An open letter to world leaders as 2023 wears on

Dear Esteemed Presidents and Prime Ministers!

Should we start by saying there are 195 countries in the world, listed at the United Nations. Among them, the happiest is claimed to be Finland; the richest, Luxembourg, while our Africa has 54, with the wealthiest being South Africa, and the safest being Mauritius. We are told violent crime is unusual in this sunshine hub by the Indian Ocean. How nice!

First question is how come some nations perform better for their citizens than others? This letter is saying, please listen, our leaders. Unfortunately, it is common these days for most folks to shout that politics doesn’t work. According to sociologists, there is a distrust of politicians because of negative economics, scandals, sleaze, crime and, well, poverty and inequality. There is a trend among the 21st century generation that questions how come we have so much trouble and suffering if your governorship is filled with electrifying words from election promises.

Frankly speaking, 2022 was tough, as we had just came out of the menacing 2019-2021 Covid pandemic, which caused multiple divisions. Some believed it was a virus created to wipe out this ever-expanding human race estimated to be 8 billion-strong as we speak.

Covid-19 was also seen as a money-spinning machine. Travelling became more expensive. Some citizens rarely left their homes or districts and deaths shot up.

No sooner had Covid-19 took a breather than 2022 roared in with the war in Ukraine. Now Europe is quite expensive. And the word “death” keeps strolling, devilishly. According to UN World Population Prospects calculations, the number of the dead has increased as we advance in science. In 1953, at least 50.5 million people passed away. Seventy years later, the figures are expected to reach 60 million annually. Of course, there is also a population surge and longevity if we look at the ages of three significant celebrities who passed away recently – Queen Elizabeth, 96; the African American actor Sidney Poitier, 94, and star Brazilian footballer Pele, 82. Which reflects how some humans are living longer, but there were deaths of younger folk too.

Starting from London, where this article was sent from, we should cite a poet called Brother Niyi. He lived in Hackney in north London. His demise went unnoticed. Of Nigerian descent, Brother Niyi was in his 50s, and used to support the cause of Africans and called Mwalimu Nyerere the “light that continues to shine”. Brother Niyi recited his English written poems with a drum. He said “yeah, yeah” all the time, paraphrasing legendary musician Fela Kuti.

Another London-based African who reached to the heavens was Wala Danga. The Zimbabwean ran Limpopo Club at the famous Africa Centre. Since 1975, most of the greatest African musicians passed through his hands and eyes – Angelique Kidjo, Kanda Bongo Man, Pierre Akendengue , Remmy Ongala. Wala was also a poet and DJ and promoted the continent. His death shocked and saddened lovers of African music here.

Towards the end of 2022, it was announced that 65-year-old Tanzanian Ndesanjo Massue died in a public home in Bolton, north England.

Unfortunately, Massue’s information had to be publicised in the local media as there was no family to inform. It is quite dismaying to know some Africans go overseas and die like that. Many years ago, in the 1980s, a Kenyan guy was found dead in his flat in Germany. He had been there for weeks, and no one knew. It was shocking. Are we running and moving overseas to terminate like that?

Esteemed leaders, let us sum up the intention of this. What killed the Queen and Sidney Poitier is called old age. Of Pele, we can reluctantly say so too, but he had a vicious cancer for years. Hopefully, we shall soon find a cure for cancer and other vicious diseases. In Africa, the biggest killer so far has been malaria. The word “malaria” comes from Latin or Italian – combination of mal (bad) and aria (air). Flying mosquitoes pick up the virus and transmit danger around. Oxford University researchers reported 75 percent efficiency in a vaccine said to stop Malaria by 2030. Funded by the European Union, it is called R21/ Matrix -Mtm, and is still in trial.

Not bad news.

Another positive bulletin is the rise of interest in reading and literacy in Tanzania. Apart from Prof Joseph Mbele’s efforts, let’s speak of who?

Two young Tanzanian female authors. The book Mwana by London-based Shaaban Robert’s great granddaughter Jackline Waziri created a big buzz, including the launch of an office in Ilala, Dar es Salaam. Award winning Zainab Baharoun has two Swahili books to her credit. Mungu Hakopeshwi (God cannot be lent) and Fanani, which was launched last month.

We are positively aware that you will continue to lead us, and brighten up 2023 for us!