Mzalendo Muasisi wa TANU aliyemwandikia na Kumkabidhi Julius Nyerere Kadi ya TANU Na. 1
Ally Kleist Sykes and Mohamed Said
At Mr Sykes Office, Mkwepu Street, Dar es Salaam
Ally Kleist Sykes and Mohamed Said
At Mr Sykes Office, Mkwepu Street, Dar es Salaam
Sumu na ----- huu yalikuwa makaratasi aliyokuwa akichapa nyumbani kwake usiku makaratasi ambayo Waingereza waliyaita makaratasi ya ''uchochezi.'' Waingereza na makachero wake walikuwa wanamjua Ally Sykes vizuri. Waingereza walikuwa wakijua kuwa alikuwa na medali ya mlenga shabaha bingwa aliyopata Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia.
Huyu ndiye Ally Sykes mzalendo muasisi wa TANU ambae sahihi yake ndiyo iko katika kadi ya TANU ya Baba wa Taifa, amefariki Nairobi Jumapili iliyopita alikokwenda kwa ajili ya matibabu.
Siku ile ile ya Jumapili milango ya mchana mchana kabisa kabla ya adhuhuri taarifa ikawasili Dar es Salaam kuwa Ally Sykes amefariki dunia. Ghafla mji wa Dar es Salaam alikozaliwa na akaendesha harakati zake dhidi ya ukoloni wa Waingereza uligubikwa na simanzi. Kila simu iliyokuwa ikipokelewa na wengi ilikuwa ni kutaka kuthibitisha kifo kile. Binafsi simu zikaanza kumiminika kwangu za kunipa pole.
Hadi kufika jioni habari zikawa zimeenea mji mzima kuwa ni kweli Ally Sykes hayuko tena duniani. Haukupita muda siku ile ile maiti ya Ally Sykes ikawasili Dar es Salaam kwa ndege ya kukodi ikiwa imesindikizwa na mkewe Bi Zainab na baadhi ya wanawe wakiongozwa na mtoto wake wa kwanza wa kiume Abraham Sykes. Siku ya pili Jumatatu magazeti yote yalikuwa yametoka yakiwa hayana taarifa yoyote ya kifo cha Ally Sykes.
Hii iliwashangaza watu wengi sana isipokuwa mimi. Sikushangaa kwa kuwa nilikuwa najua siasa za historia inayomzunguka Ally Sykes kwa miaka mingi hususan kuhusu mchango wake binafsi na wa kaka yake marehemu Abdulwahid Sykes katika harakati za kuasisi TANU na kudai uhuru wa Tanganyika.
Historia ina kawaida ya kijurudia. Haya ya kupuuza kifo cha Ally Sykes yalimkuta pia kaka yake Abdulwahid alipofariki mwaka 1968.
Ally Sykes alikuwa mtu maarufu kupita kiasi. Alikuwa kwanza ana umaarufu wa kuzaliwa. Kazaliwa Dar es Salaam Gerezani, mtoto wa mjini. Kisha alikuwa maarufu kwa nasaba. Baba yake Kleist Sykes alikuwa mmoja wa watu mashuhuri katika siasa zote za Dar es Salaam katika miaka ya ya mwanzo ya 1900 hadi alipofariki mwaka 1949.
Baba yake alikuwa maarufu kwa kuwa alilelewa na Affande Plantan askari kiongozi katika jeshi la Wajerumani lilokuja Tanganyika na Herman Von Wissman wakati Wajerumani walipoingia kuitawala Tanganyika. Kleist alikuwa ndiye katibu muasisi wa African Association mwaka 1929 chama kilichokuja baadae kujibadili na kuwa TANU Ally Sykes akiwa mmoja wa hao waasisi.
Baba yake Kleist aliasisi Al Jamiatul Islamiyya Fi Tanganyika (Umoja wa Waislam wa Tanganyika) na kupitia jumuia hii akajenga shule ya kwanza ya Kiiislam Dar es Salaam, shule ambayo ilisomesha Qur'an pamoja na masomo ya kisekula. Hii Al Jamiatul Islamiyya ndiyo iliyotoa viongozi wa kwanza kuiendesha TAA na baadae TANU katika harakati za kudai uhuru. Ally Sykes kwa mazingira na makuzi haya akawa maarufu kama alivyokuwa baba yake.
Lakini kubwa zaidi na hili ndilo kwa bahati mbaya ndilo linalojulikana zaidi kwa sasa ni utajiri ambao Allah alimruzuku toka akiwa kijana mdogo sana katika miaka ya 1950 alipoanza biashara kwa kuanzisha kampuni yake binafsi iliyoitwa Sykes Sales Promotion Consultancy.
Inajulikana na wengi Ally Sykes na kaka yake Abdulwahid Sykes ndiyo watu wa mwanzo kumpokea Julius Nyerere alipokuja Dar es Salaam mwaka 1952. Nyerere alifika nyumbani kwa akina Sykes kwa utambulisho na hii ilijenga urafiki ambao ulipitiliza na kuwa udugu mkubwa wa mapenzi ya dhati si baina yao tu bali hata kwa wake na mama zao.
Mama yake Nyerere Bi Mugaya hakuwa akipungua nyumbani kwa Mama Abdu Bi Mruguru biti Mussa Mtaa wa Kirk. Halikadhalika Maria Nyerere hakuwa akipungua nyumbani kwa aidha kwa Bi Zainab mkewe Ally Sykes Mtaa wa Kipata au kwa Bi Mwamvua mkewe Abdulwahid Sykes Mtaa wa Aggrey.
Wakati huu Abdulwahid ndiye akiwa rais wa TAA na harakati za kuanzisha TANU zimepamba moto achilia mbali hila na fitna za Waingereza kuwatokomeza viongozi shupavu wa TAA kama Hamza Mwapachu, Dk. Vedast Kyaruzi, Dk. Wilbard Mwanjisi nje ya Dar es Salaam kukivunja nguvu chama.
Ndiyo maana TANU ilipokuja asisiwa mwaka 1954 Ally Sykes kadi yake ya TANU ikawa namba 2, Nyerere namba 1, Abdulwahid Sykes kadi yake namba 3, Dossa Aziz kadi namba 4, John Rupia kadi yake namba 7. Historia hii haikuja bure ina maelezo marefu ambayo hapa hayataweza kuenea.
Kipindi hiki Ally Sykes alikuwa Katibu wa Tanganyika African Government Servants Association (TAGSA) na vilevile alikuwa mwakilishi wa chama hicho katika Kamati ya Uajiri ya Serikali (Government Establishment Committee). Thomas Marealle ndiye alikuwa rais wa TAGSA na Rashid Kawawa alikuwa mwanakamati.
Wanasiasa hawa vijana Ally Sykes akiwa mmoja wao wenyewe walijipa jina, ''Wednesday Tea Club'' wakikutana kila siku ya Jumatano kunywa chai pamoja na kutumia wakati ule kupanga mikakati ya kuwang'oa Waingereza katika ardhi ya Tanganyika. Kupitia Ally, Abdulwahid na Dossa Aziz Nyerere akaweza kujuana na wenyeji wa Dar es Salaam maarufu katika hao ni Sheikh Hassan bin Amir, Mshume Kiyate, Jumbe Tambaza, Sheikh Suleiman Takadir, Clement Mtamila, Bi. Titi Mohamed, Tatu biti Mzee na wengineo. Lakini historia ina kawaida ya kujirudia.
Kifo cha Ally Sykes kimepuuzwa na vyombo vya habari kama nilivyoeleza awali kuwa hata kifo cha kaka yake Abdulwahid Sykes alipofariki mwaka 1968 magazeti ya TANU (wakati ule ''The Nationalist'' na ''Uhuru'') chama alichokiasisi kwa jasho, damu na fedha zake magazeti haya yalipuuza kifo hicho.
Kuna watu katika TANU katika kipindi kile walikuwa wanajaribu kuifuta historia ya kupigania uhuru wakitaka kuondoa mchango wa Abdulwahid na Ally Sykes katika historia ya uhuru. Hata hivyo ''Tanganyika Standard'' gazeti ambalo ndilo liliokuwa likilinda maslahi ya ukoloni Tanganyika, ndilo lililoandika taazia ya Abdulwahid Sykes.
Mhariri wa Tanganyika Standard Brendon Grimshaw hakuweza kustahamili fedheha ile, aliandika taazia ambayo itaishi zaidi ya miaka miaka mia moja na zaidi. Taazia ile ilitikisa fikra Makao Mkuu ya TANU Mtaa wa Lumumba na ikawakera wengi. Grimshaw alisema katika taazia yake kuwa TANU imeundwa pakubwa kwa mchango wa ukoo wa Sykes.
Narudia tena. Historia ina kawaida ya kujirudia. Mwaka wa 1968 wakati Abdulwahid anafariki Waislam walikuwa wako katika taharuki kubwa ya kile kilichokujajulikana kama ''mgogoro wa East African Muslim Welfare Society (EAMWS) taharuki iliyojaa simanzi kwa kuwa Mufti wa wakati ule Sheikh Hassan bin Amir mmoja wa masheikh viongozi katika TANU alikuwa kakamatwa na kufukuzwa nchini kwa amri ya Nyerere.
Wakati haya yakijiri, Tewa Said Tewa na Bi.Titi Mohamed viongozi wa juu wa EAMWS walikuwa wakiandamwa na Nyerere na hapakuwa na uelewano mzuri baina yao. Ajabu ni kuwa umauti umemkuta Ally Sykes katika hali kama ile ile iliyokuwapo wakati kaka yake alipofariki dunia mwaka 1968 wakati nchi ikiwa katika mgogoro wa EAMWS kishindo ambacho kilidumu takriban miezi mitatu.
Ally Sykes kafa wakati nchi ipo katika taharuki kwa kile kinachodaiwa ''uadui baiana ya Waislam na Wakristo.'' Kwa hiki kifo cha Ally Sykes bila shaka wahariri wa magazeti walikuwa wameshughulishwa katika kutafuta habari mpya za ''kuchomwa makanisa'' na ''ugomvi wa kuchinja,'' hawakuwa na muda wa kufuatilia msiba wa muasisi wa TANU marehemu Ally Sykes.
Lakini iweje hali iwe kama vile miaka saba tu baada ya uhuru kupatikana nchi iingie na taharuki ya kiasi kile na hivi sasa taharuki ile ijirejee upya tena ikishuhudiwa na waasisi wa harakati za ukombozi?
Ilikuwa nimemaliza kuandika kitabu kuhusu maisha ya kaka yake Ally Sykes kitabu kilichokujajulikana kama ''The Life and Times of Abdulwahid Sykes (1924 – 1968) The Untod Story of the Muslim Struggle Against British Colonialism in Tanganyika.'' Ally Sykes alinikabidhi nyaraka zake katika utafiti wa maisha ya Abdulwahid Sykes.
Nyaraka hizi mpaka Ally Sykes anakufa zilibaki kuwa sehemu ya malalamiko yangu kwake kuwa hazikustahili kuwa mikononi kwake na kazifungia katika ''safe'' zake. Nilikuwa nikamwambia mara kadhaa inagawa hakutaka kunisikiliza kuwa nyaraka hizi ni mali ya taifa la Tanzania lazima azikabidhi serikalini kwa kuhifadhiwa na kuwekwa Tanzania National Archive (TNA) kama urithi wa kizazi kijacho. Yeye siku zote akinambia, ''Mohamed hizi nyaraka ninaogopa nikiwapa serikali watazichoma moto.'' Alikuwa na sababu ya kusema vile.
Nyaraka za Ally Sykes zinakwenda nyuma kiasi cha miaka mia moja kuanzia siku babu yake Sykes Mbuwane alipotia mguu katika ardhi ya Tanganyika kutoka meli ya kvitia ya Wajerumani pale Pangani akitokea Msumbiji. Nyaraka zile zina barua za wanasiasa wa mwanzo katika Tanganyika achilia mbali habari za baba yake. Ukianza kufunua majalada yale hutachoka kupekua karatasi baada ya karatasi. Nyingine zimechoka kwa umri mrefu.
Katika majalada yale utakutana na wazalendo na machifu, utakutana na wasiasa wenye asili ya Kiasia na Waingereza wenyewe waliokuwa watawala. Nyaraka zile utawaona na utawasikia watu hawa wakizungumza na wewe: Dk Joseph Mutahangarwa, Chief Abdieli Shangali wa Machame, Paramount Chief Thomas Marealle wa Marangu, Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa wa Wahehe, Chief Harun Msabila Lugusha, Dk. Wilbard Mwanjisi, Abdulkarim Karimjee, Dk Vedas Kyaruzi, Liwali Juma Mwindadi, H.K. Viran, Stephen Mhando, Dossa Aziz, Ivor Bayldon, Yustino Mponda, Ivor Bayldon, Rashid Mfaume Kawawa, Bhoke Munanka, Rashid Kheri Baghdelleh, Robert Makange, Saadani Abdu Kandoro, Malkia Elizabeth, Chief Secretary Bruce Hutt, Gavana Edward Twining, Gavana Ronald Cameron, Mwalimu Thomas Plantan na ndugu zake – Schneider Abdillah Plantan na Ramadhani Plantan, Mwalimu Mdachi Shariff, Mwalimu Nicodemus Ubwe, Kassela Bantu, John Rupia, Hamza Kibwana Mwapachu, Othman Chande, Leonard Bakuname, Stephen Mhando, Oscar Kambona, Peter Colmore, Albert Rothschild, Ali Mwinyi Tambwe, Alexander Thobias, Japhet Kirilo, Joseph Kimalando, Ian Smith, Roy Welensky, Jim Bailey, Kenneth Kaunda, Meida Springer, John Hatch, Gretton Bailey, Brig. Scupham, Dome Okochi Budohi, Annur Kassum, Nesmo Eliufoo, Yusuf Olotu, Joseph Kimalando, Julius Nyerere na wengine wengi wakubwa kwa nyadhifa walizokuja kukamata katika Tanganyika huru na wale walioanguka njiani.
Ukikaa na Ally Sykes na mkapitia jina moja baada ya jingine utapata habari za wazalendo na watu hawa na historia yao yote na kwa hakika hiyo ndiyo historia ya uhuru wa Tanganyika na historia ya kweli ya TANU. Ally Sykes alikuwa anawajua watu hawa vilivyo. Atakuambia yupi alikuwa kibaraka wa Waingereza na yupi alikuwa mpiganaji wa kweli. Atakueleza nani alikuja katika siasa kwa uzalendo na nani alikuja kwa ajili ya kutafuta maslahi yake binafsi.
Ally Sykes kabla hajafa alikuwa keshamaliza kuandika historia ya maisha yake. Mswada huu unaitwa, ''Under the Shadow of British Colonialism in Tanganyika.'' Mchapaji alipomaliza kuhariri mswada ule aliomba kitabu kibadilishwe jina kiitwe, ''Dreams Unfulfilled.'' Mhariri alinipigia simu kutola Nairobi akanambia kila akimsoma Ally Sykes alikuwa anamwona Ally Sykes katika majonzi kwa kuwa ndoto aliyokuwanayo wakati akipigania uhuru wa Tanganyika ndoto ile haikukamilika.
Aliniomba nimuombe Ally Sykes jina la kitabu libadilishwe. Kwake Ally Sykes suala halikuwa kugawana vyeo ndani ya chama cha siasa na kisha katika Tanganyika huru. Suala lilikuwa kwa Mwafrika kuwa huru katika nchi yake bila ya kubughudhiwa na mtu yeyote yule. Mwaka 1953 ilikuja shinikizo kubwa kutoka kwa Ivor Bayldon kuunda chama kitakachojumuisha wananchi wa rangi zote katika Tanganyika.
Ally Sykes alikuwa akisema laiti kama wangekubali kumeza chambo kile historia ya Tanganyika ingekuwa nyingine na TANU isingeliasisiwa pale New Street mwaka 1954 katika nyumba ile ambayo ilijengwa na kukamilika mwaka 1933 wakati wa uongozi wa baba yake; na Nyerere asingelikuja kuwa kiongozi wa nchi hii. ''Laiti Bwana Abdu na Hamza Mwapachu wangelikubaliana na ule mpango wa akina Ivor Bayldon na Nazerali uongozi wa nchi huu ungelitoka ndani ya Baraza la Kutunga Sheria la wakoloni, usingelitoka kwetu sisi Waafrika wazalendo wenye uchungu na nchi hii na huenda rais wa Tanganyika angelikuwa Chief David Kidaha Makwaia na Nyerere angelibakia kuwa mwalimu wa shule pale Pugu.'' Ivor Bayldon baada ya kushindwa kuwapata wanachama wa TAA alikuja baadae mwaka 1955 kuunda United Tanganyika Party (UTP) chama kilichokuja kupinga TANU. Hii ndiyo namna nyaraka za Ally Sykes zinavyozungumza na wewe unapozisoma na pale yeye mwenyewe anapokupa maelezo hutaacha kupigwa na butwaa na mshangao.
Nilipata kumuuliza Ally Sykes kama anajua ni fedha kiasi gani alizopata kutumia katika TAA na TANU jibu alonipa ni kuwa hajui wala hajuti. ''Hizo fedha si kitu kikubwa. Kubwa ni njama ambayo niliundiwa na Waingereza wawili Dk Hughes na Dk Frank kutaka kuniua wakati nikifanya kazi Kibongoto Infectious Disease Hospital, Moshi.
Unajua Waingereza kwa kweli walikuwa wamechoka na hili jina letu. Kila Gavana aliyekuja kutawala Tanganyika alikuwa lazima atapambana na jina hili. Baba yetu aliitwa kuhojiwa na kila gavana aliyekuja kutawala Tanganyika kuanzia mwaka 1927 hadi 1947. Kati ya mwaka 1929 hadi 1947 Mzee Kleist aliitwa kuhojiwa mbele ya ''tribune'' mara tatu kuhusu harakati za wafanyakazi, yeye akiwa katibu wa Railway African Civil Service Union. Waingereza walikuwa wamechoka sasa na sisi wakaaamua kuniua kwa kuniambukiza kifua kikuu.
Hawa madaktari wawili walikuwa wakiniita mimi ''rafiki yake Nyerere'' ambaye kwao wao alikuwa adui mkubwa sana. Wakati ule kunasibishwa na Nyerere halikuwa jambo jema. Hicho kilikuwa kitu cha hatari na cha kutisha sana. Mimi sikuwa nakataa kuwa Nyerere alikuwa rafiki yangu. Kwa Waingereza hiyo ilikuwa kama vile kujinasibisha udugu na Adolf Hitler. Hii ilikuwa mwaka 1956 na ingawa mimi nilikuwa nimepewa uhamisho kufanyakazi Kibongoto, Moshi ili kuniweka mbali na TANU pale New Street bado nilikuwa nikijitahidi kukijenga chama pale nilipokuwapo.
Mimi na Bwana Abdu, Dossa, Mzee Rupia, Nyerere na Baraza la Wazee wa TANU chini ya Mwenyekiti wake Sheikh Suleiman Takadir tulikuwa tukiitumikia TANU kwa nguzu zetu zote na ni wakati huu ndipo nilipompiga muuguzaji wa kike Mzungu Ocean Road Hospital kwa ajili ya ubaguzi wake na matokeo yake nikasimamishwa kazi na niliporejeshwa nikapelekwa uhamishomi Mtwara kama adhabu…''
Mtu usingeweza kuchoka kumsikiliza Ally Sykes anapohadithia historia ya mapambano dhidi ya ukoloni. Ilipokuwa sasa inakaribia kupatikana kwa uhuru anasema, ''Allah akanifungulia milango zaidi kwa kuwa sasa nikishirikiana na rafiki yangu Peter Colmore na kampuni yake ya High Fidelity Productions kutoka Nairobi tukawa tumeshika biashara yote kubwa ya uwakilishi wa makampuni makubwa yaliyokuwa Afrika ya Mashariki - Coca Cola (East Africa) Ltd; The Cooper Motors Corporation Ltd; The Shell Company of East Africa Ltd, Aspro Nicholas Ltd; Gailey and Roberts Ltd; Bata Shoes Company Ltd; Kenya Broadcasting Service, Cotton Lint and Seed Marketing Board, Raleigh Industries of East Africa Ltd; na tulikuwa wawakilishi Kenya wa Tanganyika Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) lakini mafanikio yana matatizo yake hii nilikujajua baadae sana uhuru ulipopatikana. Sisi tuliokuwa mstari wa mbele tukawa hatuhitajiki tena na husda na fitna ikaingia baina yetu sisi waasisi wa TANU na Nyerere…'' Haikuwa rahisi kuacha kumsikiliza Ally Sykes akiieleza historia ya TANU, uhusiano wake na Nyerere na yote yaliyotokea hadi aakafutwa kabisa katika historia ya uhuru wa Tanganyika,.
Hatuwezi kummaliza Ally Sykes. Ally Sykes aliishi maisha kamili. Allah alimruzuku kila kitu na akampa dunia. Mguu wake ulikanyaga pale alipotaka. Mimi binafsi nimeshuhudia nguzu zake kwa macho yangu mwenyewe. Wazungu wakimtetemekea na akiwatuma kazi na wakimtumikia kwa adabu na unyofu wa hali ya juu.
Mmoja wa jamaa za Ally Sykes, Mzee Ahmed Rashad Ali alipata kunambia kuwa Ally Sykes akiwatuma Wazungu toka ujana wake na anapowaita kuja kula nyumbani kwake wakija na adabu zao kamili. Juu ya haya yote Ally Sykes alikuwa na ibra moja – hakuwa mtu wa kujiona. Hukuweza kupima nguvu na uwezo wake kwa kumtazama.
Nilisikitika sana mazikoni pale Makaburi ya Kisutu. Wale waliompuuza Ally Sykes na kuufanya mchango wake si lolote si chochote ndiyo walipewa heshima ya wao kuwa mbele pale makaburini katika kumsindikiza katika safari yake ya mwisho na kusoma hotuba.
Rafiki zake aliokuwanao siku zote, Abdallah Awadh, Ali Mbarak, Shomari, Abdu Faraj, Boi Juma Risasi, Harudiki Kabunju, Hussein, Abdu Kifea, Abdallah Jabir, Muharram Kocha, Muharram Mkamba, Abdubari, Salim Hirizi kuwataja wachache waliwekwa mbali na jeneza na kaburi na watu wa Itifaki wa Ikulu nafasi yao ikachukuliwa na wanasiasa na viongozi wa juu wa Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Ilikuwa aibu kubwa kwa CCM kuonekana hawapo katika kumzika Ally Sykes mwanachama wa TANU kadi namba mbili na mzalendo wa kweli aliyemwandikia na kumkabidhi kadi namba moja ya TANU Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.
Ally Sykes alimpenda na kumuheshimu sana kaka yake na katika maisha yangu ndiyo mtu pekee niliyemsikia kila akimtaja kaka yake anatanguliza neno, ''Bwana.'' Kwake yeye Abdulwahid alikuwa ''Bwana Abdu'' kila alipomtaja. Ally Sykes amezikwa pembeni mwa kaburi la kaka yake Bwana Abdu.
Tuamwomba Allah amlaze Ally Kleist Sykes mahali pema peponi.
Mohamed Said
22 Mei 2013
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Ally Kleist Sykes and Mohamed Said
At Mr Sykes Office, Mkwepu Street, Dar es Salaam
Extreme Right is Abbas Kleist Sykes
Hawli at Kipata Mosque
L-R: Hussein Shebe, Sheikh Abdallah Awadh, Ambassador Abbas Sykes,
Mohamed Said, Former Dar es Salaam City Mayor Kleist Abdulwahid Kleist Sykes,
Sitting Mzee Shomar Inside Kipata Mosque After Hawli
On a day like this on 19th May 2013 Ally Sykes passed away in Nairobi. Today was his hawli (memorial) and was read at Kipata Mosque, a mosque which he used to pray as a young boy since his father's house was just a stone throw from the mosque. Many years back before he died I used to sit down with Mzee Ally in his office at Mkwepu Street and he would narrate to me his life history over a tape recorder and through these tapes I wrote his biography, ''Under the Shadow of British Colonialism in Tanganyika the Life of Ally Sykes.'' The manuscript remains unpublished for almost 20 years now. Here are excerpts from the manuscript:
Introduction
The history of my father I dare to say is the history of the beginning of political development of modern Tanganyika then under British colonialism. My father achieved many things in his lifetime, which directly benefited his immediate family members and the country. Kleist gave all his children comfortable life style, status, and social position and introduced us into colonial politics, business and the merit of public service. Kleist's name to those who knew him is associated with the development of Dar es Salaam then a municipality. He actively participated in the social development of its people and its religion - Islam, building a school Al Jamiatul Islamiyya for its children. The Al Jamiatul School exists to the present day at the same place. The school was nationalised by the government and renamed Karume. My father initiated African leadership all its affairs culminating in the struggle of the people of Tanganyika against colonial oppression. He was the founding secretary of the Railway African Civil Service Union. The founding of the African Association in 1929 of which my father was the founding secretary was one of those achievements, which I am, proud to say influenced and benefited all the people of Tanganyika. It is from this organisation that one can trace the political development of Africans of Tanganyika to the present times. The Association endured and remained unchallenged for two decades until when we transformed it into an open political party, the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954 under the leadership of Julius Nyerere as its first President and John Rupia as Vice-President. I with my elder brother, Abdulwahid and Dossa Aziz, Tewa Said Tewa, Saadan Abdu Kandoro, John Rupia, Japhet Kirilo, Joseph Kimalando, Germano Pacha and other patriots from the provinces are among the 17- founding members of TANU....
The Last Kicks of a Dying Horse, 1957After my return from Accra I was transferred to Kibongoto Infectious Disease Hospital. This hospital was some few miles from Moshi town. There was no accommodation for African clerks at the hospital. The hospital had only quarters for labourers and there were only two houses for European doctors. I refused to stay in those houses meant for Africans because they were sub standard fit for locking in animals I therefore stayed in Moshi town and commuted to Kibongoto each morning. Meanwhile I wrote to Attorney General, Gretton Bailey complaining about lack of accommodation to African staff at Kibongoto Hospital. Bailey wrote to hospital authority and ordered them to allocate one of the European quarters for me. This was unprecedented in the history of labour relations between Africans and Europeans. An African was being accommodated in the same class of houses reserved for Europeans. Again I made history silly as it seems. I became the first African to occupy European quarters at the hospital. Dr. Hughes and Dr. Frank two Britons working at the hospital were furious. But there was nothing the two could do about it, so I thought.
The two hatched a very sophisticated plot to get rid of me for good. They waged a psychological war against me. They decided to move my office from where it was into the main building of the hospital between the operating theatre and laboratory. These were areas out bounds to all. Bear in mind that this hospital was admitting patients suffering from tuberculosis, which is a very infectious disease. The area, which my office was being shifted to, was strictly confined to patients to avoid contamination and communication of the disease. They thought if I worked in those surroundings and without protection it is likely I would catch the disease and probably be severely impaired by it or die altogether. In this way there would be no murder charge against them for killing a ‘troublesome self styled freedom fighter.' The colonial administration including the governor Sir Edward Francis Twining would be happy. The colonial administration must have been by now tired with members of my family for their troublesome character. Every Governor who came to Tanganyika from 1927 had to deal with my father in one way or another. From 1939-1947 he appeared three times before a tribunal appointed by the government to investigate industrial unrest in Tanganyika.
Who knows the Queen for their ingenuity may even knight them. It was due to this harassment that I fought with Dr. Frank and I trounced him severely. This was a very serious offence. It was a great crime to answer back a colonial officer let alone beat him up. But the British were not yet ready to make a martyr out of me. I was not dismissed but transferred to Arusha Hospital. At Arusha again there was no accommodation for me. The hospital had accommodation for Asians only. Africans had to find their own accommodation in town. I broke into one of the houses and occupied it by force. This time the authority ignored me. No action was taken against me for breaking into the house. I worked under a British lady who was secretary to the Medical Officer in charge of the African section of Arusha Hospital. My reputation had superseded me. Everyone knew about Ally Sykes, son of Kleist Sykes and Nyerere's friend; agitator and founder member of TANU, the party which wanted to oust the British from Tanganyika. But the European staff was bent into making my life difficult whenever they had the chance.
My wife had by then gave birth to twin girls, Monalisa and Alma. My twins contracted chicken pox and I took them to hospital for treatment. I took them to the European Section of the hospital for treatment. My twins were refused treatment because that section was reserved for white children. One of the twins Alma studied medicine and has her own practice in Dar es Salaam Gerezani where I was born. I could no longer stomach that and I beat up the white nurse. I was suspended from employment for the second time. It was decide that I be transferred to Mtwara. I went to see Establishment Officer, Othman Chande to tell him that I was not going to Mtwara. I refused the transfer and returned back to Dar es Salaam to my mother. In their anger and frustration the colonial government sent my personal effects to Mtwara.
The British did not dismiss me from employment but transferred me Dar es Salaam to the Ministry of Works to work under the Public Works Department (PWD). I was put under another colonial officer, Molohan who at one time was Deputy Labour Commissioner. I had worked with Molohan some years back. Molohan assigned me the duty of writing time cards for labourers. It was a silly job to humiliate me. It was about this time that I bought my first car, a Holden. This was an Australian car. I used to drive this car to work and parked my car at the office car park where Europeans parked their cars. They hated me for that but there was nothing they could do to prevent me behaving in whatever manner I wanted or from parking my car besides theirs. I was employed because man has to work. I was not in the civil service out of necessity. Even by then what I was earning from moonlighting before I went into fulltime business was enough to sustain me. I thank Allah that I could afford what the Europeans thought was their own domain and privilege.
Ally Sykes and Mohamed Said
Eid El Fitr 2009 at Ally Sykes Residence Mbezi Beach
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Historia fupi ya Marehemu Ally Kleist Sykes
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