When the Greeks thought it wise to establish dialogue as part and parcel of their daily life and discuss public matters including political, economic, social and cultural issues in public it was the greatest discovery in managing man survival and growth affairs.
However, after independence in Africa some of our leaders decided to build a wall between those in leadership and the followers. This has remained todate.
The rulers are the ones who talk and decide about the fate of the followers with very minimal assessment of the current status and participation of the true representatives of the followers. Be it teachers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, businessmen, farmers, fishermen, livestock keepers, clerks, accountants and so on.
Media and publishing was such controlled that it was neigh impossible to give an alternatives to the ideas earlier sounded by the rulers.
The newspaper, radio and television where there were one were praisesingers of the rulers.
Because of lack of a pluralistic national constitution, weakness of the opposition and half-baked democracy this has remained so todate.
However, the internet and especially blogs have put an end to that. And if it were not for the manipulation of the state in making access to the internet in some parts of the country very difficult ideas could be flying freely all over Tanzania in matters of seconds.
And for a regressive and weak government it should be expected that instead of using the internet to propel the country forward, the appointed anti-human development bureaucrats will seek to curtail and limit the influence of the internet on the population for reasons better known to both of us!
Despite the revolution in information and communication technology, information and communication is scanty and inhibited in most situations. And most often, even the leaders themselves are not aware of what is going around them.
Thus, it is not difficult to trace the root of African development quagmire and cultural and technological quicksand. We are stuck where we are simply because we lack conversation fora at home, in our political parties, in schools, at work place, at district and regional level as well as at the national level.
There is no discussion, no conversation going on anywhere except decisions and resolutions. It seems as if the West has already fine tuned some sections of our society to decide on our behalf through their il-founded decisin-making techniques. Swallowing and digesting everything from the west will surely give us a lot of stomach pains if not vomitting.
Sammy Sr. has not said it. But I can say it on his behalf that if we are to develop we must start these discussions and these conversations as soon as possible.
The globe has moved fast from a world of ignorasmuses at the time of independence to a knowledge society today. African leaders, though, still think and believe that their people are as stupid as they were then. I don't believe so, I don't think so. They may not be able to articulate it in the words, especially, if you are using his master's language and not the local vernacular understood by everyone. But they are more than fluent when it comes to body language. And these are the lessons that most of you out there are still to learn.
Once, Al-Hadj Mwinyi said he could not compare himself with Mwalimu. It was like comparing an antihill with Kilimanjaro.
There may not be someone of Mwalimu's calibre in the leadership but there could be a score of Mwalimu's calibre in the population by the principle of law of normal distribution. So leaders beware and take heed and trust your people to participate and making decisions concerning their lot.
Am sorry, if I have confused some of you!
Mwalimu Jr.
Dar es salaam