MWENDAPOLE1
Member
- Dec 8, 2011
- 26
- 1
Mwalimu Julius Kambarage
Nyerere was the father of
southern African iberation, and
one of the founding fathers of the
Southern African Development
Community. Born in Butiama near
Lake Victoria on 13 April 1922, when he passed away 14 years
ago on 14 October 1999, Africans
everywhere shared the sense of loss felt by Tanzanians.
He was Baba wa taifa, father of the nation, the moving force for
the independence of Tanganyika
on 9 December 1961 and for its
unity with Zanzibar on 26 April
1964 to create the United Republic of Tanzania. A
charismatic leader of sharp intellect and great personal
integrity, he welded a country and
a national identity from over 120
ethnic groups, united by their language Swahili and by a social harmony constructed on the
ideals of peace, justice, unity and
personal commitment.
His firm support for equality and
tolerance ranged across all
diversity of race, religion, class
and gender. He encouraged
Tanzanian women to play a leadership role in society and
adopted a parliamentary system
that has guaranteed seats for
women. His pursuit of an equitable socio-economic society
through collective self-reliance
was more difficult than he had
envisaged, and he once said that
"we are very good at sharing the
wealth in Tanzania but I only wish
we had made more wealth to
share."
Tanganyika's independence in
1961 was an inspiration to those
who believed that political
independence could be achieved
by non-violent means and he
worked tirelessly in support of
this goal for Zambia (1964),
Malawi (1964), Botswana (1966),
Lesotho (1966), Mauritius (1968),
Swaziland (1968) and Seychelles
(1976). When the other countries
of southern Africa were forced
into wars of liberation to
eventually achieve the same end,
Tanzania provided political,
material and moral support until
independence and majority rule
were achieved in 1975
(Mozambique, Angola), 1980
(Zimbabwe), 1990 (Namibia) and
finally, 1994 (South Africa).
Nyerere pursued the ideals of
liberation, democracy and
common humanity into the rest of
the continent and, with the
leaders of the other few African
countries that were independent
in 1963, established the
Organisation of African Unity
(OAU), which later became the
African Union. The main objective
was political liberation for the rest
of the continent.
Their tool for achieving this, the
OAU Liberation Committee, was
hosted by Tanzania, and most
liberation movements were based
there at one time or another.
Nyerere was one of nine leaders
who came together in 1980 to
establish the Southern Africa
Development Coordination
Conference (SADCC), which later
became the Southern African
Development Community (SADC).
The leaders of Tanzania, Zambia
and Botswana formed the Front
Line States in 1974 to work
together in a united front for
common security and for majority
rule in neighbouring countries,
under the chairmanship of
Nyerere, and this was a
forerunner of the SADC Organ on
Politics, Defence and Security
Cooperation.
The political changes in Namibia
and South Africa in 1990 and
1994, changed the face and
future of the African continent,
and completed the work of the
OAU Liberation Committee, but
socio-economic development has
remained a vision. Through
Nyerere's leadership, all
Tanzanians were able to take
pride in their contribution to the
liberation of the region, through
"people-to-peop le" support in
hosting refugees, contributing
food, clothing, and shillings.
One very successful campaign
drew a voluntary contribution of
one shilling each to support
Mozambique. Although the
decision to initiate the SADCC was
taken in Arusha, Tanzania and the
launch was in Lusaka, Zambia, the
organization was hosted by
Botswana, and Nyerere used any
occasion to give credit for its
formation to his colleague and
close friend, the late President
Seretse Khama of Botswana.
When the SADCC was formed in
April 1980, Khama saw the
difficulties ahead when he
predicted that, "The struggle for
economic liberation will be as
bitterly contested as has been the
struggle for political liberation."
SADC, formally established by the
Windhoek Treaty in 1992, has
turned its vision of free trade into
a formal agreement launched in
2008, and most member states
have developed a national Vision
of where they want to be by 2016
or 2020. The Lagos Plan of Action
for socio-economic development
of Africa was
Nyerere was the father of
southern African iberation, and
one of the founding fathers of the
Southern African Development
Community. Born in Butiama near
Lake Victoria on 13 April 1922, when he passed away 14 years
ago on 14 October 1999, Africans
everywhere shared the sense of loss felt by Tanzanians.
He was Baba wa taifa, father of the nation, the moving force for
the independence of Tanganyika
on 9 December 1961 and for its
unity with Zanzibar on 26 April
1964 to create the United Republic of Tanzania. A
charismatic leader of sharp intellect and great personal
integrity, he welded a country and
a national identity from over 120
ethnic groups, united by their language Swahili and by a social harmony constructed on the
ideals of peace, justice, unity and
personal commitment.
His firm support for equality and
tolerance ranged across all
diversity of race, religion, class
and gender. He encouraged
Tanzanian women to play a leadership role in society and
adopted a parliamentary system
that has guaranteed seats for
women. His pursuit of an equitable socio-economic society
through collective self-reliance
was more difficult than he had
envisaged, and he once said that
"we are very good at sharing the
wealth in Tanzania but I only wish
we had made more wealth to
share."
Tanganyika's independence in
1961 was an inspiration to those
who believed that political
independence could be achieved
by non-violent means and he
worked tirelessly in support of
this goal for Zambia (1964),
Malawi (1964), Botswana (1966),
Lesotho (1966), Mauritius (1968),
Swaziland (1968) and Seychelles
(1976). When the other countries
of southern Africa were forced
into wars of liberation to
eventually achieve the same end,
Tanzania provided political,
material and moral support until
independence and majority rule
were achieved in 1975
(Mozambique, Angola), 1980
(Zimbabwe), 1990 (Namibia) and
finally, 1994 (South Africa).
Nyerere pursued the ideals of
liberation, democracy and
common humanity into the rest of
the continent and, with the
leaders of the other few African
countries that were independent
in 1963, established the
Organisation of African Unity
(OAU), which later became the
African Union. The main objective
was political liberation for the rest
of the continent.
Their tool for achieving this, the
OAU Liberation Committee, was
hosted by Tanzania, and most
liberation movements were based
there at one time or another.
Nyerere was one of nine leaders
who came together in 1980 to
establish the Southern Africa
Development Coordination
Conference (SADCC), which later
became the Southern African
Development Community (SADC).
The leaders of Tanzania, Zambia
and Botswana formed the Front
Line States in 1974 to work
together in a united front for
common security and for majority
rule in neighbouring countries,
under the chairmanship of
Nyerere, and this was a
forerunner of the SADC Organ on
Politics, Defence and Security
Cooperation.
The political changes in Namibia
and South Africa in 1990 and
1994, changed the face and
future of the African continent,
and completed the work of the
OAU Liberation Committee, but
socio-economic development has
remained a vision. Through
Nyerere's leadership, all
Tanzanians were able to take
pride in their contribution to the
liberation of the region, through
"people-to-peop le" support in
hosting refugees, contributing
food, clothing, and shillings.
One very successful campaign
drew a voluntary contribution of
one shilling each to support
Mozambique. Although the
decision to initiate the SADCC was
taken in Arusha, Tanzania and the
launch was in Lusaka, Zambia, the
organization was hosted by
Botswana, and Nyerere used any
occasion to give credit for its
formation to his colleague and
close friend, the late President
Seretse Khama of Botswana.
When the SADCC was formed in
April 1980, Khama saw the
difficulties ahead when he
predicted that, "The struggle for
economic liberation will be as
bitterly contested as has been the
struggle for political liberation."
SADC, formally established by the
Windhoek Treaty in 1992, has
turned its vision of free trade into
a formal agreement launched in
2008, and most member states
have developed a national Vision
of where they want to be by 2016
or 2020. The Lagos Plan of Action
for socio-economic development
of Africa was
