions, the representatives of theChurch stand aside
. He saw man as also the purposeof socialism but since religious beliefs were important to
6
The word man
means all men-all human beings. Male and female; black,white, brown, yellow; long-nosed and short-nosed, educated anduneducated
all these and all other distinctions between human beings, areirrelevant to the fact that all members of the society-all the human beings whoare its purpose-are equal Nyerere (quoted in Neve, 1976, footnote 19).
man he pleaded for religious tolerance and for the
avoidance of deep offence even to small religiousminorities. Despite Nyereres appeal to traditionalism,indigenous religions were not used to legitimize ujamaa
and it was more likely to be seen as un-progressive
e.g.
colonial ban on witchcraft remained and was reasserted.Nyerere assured church leaders that ujamaa was in fullaccord with Christianity. Nyereres Tanzania religious
organizations were supported by the state on conditions
thattheir teachings conformed to values which the stateendorsed. Muslims, Christians and traditional believers allheld some beliefs which could be hostile to nationalintegration and to state ideology. Nyerere expected theseto be toned down with priority given to aspects of the
relevant religious tradition which could be presented as
legitimizing state ideology (Forster, 1997)
On poverty and injustice
Nyerere argued that poverty was not a real problem ofthe modern world because there was plenty of knowledgeand resources to enable the overcoming of poverty; thereal problem- the thing that brought misery, wars andhatred among man, he pointed out was, the division ofmankind into
those who are satiated and those who arehungry, those with power and those without power, those
who dominate and those who are dominated; those who
exploit and those who are exploited; and it is the minoritywhich is well fed and which has secured control over theworlds wealth and over their fellow men
and thatminority has distinguishing characteristic- their adoptionof the Christian religion. He calls on Christians to refusethe situation and challenges the Church to rebel againstsocial structures and economic organisations whichcondemn men to poverty, humiliation and degradation,...the Church must obviously and openly fight theexistence and maintenance of the physical and spiritualslums and must work with the people to build a futurebased on social justice
only by doing so can the churchhope to reduce hatred and promote its doctrine of love toall men
love expressed in action against evil
thechurch acquiesces in established evils, it identifies itselfand the Christian religion with injustice by its continuingpresence (Nyererre, 1974: 88)
Religion and society
According to a former Prime Minister, Julius Nyerere,
was a passionately religious man who respected hissuperiors. As a political leader, he did not allow hisreligious beliefs to influence his political views andactions (Warioba, 2004: 19). Nyerere was a committedand professing Christian and church member and, as aresult, he felt it was his responsibility as a politician tochallenge the church to remember its responsibility to(Tanzanian) society. Whenever he was invited to
participate in church functions, he challenged churches to
strive to fulfil their calling. All human institutions includingthe church are established in order to serve man. Hecalled on the church to recognize the need for a socialrevolution, and to play a leading role in it, "for it is the factof history, that almost all successful social revolutionswhich have taken place in the world have been led bypeople who were themselves beneficiaries under thesystem they sought to replace". And it is the institution ofthe church, through its members which should be leadingto attack on any organization, or any economic, social orpolitical structure which oppresses men, and whichdenies them the right and power to live as the sons of aloving God. In a more scathing speech to the Maryknollmission Headquarters in New York, Nyerere challengedthe church to be in the forefront of rebelling against socialstructures that condemned men to poverty, humiliationand degradation, or else, the church will become irrelevantto man and the Christian religion will degenerate intoa set of superstitions accepted by the fearful
Unless thechurch, its members and organisations, express Godslove for man by involvement and leadership inconstructive protest against the present condition of man,then it will be identified with injustice and persecution. Ifthis happens, it will die and, humanly speaking, it shoulddie because it will then serve no purpose comprehensibleto modern man
(
) for the present condition of menmust be unacceptable to all who think that individualperson is a unique creation of a living God. We say manwas created in the image of God. I refuse to imagine aGod who is poor, ignorant, superstitious, fearful,oppressed and wretched- which is the lot of the majorityof those he created in His own image
under presentconditions, we are creatures, not of God but of our fellowmen...Surely there can be no dispute among Christiansabout that (Nyerere, 1973: 216). Nyerere continued tochallenge the church until his demise in 1999, stressingon the need for the church to serve the whole personmentally, spiritually and physically.Furthermore, he wanted the church to serve peoplebeyond the church. For instance, schools, hospitals andincome generating projects would not only benefitchurches and Christians but also non-believers (Nyerere,1974: 98-99). He says,
all human institutions includingthe church, are established in order to serve man and it isthe institution of the church, through its members whichshould be leading to attack on any organization, or anyeconomic, social or political structure which oppressesmen, and which denies them the right and power to liveas the sons of a loving God (Nyerere, 1974: 98-99)
On the (Christian) church
As pointed earlier, Nyerere was a committed andprofessing Christian and church member and, as a result,he felt it was his responsibility as a politician to challengethe church to remember its responsibility to society andMesaki and Malipula 97challenged churches to strive to fulfil their calling. He alsowanted to reconcile his brand of socialism (ujamaa) byasking the church to define its social ministry in terms ofsupport for the governments development policies. Forhim, to be a good Christian was to work with thegovernment in developing the nation, arguing,
neverhas the church found itself in a position more favourablefor fulfilling its divine mission in a pluralistic society.Ujamaa seems to be in complete conformity with theprinciples of natural law as applied to society and
it isin complete conformity with the social teaching of thechurch
p 106 quoting TEC Secretary General Fr.Robinson. In fact, the Roman Catholic Pastoral bishopsin a 1968 statement on the Church and Development,endorsed ujamaa socialism as being consistent withChristian notions of justice and equality: No one shoulddoubt that in the Arusha Declaration, we can find restatedin a way that is really practical for men and now inTanzania, the true principles of human living and humansociety. We can see very well how closely it agrees withthe true spirit of Christ and the church which is a spirit ofbrotherhood, of sharing, of service and of hard work
The Tabora RC archdiocese emphasised thecommonalities of Christian faith and ujamaa, the churchmust help the Christians to understand the relationshipbetween the political ideology of Tanzanian socialism andthe practice of Christian religion. No doubt this waspossible because Nyerere himself was an RC adherent,some even saw in the Declaration, a form of liberationtheology. Both the church and state realised that the twowere good partners in development such that by the mid-1960s, church authorities across all denominations hadreoriented their social mission to fit in with thedevelopment policy and objectives of the state, resultingin a dramatic shift in the conceptualisation of the place ofthe church in society.
Mixed and complex legacies
To characterize Nyereres legacy is neither easy norstraightforward. We have dwelt on the earlier mentionedcore values of Julius Nyerere and endeavored to pinpointthe religious underpinnings of this rare breed of Africanpoliticians. In assessing Nyereres political legacy, Mazrui(2005) writes, Nyerere's policies of ujamaa amounted toa case of heroic failure. They were heroic becauseTanzania was one of the few African countries whichattempted to find its own route to development instead ofborrowing the ideologies of the West. But it was a failurebecause the economic experiment did not deliver thegoods of development. On the other hand, Nyerere'spolicies of nation-building amount to a case of unsungheroism. With wise and strong leadership, and withbrilliant policies of cultural integration, he took one of thepoorest countries in the world and made it a proud leader
in African affairs and an active member of the global
community. A Nordic author has hailed Nyerere as, acreative conceptualizer, a far-sighted pioneer, a selflessrole model, an almost dangerously courageous championof righteous campaigns in Africa and the Third World as awhole, a fearless confronter of nations and institutionsthat tried to interfere with Tanzania's self-determination, aunifier of a vast and diverse economy and people, and aman of the people (Resnick, 1996). The Guardian, UK(15 October, 1999), in an obituary after Nyereres deathwrote, A giant of the African independence struggle, heretained his worldwide moral authority even after hisvision of rural socialism faltered. On the other hand, oneof his Tanzanian admirers asserts, there is a conspiratorialside to Julius Nyerere that makes some peoplewince when his name is mentioned in connection withsainthood, not only because politicians, by their verynature, cannot be saints. But there is a problem in tryingto place a man who was favoured with a long life, multipletheatres of operation and the dexterity to play opposedroles
7 (almost) at the same time, always with anintellectual gravitas, denied his peers (Ulimwengu, 2009)
Canonisation: No fast tracking to sainthood
The path to sainthood is long and little known to theaverage person, even to the average Catholic.Canonization is the act by which the Catholic Church oranother religious group declares a deceased person tobe a saint and is included in the canon, or list ofrecognized saints. It is a four-stage process thattransforms the candidate from servant of God, venerable,blessed and, finally to saint. The act of canonization isreserved to the Holy See and occurs at the conclusion ofa long process requiring extensive proof that the personproposed for canonization lived and died in such anexemplary and holy way that he or she is worthy to berecognized as a saint. To canonize a saint, at least twomiracles must have occurred after death. It normallytakes a period of waiting of biblical proportions from theinstance a person becomes a candidate for sainthood tothe day that he is pronounced saint.
WHY NYERERE IS BEING CONSIDERED FORSAINTHOOD: THE PROS AND CONSEnthusiastic outsiders vs. apathetic Tanzanians
It is to be noted that the debate on the canonization ofJulius Nyerere has been carried out mainly by outsidersrather than Tanzanians themselves. Thus, while, thedebate on whether Julius Nyerere deserves to becanonised by the Catholic Church, sparked a storm in
7
Some of Nyereres blind spots were the recognition of Biafra in 1968 andthe invasion of Uganda in 1979 to topple the regime of Idi Amin (the firsttime in African post-colonial history that one country had done so), an actwhich according to his daughter, Anna (see Nyerere A & F Nkwera,2009:53) he had to pray all night, and attending Holy Mass before declaring.
Kampala (Mugagga, 2009), it is strange thatTanzanians are not discussing the question of Nyereressainthood. Instead it is Ugandans who have beendebating the pros and cons of his canonisation (Mushi,2006). Indeed, the current President of Tanzania, JakayaKiwkete was struck but acquiesced by this anomaly whenhe, thanked Ugandans for owning the process ofbeatification of Mwalimu Nyerere
. a process that wasessentially Tanzanian (New Vision, 1 June, 2009;Tanzanian Affairs Issue 97 September 1, 2010.). Someobservers have noted the lack of enthusiasm amongordinary Tanzanian Catholics concerning Nyerere`sprocess to sainthood. One of such critic wrote in 2006,You can hardly hear ordinary people, expressing theirsatisfaction concerning Nyerere`s process to sainthood.This is so simply because they fail to associate hisspiritual life and the process to sanctity. Ordinary peopleshould be helped to understand why the church hasbegun this process. In other countries where such aprocess begins, people in their thousands start visitingthe grave of the person, just to go and pray for spiritualfavours. In our case, are there groups planning to visitMwalimu`s graves for spiritual motives?(
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2006/01/24/58455. html).
Supporters and critics
The prospect of having an African statesman being asaintly material has unleashed a heated debate involvingpoliticians, political analysts, the clergy, news reportersand lay persons. While some hail the prospect whichwould be a rare honour for Africa, a continent that badlyneeds heroes to counter-balance its tarnished image,others are sceptical thinking it will be an uphill struggleand an arduous one at that because the candidatesperceived saintliness was undone by his political legacy.As would have been expected, fellow politicians havecampaigned for the "Nyerere project", as it has beenlabelled by some cynics. Among the advocates for hissainthood include his renowned admirer, PresidentMuseveni of Uganda as well as former and currentpresidents of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa and JakayaKikwete. Museveni, when addressing a special prayersgathering at the Catholic Martyrs Shrine at Namugongoin Uganda (New Vision January 1, 2010)
8 for thebeatification of the late Mwalimu likened him to theUgandan martyrs who stood for truth against sin; even atthe expense of their lives. I join those who are praying forthe canonisation of Mwalimu as a saint. He was not onlya freedom fighter, he was also a man of God
I am awitness to Nyerere's devotion. The Bible is clear. It sayswe shall know them by their fruits not by their words.Tanzania is a country of Christians, Muslims and animists
8
Another memorial mass was celebrated at the Holy Family Minor Basilica,Nairobi on October 16, 2010 where Rev. Dr. Laurent Magesa from Musoma
Diocese- Nyerere's home place, preached and made a case for his canonisatio
but Mwalimu (Nyerere) was able to unite them bydemonstrating that they are all children of God," In theoccasion, former Tanzanian resident Benjamin Mkapa,Tanzanias third President argued that though Nyererewas a human being like anybody else, the difference wasthat, he, was consumed by love for God and neighbour;he always endeavoured to be and do good to God andhis people. To cap it all, the current president ofTanzanian, Jakaya Kikwete applauded the beatificationand possibility of Nyereres sainthood which wouldelevate Tanzania in the annals of the Catholic Churchand is something that he supports. On the opposing sideis a staunch opponent of the Tanzanian regime and rulingparty, CCM, Reverend Mtikila who sees the process as,more political than spiritual, pointing out that if suchbeatification had been bestowed on the first Tanzanianroman Catholic cardinal, Laurien Ruganbwa, it wouldhave made sense, but to him, Nyerere does not deservesuch veneration because he was not holy, arguing thathis actions while in power were not driven by Christianvirtues but political doctrines and exigencies
(TheCitizen 8th February, 2006).While a Tanzanian reporter (Williams, 2006) asserts itwill be difficult to find evidence to show that Nyerere led aspiritual life to gain him entry into the communion ofsaints, Rev. Laurent Magesa is of the opinion that thoughNyerere may not have always lived saintly life, someelements of sainthood did manifest in his life adding thateven the negative things about Nyerere are equallywelcome for the exercise ahead (Speroforum, 2010). TheTanzanian Roman Catholic Cardinal, Polycarp Pengo,views the beatification of Nyerere as a rare honour forAfrica sending a message to other leaders of thecontinent who had fallen by the moral wayside, our aim ismainly to encourage politicians, statesmen andbusinessmen to live a life that is capable of leading themto sainthood (http: //clericalwhispers.com/2007/03/nyerere-for-beatification-tanzania.html).
Why Tanzanian President Nyerere was not alwayssaintly
Former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerre may not havealways lived a saintly life, but some elements ofsainthood did manifest in his life, says TanzanianCatholic priest/scholar, Rev. Dr. Fr. Laurent Magesa(2010)."This is why the Catholic Church in Tanzanian hasdecided to forward his name to the Vatican for possibleconsideration for canonization," said Dr. Magesa, a priestof the Catholic Diocese of Musoma, Tanzania.Speaking at a special prayer service for the soul of thelate President Nyerere, held at Nairobi's Holy FamilyMinor Basilica on October 16, Dr. Magesa urgedCatholics to offer serious prayers for the soul of the latePresident Nyerere.Mesaki and Malipula 99The Vatican has already declared the late PresidentNyerere a Servant of God."At this juncture, much is expected from us in terms ofprayers and sharing whatever we know, witnessed andexperienced on the life of the late Mwalimu JuliusNyerere," he added as he addressed a hugecongregation, mainly Tanzanian Catholics-priests,religious and laity, residing in Nairobi and its environs."And this does not have to be positive, exclusively. Eventhe negative things you might have come across on thelate Nyerere are equally welcome for the exercise aheadof us," added the Tanzanian clergyman."The man we are talking about was not an angel. He wassubject to the human weaknesses we all know about", headded."But having said that, it is well known that the latePresident Nyerere stood out on certain matters ofprincipal and goodness in major areas such as family,leadership and religious commitment," emphasized theTanzanian clergyman."This is what we shall be zeroing in on as we participatein the exercise ahead of us," he pointed out as heexplained the community participation in the canonizationprocess.He said both Nyerere and Kenyan cardinal MauriceOtunga were at par on the canonization process as bothof them have been declared as Servants of God by theVatican."At this juncture, it is a question of offering seriousprayers as well as making active participation in terms ofoffering information one may have on the two as part ofeffective facilitation of the process of canonization," heexplained to the attentive congregation.The Nairobi special prayer service was organized byFarijika Kenya for family ministries, a Catholic Churchorganization aimed at promoting family life, better Churchand a better nation. It is coordinated by the TanzanianCatholic priest, Fr. Baptiste Regina Mapunda (2010).
CONCLUSION
It is an unquestionable fact that we rightly deserve tovenerate Mwalimu Nyerere, the father of the Tanzaniannation whose inestimable contributions in varied fieldshas left his country and the entire mankind incalculablelegacy. Mwalimu as a person and a leader has outshinedin almost all that he was able to do. He proved to be aserious politician, meticulous leader, a profound
Christian, a writer and a Pan-Africanist who tirelessly
strived to address peoples pressing problems.Internationally, he industriously attested to be aninternational figure, challenging and championing someof the most intricate issues. However, all of these noblequalities seem to be too little to justify his elevation to thesainthood status because his deeds were associated witheffects that adversely impacted the masses and his rulewas not entirely informed by Roman Catholicism. As onesceptic put it, The fact that the seed of his canonisationproject could take years to germinate, will definitely openwider the floodgate of criticism for historians and-ofcourse-the media, to voice out their opinions. Whetherthe ensuing viewpoints will add or deduct anything fromthe Vatican's decision is a different thing altogether!
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http://www.dacb.org/stories/tanzania/nyerere.htmlMazrui A (2005). Of Julius Nyerere, African Politics and myselfhttp://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard.Mapunda BR (2010). Special mass for Mwalimu Julius KambarageNyerere slated for October 16 in Nairobi. Guadian on Sunday.Mugagga R (2009). Yes, Nyerere Could Make a Great Saint! TheObserver (Kampala) 29 October.Mushi D (2006). Is Nyerere`s process to sainthood timely?The Guardian (Tanzania) 24 Jan 2006http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2006/01/24/58455.htmlMwansasu B (2004). Commemorations and the Principles of peace,Unity and people-centered Development in Mpangala et al (2004).pp. 1-15Neve H (1976). The Political Life of Julius K. Nyerere in ReligiousPerspective Africa Today. 23(4): 29-45Nyerere J (1974). Freedom & Development,
Uhuru Na Maendeleo, Dares Salaam: Oxford University PressPratt C (1999b). Obituary: Julius Kambarage Nyerere - 1922-1999:Reflections on his legacy Southern Africa Report Archive, 15(1): 21Resnick IN (1996). Review of Colin Legumet al (1996) Mwalimu: TheInfluence of Nyerere. H-AfricaRwechungura RZ (2005). Ethics and Globalization: Managing Povertyand Corruption in Anglophone African Least Developed Nations,Tanzania as the Case Study Paper presented at the Conference onEthics and Integrity of Governance, katholieke universiteit leaven,Belgium 2-5 June 2005Smith WE (1971). We Must Run While they Walk: A Portrait of AfricasJulius Nyeree Random House New YorkSmith WE (1974). Nyerere of Tanzania Trans-Africa Publishers Nairobi.Speroforum (2010). Tanzanian President Nyerere was not alwayssaintly, October 19, 2010 Everydaysaholiday.org/2008/10/14/nyerereday-tanzaniaSynodus S (2009). Bulletin II Ordinary Special Assembly for Africa ofthe Synod of Bishops, 4-25 October.Ulimwengu J (2009). Tanzania: The Nine (or More) Lives of JuliusNyerere. The East African 2 November 2009http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=42139Warioba SJ (2004). Principles of National Unity in Tanzani in TheCommemoration of Mwalimu Julius K nyerere 79th and 80th BirthDates Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation Dar es Salaam. pp. 16-23Wolfensohn J (1999). Africa News Online October 14.Williams R (2006). Is Nyereres process to sainthood timely? The
Guardian Tanzania 01/23/2006
My take: I like a balanced work like this, Nyerere hana proof/protection ya kutokosolewa haipo....na haitakuwepo? na hakuna sehemu unaposema ubaya wa Nyerere lazima eti useme na mazuri yake haipo hiyo sehemu wala requirements hiyo.
Nyerere atasemwa kwa mazuri yake na atasemwa kwa mabaya yake
Kikwete, Mkapa, Mwinyi na mwingine ajaye atasemwa kwa mazuri yake na mabaya yake , ndiyo gharama za uongozi.
MKJJ THIS IS ACADEMIC PAPER, hawa watu wamesema mazuri ya Nyerere na mabaya yake, hajawatumwa na viongozi wala walio madarakani kama ulivyo-paint kwenye mwanahalisi kuwa kuna watu wametumwa. That was low of you!!! shindaneni kwa hoja kuzushiana na kuitana majina eti wametumwa is not fair....inakufanya mtu akudharau kisaikolojia, kuwa unalialia na kutetea
Nyerere atakumbukwa kwa kila kitu kwa ubaya na uzuri, Yes I love him lakini kama kuna makosa NITASEMA KWELI DAIMA..FITINA KWANGU MWIKO!!!!
Kuna papers nyingi ambazo ziko kwenye archives ambazo zina analyse uongozi wa Nyerere na kuweka kila kitu wazi kabisa mkuu
akina Shivji, marehemu Seith, akina Othman ambao walimjua na kumjua Nyerere kwa kuishi na kumsoma wanawapa wanafunzi wao degree za uzamili na maks just kwa topics za FILAURE OF NYERERE!!!
MKJJ nimepata taarifa leo unavyowachukulia watu kama FAIZAFOXY UNAONA KAMA AMETUMWA, HATA MIMI NIWEKE HUMO MPENDWA WANGU!
Nimetumiwa nakala ya scanned paper,maana kuna watu wanajua jina langu na wakashtuka kuona neno ambalo niliandika say--beyond repair limo mwanahlsi , ukasema kabisa kuna watu wamezuka kwenye mitandao ya jamii eti wanampaka matope Nyerere na inaonekwana ni mtandao umesukwa MAHUSUSI NA WATU WALIO MADARAKANI!!!
I FELT BAD, BUT I ALSO DEVALUED YOU TO DEATH...wth your title kuwa Nyerere atatukuzwa na wengine watapuuzwa????????? wote wengine watapuuzwa, marais wooote watapuuzwa????? even the coming ones??? or no , no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
UMWOMBE RADHI FAIZA FOXY NA SISI WENGINE.....ULIFANYA JUDGEMENT AMBAYO INARUDISHA NYUMA UHURU WA KUJIELEZA NA UNAKANDAMIZA.
Okey, uliandika, do you mean watu hawatasema???
Hivi sisi si ndiyo ndugu humu mkuu, unataka kufukuza watu na ubaki peke yako??
sorry nina haraka kidogo!!
