ANNIVERSARY: Grand fête as Zanzibar turns 51
Members of the ruling party (CCM)’s youth wing (UVCCM) from Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar march in an event organised in Unguja yesterday ahead of today’s 51st anniversary of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution. The youth marched holding pictures of the founding fathers of Zanzibar and Tanganyika, which united in the same year to form Tanzania as well as pictures of the sitting presidents, Jakaya Kikwete and Ali Mohamed Shein. PHOTO | MWINYI SADALLAH
What you need to know:
- The celebration at Aman Stadium in Unguja will be mainly local as no foreign Head of State has been invited to attend
- The Zanzibar Revolution occurred in 1964 and led to the overthrow of the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government by local African revolutionaries. Zanzibar was an ethnically diverse state consisting of a number of islands off the east coast of Tanganyika which had been granted independence by Britain in 1963.
Zanzibar. Zanzibar President Dr Ali Mohamedi Shein will today lead thousands of Zanzibaris in commemorating the 51st anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution at Aman Stadium.
According to Permanent Secretary in the Second Vice President’s Office, Dr Khalid Mohamed Salum, United Republic of Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete is also expected to attend the ceremony.
Dr Salum said that no foreign leader has been invited to the ceremony.
According to Dr Salum the Aman Stadium gates will be opened at around 6 am to allow people in and national leaders will start to arrive around 9 am.
President Shein is expected to arrive at the stadium at 9:30 am, the PS said. After his arrival, the President will inspect a parade to be staged in his honour before receiving a 21-gun salute from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces.
Dr Shein, according to Dr Salum, will use the commemoration to address the nation on progress made by Zanzibar in the last 51 years economically, socially and culturally.
The PS added that more than 50 development projects were inaugurated ahead of the 51st Zanzibar revolution anniversary. According to him, the projects were on various sectors such as education, infrastructure and air transport.
The PS also noted that 35 projects had already been implemented while the Zanzibar president had laid foundation stones for other 15 projects, which include construction of TPDF soldiers’ houses in Chake Chake, Pemba.
“It is too early for me to reveal the amount spent on implementing projects inaugurated ahead of the event. Let’s celebrate the 51st Zanzibar Revolution anniversary first,” said he.
The Zanzibar Revolution, which saw the overthrown of the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government by local African revolutionaries occurred in 1964.
