EDITORIAL: Remembering Mwalimu in all humbleness
Today is the 19th anniversary of the demise of Mwalimu Nyerere.
Succumbing to chronic leukemia at St Thomas’ Hospital in London at 77 years, his death was as unexpected by many as it was painfully saddening for even more people worldwide.In the event, the president of the day, Mr Benjamin Mkapa, proclaimed a 30-day national mourning period.
Memorably, MwalimuNyerere somewhat facetiously stated that he “became a schoolteacher by choice, and a politician by accident.” In that regard, he excelled in both – although, generally speaking, he is best known and remembered for his magnanimous political role in later life.
In due course of time and events, Nyerere-the-Politician became an iconic leader who indelibly etched his leadership prowess on the hearts and minds of his compatriots – and on those of hundreds of millions of people in Africa and beyond.
After a brief stint as a secondary school teacher of English, History and Swahili during the British ‘colonial’ administration, Mwalimu was drawn into politics, starting as an elected president of the socially-oriented Tanganyika African Association before it was transformed into the Tanganyika African National Union (Tanu) in 1954.
What with one thing leading to another, Tanu became the ‘independence’ party, propelling Tanganyika Trusteeship to ‘independent’ Tanganyika on December 9, 1961, then Tanganyika Republic on December 9, 1962 and, finally, the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on April 26, 1964 –later the United Republic of Tanzania, popular today simply as ‘Tanzania.’
Central to all those exciting developments was none other than Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. But – as if that were not more than enough for one man to effectively handle – Nyerere also played pivotal roles in the socio-political affairs of a handful other countries in Africa.
Struggles for independence
We say ‘pivotal roles’ here with good reason – as amply exemplified in the successful struggles for independence from undemocratic rule in what were then Northern and Southern Rhodesia (today’s Zambia and Zimbabwe); Nyasaland (Malawi) and Mozambique.
This is not forgetting the freedom struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa,finally resulting in the democratic ‘Rainbow Nation’that is South Africa today.
In due course of time and‘Nyerereism,’ Mwalimu resigned from the Tanzanian Presidency on his own volition in 1985 – passing on the torch of exalted leadership to successors whom he discreetly identified for the electorate.
Both his choices, Presidents Ally Hassan Mwinyi (1985-95) and Benjamin Mkapa (1995-2005) were elected with resounding majorities to continue the MwalimuNyerere legacy.
It should, therefore, come as no surprise that, in life and posthumously, Nyerere was virtually showered with all manner of honorary medals, orders, prizes, degrees and other awards for his works on and off the political stage, including insightful publications…
The man may have died nineteen short years ago; but his legendary works live on – and we sincerely take comfort in the knowledge that he is finally at rest in the Arms of the Lord.
