Mwalimu’s 100th birthday: What of the countries they left behind?

A century, in a life of a person or even a country, is a long time regardless of how one measures time. After all, as a continent, Africa continues to be influenced or scarred by events which did not clock a century, like colonialism or the post-independence period. Had he lived to this year, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere would have celebrated his 100th birthday this month. Still, he took a bow at a very respectable age of 77, and since then each year the country has held events to mark his life and his times.

Each year there are many ‘what ifs’ thrown around about the times he did not live to see.

What if Mwalimu had lived beyond Mkapa’s presidency, would he have made of the successors he never saw? What would he have made of their decisions in running the country? What would he have made of our foreign policy?

Mwalimu means many things to different people. There are those who consider him akin to Plato’s philosopher ruler. Others think he was a benign dictator. There are those who associate the many challenges this country faces today with the decisions which were made during his time in office. To others whether they lived in his times or not, he hovers between a myth, a legend and a man. Either way, today elements of his legacy are claimed by such opposite political characters to the point some would feel dizzy to grasp such a range.

That was Mwalimu.

He belongs to the first generation of independence leaders who delivered political independence to the continent. By the time his ancestors called in October, 1999, there were still few independence leaders around. None of them is still around.

However, what of the countries they bequeathed to those who came after them?

Some of the leaders who delivered independence, like Patrice Lumumba, had little say over what their countries would become after them.

They did not have enough time in office to fundamentally alter what was bequeathed to them by colonial powers from their bureaucracy, their legal set ups to armies and the police.

Could that explain what became of the Democratic Republic of Congo? Could it explain Mobutu Sese Seko’s long rule which led to a constantly haemorrhaging giant that is the DRC? Laurent Kabila, in trying to explain what became of his country during Mobutu’s rule, pointed to collective failure of the Congolese, by some accounts, asking during a press conference; “Who has not been Mobutist in this country? Three-quarters of this country became part of it! We saw you all dancing in the glory of the monster”. To Mwalimu though, even with Kabila, he is quoted to have told cadres of the then DRC ruling political alliance that, “Congo was not lucky with its leaders.”

Southern African countries which fought bitter liberation struggles, which were followed by equally bloody protracted civil wars like in Mozambique or Angola did not live up to the promises of their liberation.

What could explain the security challenges which brought near disintegration of parts of Mozambique at the hands of militants who did not start with heavy weaponry to challenge the reach of the state?

Ivory Coast started out as a very promising country that could accommodate the different communities who call it home. However, after the passing of the leader who delivered political independence, the lights went out and the common questions of identity and belonging that have plagued much of independent Africa tore that country apart.

What could explain the exceptions of Botswana and Senegal with their long political stability even with multi-party politics? The rest of the continent went for single-party rule which did not usher in political stability in majority of these countries. Was it the role played by those who delivered political independence? Could the answers be found in the socio-political make up of these countries?

Even countries which were not colonised like Liberia and Ethiopia did not escape the malaise plaguing the rest of the countries which were colonised. Relatively homogeneous societies like many of the North African countries, to Somalia to Lesotho did not escape the fate of some of more diverse countries like Nigeria.

Could it all be explained by looking at Mwalimu and his contemporaries; the independence heroes? Certainly, some answers are found there.