My temporary job experience of the 70s has now become handy

Many years ago, in the early 70s to be precise, there was some popular undertaking called ‘Temporary Employment.’ This was a popular engagement by secondary and high school students during long school holidays. And I should know. I was there.

Every student, particularly my type who come from struggling families, would apply to the many public companies and government departments for some temporary employment during the holiday.

Surprisingly, most institutions budgeted for such ‘employees.’ And we ended up doing some odd jobs here and there earning some little money for miscellaneous expenditure, mostly on clothes and shoes.

I was one of those students who actively strived to secure such engagements. I did several odd jobs in Morogoro and Dar while at Mkwawa High School in Iringa.

No wonder that at one time I was temporarily employed as a messenger at the Morogoro Prison office. And at another time I became a temporary clerk at the University of Dar es Salaam library.

But my most memorable stint was being a temporary cashier with the National Housing Corporation (NHC), Kinondoni branch in Dar. My main task was to sit in a tiny room facing a tiny window to receive rent payments from NHC tenants in Kinondoni and Mwananyamala estates and issue receipts after entering the same in the appropriate ledgers.

But, all in all, it was the afternoon task that was rather interesting. Remember rent by then was around Sh100 per month for a two bedroom house.

I was assigned the task of checking all those whose rent arrears were six months or more. I would then list them down and hand that list to a special gang of plumbers who would then proceed to throw out the concerned tenants and lock up all the listed housing units. The houses would be opened only after full or - under special circumstances - partial payment was made.

Under the circumstances, late afternoons at the office were always chaotic and scenes to behold. Crying mothers with toddlers on hand, furious men threatening hell and brimstone against us, and sobbing young lasses, all wanting their houses opened, was the order of the day.

Notwithstanding the chaos and threats at the end of it all most of the rent was settled amicably. And we got used to this ritualistic chaos.

But one afternoon all that changed. We had done our routine work and several houses had been locked up when a mob of about 500 or so furious and irate men, and a few women, invaded our office. They were crying for our blood and threatening to burn down our office.

They were angrily asking us as to how and why we had locked up the house of their heroes. They accused us of being part of their enemies’ plot to sabotage and destroy them. And therefore we needed to be taught a lesson.

Apparently, we had locked up a house where their heroic football team goalies, Elias and Muhidin resided. And on that occasion their team, the mighty Young Africans, had just returned from a triumphant mission against St Georges of Ethiopia.

In their celebratory mood they had escorted their heroes to their Kinondoni abode only to find that their house had been locked up by the NHC.

We barricaded ourselves in the office, along Mwananyamala Road. Our born-again manager, one Mwakasungura, knelt and prayed to God to forgive that mad mob members as ‘they did not know what they were doing.’

Notwithstanding my being the youngest in the office and my ‘temporary’ status I pointed out that these irate Yanga fans knew exactly what they were doing. Actually, I pointed out that they may even burn us down if we do not relent and open the goalies residence.

At the end of the day, the house was opened and excited fans went away celebrating their victory in Ethiopia and at the Kinondoni NHC office. I do not recall whether the outstanding rent was eventually paid or not.

Many years later I have come face to face with almost a similar scenario. You see to make ends meet I am also running a small lodging, bar and restaurant facility.

In my operations I am slowly beginning to face a growing list of defaulters who are failing to pay for the lodgings, food and drink costs they accrue.

I am planning to pick a page from my Kinondoni NHC experience, and lock them out. Lock them out of my lodge. I had never known that 70s ‘temporary’ experience would come handy in the long run.