WHO'S RIGHT?: Kikwete not quite right on the origin of ‘Magomeni-Mapipa’

In all fairness, and without prejudice, I don’t know for sure who is correct on the interpretation, or the origin, of ‘Magomeni Mapipa’ between Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and the reporting on the matter as recently covered by the Dar es Salaam-based ki-Swahili newspaper... This is in so far as the term ‘Magomeni-Mapipa’ relates to a historic part of the sprawling Dar es Salaam metropolis.

In a report titled ‘JK: Mamlaka ziharakishe kuondoa VAT mauzo ya nyumba za NHC,’ the report stated that NHC (the National Housing Corporation) was established in the early 1960s after (Tanganyika)gained independence from alien rule on December 9, 1961. The overriding objective was/is to transform the country’s housing sector from one of houses whose roofing was grass-thatched, tin-roofed...

Or made from ‘mapipa,’ barrels! ‘Wakati huo, nyumba ziliezekwa kwa mapipa (sic), madebe au makuti - ndiyo kiini cha kuwapo mitaa ya Magomeni-Mapipa na Magomeni-Makuti huko Dar es Salaam,’ President Kikwete is quoted as stating! [See page 3, Nipashe: August 30, 2014].

I’ve no quarrel with the existence of those two parts of Dar es Salaam. Indeed, Magomeni-Makuti was so-named because some of the houses in that area were grass-thatched. But, Magomeni-Mapipa was so-named NOT because the place was replete with ‘mapipa-roofed’ houses... In any case, what animal is that, pray: ‘mapipa roofing?’

Magomeni-Mapipa is a portion of the area - sometimes also known as ‘Magomeni-kwa-Macheni’ - a few hundred metres beyond the Msimbazi Creek bridge in the Jangwani area as one heads west along Morororo Road.

It was so-named because empty steel drums of tar (mapipa ya lami) were placed in the area to designate a round-about motoring system.

I know this from personal experience, as I was the unencumbered owner of a Morris-Minor open-hood two-door saloon, registration DSR-500.

I lived in Upanga West at the time (monthly rent: Sh187/50 for a two-bedroom flat, ground floor owned by one Patel. My neighbour on the upper floor was Dr Aaron Chiduo... But, no matter...!) On weekends, I’d drive up Morogoro Road to ‘Manchester’ (Manzese) for ‘Nyama-Choma and Mbege.’

Motorists had to carefully negotiate around the empty ‘mapipa’ at Magomeni. But, at times such skills failed – and a few of the drums would be knocked out of the way - to be restored or replaced by the Municipality the following Monday!

In due course of time and events, the mapipa were replaced by a concrete roundabout - a feature which has today been done away with...

Now that you know why ‘Magomeni-Mapipa’ was so-named, you might also want to know that Dar es Salaam (Haven/Abode of Peace) itself was built and so-named by Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar beginning in 1865/66. This virtually overshadowed the coastal fishing village of ‘Mzizima’ (Healthy, Vibrant) next-door.

Then there’s the ‘Musa Hassani’ place (Msasani); Birmingham (Buguruni, where in the early years the police station was fenced-in to keep thugs from invading the place and ‘hurting’ policemen!)... Oh history can be so interesting for those who have lived it...

Today, Dar es Salaam has grown from being home to a few thousand souls, then 30,000 - and to 4.4 million souls as of 2012... Cheers!