Rose Mdami: January 2012

Tanzania Celebrates 50 years of independence. What a lesson?

Rose Mdami,

Tanzanian’s are proudly celebrating 50 years of independence after several decades of independence from colonial rule. Tanganyika gained its independence from Britain to become The United Republic of Tanzania in 1961. Tanzania's population has grown from 9.4 million at independence to an estimated 42 million people at present. Monthly revenue collection from Sh1.16 billion in 1961 to Sh500 billion last year.

laite President Julius K. Nyerere (left), the first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Chat with the former President Nelson Mandela, of South Africa

Throughout 50 years of independence, Tanzanians have struggled to overcome poverty for which the greatest achievement is the increase of national income (GDP) from Sh7.2 million in 1961 to Sh32.3 trillion at present. According to latest government statistics, the per capita income has also risen from Sh766 in 1961 to Sh770, 464 over the same period.

While celebrating 50 years of independence, 51% of the population live on less than $1 a day; about half or 42% of these live in absolute poverty on less than $0.75 cents a day; 81% of the labour force is in rural and the majority of the urban workforce is underemployed and minimally skilled.

At independence 75 per cent of Tanzanians including male and females were not able to read and write, but in 1980 the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (Unesco) awarded Tanzania for remarkable improvement of literacy level at over 90 per cent.

The scenario is replicated at secondary level, where such institutions have increased from 41 to 4,367, with the number of students studying steadily rising from 11,832 to 1,789,547 this year. From only one university ( The University of Dar es Salaam) today Tanzania boasts of 34 universities, enrolling nearly 140,000 students. In 1961, UDSM started with just 14 students.

At independence there was no mobile phone, but now there are 21 million mobile phone subscribers in the country.

Efforts to attract investments in agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing sectors through the implementation of economic reform measures have led to huge increase in the volume of investments from 500 projects worth $2.3 billion (about Sh4 trillion) in 2009 to 750 investment projects worth $3 billion (about 5 trillion) this year, according to a report from the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC).

However, there are still several challenges facing the long march to the fight against poverty as it takes broad dimension. Most ordinary Tanzanians marking 50 years of Independence, specifically those who live in Dar es Salaam have painted a gloomy picture. They have raised concern over the yawning gap between the rich and the poor.

A nail painter at Sinza kwa Nzasa area, Mr. Yusuf Ramadhani, said as days go on, the costs go living go up to unbearable levels to the poorest of the poorest. "I am walking the whole day, looking for women to paint their nails, its not an easy tasks, instead of me getting richer, am ending up suffer. What small I earn is just to survive with my family. Imagine for a day I may end up with five thousand shillings, capital and profit. Sometimes we end up getting money just for the purchase of one meal at home," says Yusuf who is married two children.

Taxi driver, Lameck Isack Msofe, based at ubungo station said corruption is a major factor which has increased incidences of poverty among the poor. And for him he don’t see any reasons for Tanzania to celebrate 50 years of independence, spending a lot of money with exibitions, big party at state house with delegations from all over the world while people are dying with hunger, no medicine in the hospitals, and no employment. The difference between poor and rich remains high if compared to the time of independence.

"The poor fail to access economic rights, especially access to social services like education and health care because the well to do benefit out of the corrupt system. There is no hope for those toiling at the lower levels of the ladder," Lameck said, adding that accountability of leaders is very low.

Asked about the way forward, he said one solution is to have a radical change of leadership at all levels.

Another resident in the city, who is a leader of community based organisation, TUNAWAJALI Mr Salum Machako, 56, also pinpointed corruption as the biggest enemy affecting poor Tanzanians.

"We are not witnessing tangible results of economic growth because of corruption. All the good policies and laws being declared by government leaders do not result into tangible results because in most cases they are not implemented," Mr Machako said.

Turning 50 is quite a milestone as a nation and a people. The key issue however, should not be turning 50 as such but learning from the experiences of those 50 years for the sake of shaping the next 50 years. It should not be just a celebration of adding years into the life of the nation but of adding life into those years. The 50th independence anniversary is a very rare opportunity for a thorough, critical, objective, impartial, none-partisan and apolitical constructive evaluate.

Former president Ally Hassan Mwinyi (first left), followed by the current President Jakaya Kikwete, and Former president Benjamin Mkapa pose in a photo during 50 years anniversary in Dar-es-salaam, state House.

Celebrations start in Dar es Salaam on 8 December followed by culminating ceremony at Uhuru Stadium on 9 December with a military parade and a mass display involving school children, musicians and dancers from all over the country. It was fantastic and a real day to remember.

Speaking during celebrations to mark 50 years of Tanganyika’s independence, held nationally at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam Kikwete said Tanzanians have all the reasons to celebrate for the successes recorded since independence.

“Our successes are sometimes ignored, but the reality is that the colonialists left us with nothing. I remember that there were only three tarmac roads throughout the country, but now we have thousands of kilometres of paved roads,” he noted.

“We really deserve to celebrate because we are a country with people from over a hundred tribes, of different colours, religious beliefs and political ideologies but speaking the same language”, he said.

“We have recorded a lot of successes…but concerted efforts are needed to ensure people’s development in future,” Kikwete said.

When celebrating 50 years of independence amid pomp and festivities, we all remember the contribution made by the first president the late Mwalimu Myerere. Nyerere placed Tanzania on the map by following an aggressive policy of socialism, taking an outspoken stand on foreign policy and showing unreserved support of Pan-Africanism. Nyerere believed that no country in Africa was free until all African nations were independent.

Today, Tanzania is considered one of Africa’s most politically stable countries because of the good work of Mwalimu, who built a strong foundation of this country. Kikwete’s government has steered the country through challenging times, domestically, regionally and globally. The present government’s strategy has been to develop agriculture, as 75 per cent of Tanzanians live in rural areas and survive from working the land. There have been real improvements in health and education services, as well as in press and information since 2005.

There is no doubt that given the right political direction, Tanzania, a nation formed by people from 126 tribes, will be and is African success story. A country with such diversity, to have survived for 50 years where several other countries have failed, is something to be proud off.

If today People like Mansoor Ladha could come back to Tanzania, am sure he could be surprised with the developments, huge buildings, structures in place, policies and rule of law compared to his time when he was working as an editor just after independence.

He was born in Tanzania and worked for some time before fled Tanzania in the 1970s to Canada, running away from President Julius Nyerere’s with socialist policies.

During 50^th anniversary "Our slogan is 'We dared, We succeeded and We are forging Ahead', but we have to be honest to ourselves as we still have numerous challenges to overcome.

All government institutions are holding exhibitions in commemoration of 50 years of Independence. They’re to show the success and not the failures of the four regime of powers since president Nyerere, followed by Mwinyi, then Mkapa and now Jakaya Kikwete.

When they are doing so, we are to reflect if we have achieved the target/goals set after attaining independence in 1961. The meaning attached to the independence of Tanganyika was “doing away with oppression, discrimination, exploitation and creation of justice for all regardless of tribal lines, colour/racial and religion”. Keeping in mind this, a serious war was waged by Mwalimu Nyerere, the late father of the nation against Poverty, Ignorance and Diseases; problems which were declared as enemies of the nation. As the war was a prerequisite for a meaningful independence for all people of Tanzania, cooperation was called up on from everybody for this target.

Discrimination is gaining momentum as the gap between the “haves” and the “have not” is widening. The“haves” have their owning stream of services toped up with the desired quality and the opposite stands to be the case.

Corruption has eliminated the possibility of Tanzanians to live like independent people. It has made them live a life that is relatively not better than that during colonial era. The expected Independence Day to be celebrated has completely lost its meaning to the large sect of Tanzanians as corruption has sharpened the degree of poverty, ignorance and diseases.

During Mwalimu Nyerere’s era, at least petty corruption could surface and by then government dealt with it accordingly to the level that it was not a factor to deter the war against the declared enemies. Today, not only petty but also grand corruption has dominated the country.

With the absence of a reliable source of power due to dirty politics, production of goods and services has collapsed to result to 17% inflation, unemployment whose ultimate effect is the increased income poverty among Tanzanians. All these have made life in Tanzania undesirable as everything needs money. The 2010 UNDP Statistics show that in every 100 Tanzanians, 96 are living with a income less than 2 USD a day while 86 are living with an income less than 1 USD a day. With this data, majority of Tanzanians are poor because they have insufficient money income to afford their daily life.

With no income, Tanzanians are still living in mud houses roofed by grass as they are unable to buy expensive iron sheets. Majority are unable to buy food as they have no income for that thus squeezed to undernourishment. Attending to hospitals for medical services is difficult thus ending up dying like flies. This is not the independence that Tanzanians admired and struggled for it at all!

Corruption has utterly distorted our education sector t to produce an “ignorant Nation” that will ironically celebrate the December 9^th. It is dominant to the extent of resulting to a “hawkers’ nation” in this world of competition. The education system has been that of fooling rather than educating.

Although much progress has been made since independence, about one-third of Tanzania’s children do not attend primary school, 95% do not attend secondary school (compared to 78% in Kenya) and there are only about 10,500 students (1% of the cohort) enrolled in the country’s three universities for a national population of about 33 million. This is according to Tanzania human report 2010, by UNDP

Most vocational training is provided by NGOs, private firms and religious groups. These entities need more support, recognition and links to other education and training providers to ensure optimal co- ordination and opportunities for synergy.

Shamelessly, corrupt men will publicly come out at the apex of “fake independence celebrations and mention“imaginary success” in our education sector. Statistics of schools and students enrolment will be in their lips without mentioning anything on the quality of education delivered.

But as huge tracts of the country’s land are leased to foreign investors, unrest is spreading as some see in these deals the return of colonialism.

“Zuia uporaji wa ardhi,” reads the Swahili headline of a poster on the wall of the community building in boko kinondoni district about 25 km from Dar es Salaam city centre heading to Bagamoyo. It means “prevent land grabbing”

“This poster teaches us many lessons,” says Hakuin Hussein, Boko’s villager “It tells us everything about investors.”50 years of independence, what are we celebrating, the success of there whites who grabs our land? I don’t see any meaning in celebrating 50 years, it makes me mad, when I think of the situation I am, and the condition I live with my family”, said Hakuin when was asked to give his comments about the on going celebrations.

Scenes like this are not confined to Boko but are playing out across Tanzania’s countryside, where 80 per cent of the country’s 40 million population still lives.

Unrest has erupted in several districts in recent months, says Reginald Martin of the Legal and Human Rights Centre in Dar es Salaam, with displaced smallholders accusing foreign investors of bypassing proper land titling procedures. “These,” Martin says, nodding at stacks of manila folders piled high on his desk, “are all land disputes.”

Land is the key productive asset in subsistence agriculture, which remains the backbone of Tanzania’s economy. Despite this, many smallholders now find themselves in direct competition for land with foreign investors, with the government aggressively promoting large-scale agricultural projects as “win-win” deals for Tanzania.

On health side, the sector is poorly serviced to eliminate diseases in the country. Poor rural Tanzanians die simply by missing healthcare services and if available, it is that which is not expected by an independent nation for 50 years now. If we were serious in utilizing the wealth available for the development of this nation, I’m sure we would be now talking of real health centers if not dispensaries at the level of hamlets and not the fake existing plan at the ward level. Corruption has made us not exploiting our own wealth for our own healthcare.

Just to recall; in the 2005 general election billions of money were stolen from the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) to make some people win the election. Fake companies were created to fetch this money and Kagoda Agricultural company which took more than 40 billion TShs exemplifies them as no one in power has ever stood up to deny the allegations.

Soon after the 2005 general election and after getting into offices corruptly, they came up with bluffing words pretending to know corrupt men in this country. They gave them an infinite time to change their behavior. With smiling faces, they talk of hating corruption. They smile on corruption because they do not know how damaging and poisonous it has been for this country’ health. It is no wonder that they have legally dramatized the war against it as the established Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) sounds to be like a toothless dog.

To show that they are not touched with peoples’ problems; they are now busy with expensive ministerial exhibitions under the umbrella of marking 50 years of our independence just to create windows for allowances. All these are shamelessly made whilst the country is in a blackout, deep ignorance and preventable and curable diseases. Yes, perhaps they are independent as a minority sect in Tanzania.

Whose burden then is corruption in Tanzania? The fact that it is the burden for majority poor Tanzanians does not ignore the fact that it is for youth. Whether they are the majority of the whole population or not, it remains that they are living today and they have a life to live tomorrow.

Hashimu Mfinanga, was among the youths I met at Uhuru grounds during the 50 years anniversary. He was in a deep think, compared to others, not happy not sad. That pushes my intuition to talk to him. The way he looked at me, was a person although present on the grounds physically but mentally wasn’t there. When approached him, he said

“If youth seat down waiting for incumbent leaders initiatives’ to fight corruption then it remains to be a clean reality that we are hanging ourselves and we are creating no further future for us and for our generations. Youth must show their true colours in dealing with the matter for a true independence. We must stop entertaining corrupt men. Look at them, they pretend to be like angles, on the way they talk, salute etc look look…. that is pure fooling us, the time has come for us to fight for our nation, we must write a new history beginning today when we mark 50 years, it should reach a point where those alleged are booed in public, enough is enough” he said in a sad voice but very furious on what was going on at the grounds.

Tanzanians are proud of their strong sense of national identity and commitment to Swahili as the national language. There are roughly 120 ethnic communities in the country representing several of Africa’s main socio-linguistic groups.  

According to Tanzania development Vision 2025, seeks to realize patriotism, nationalism and to strengthen national cohesion of all the people in society, taking into consideration current environment in the economic, political and other relevant factors. The national cohesion will be realized only when the implementation of the Development Vision entails equal opportunities for participation of all the people and the same opportunities extended to all people for the enjoyment of the fruits of its achievements. The Development vision's implementation be equally participatory. For it is only through such a participatory process that the Development Vision will acquire a people-centred and people-driven character which is the main foundation for obtaining the people's genuine commitment towards ensuring the realisation of their goals.

For this I see no need of spending billions of money just to celebrating 50 years of independence while the country is still poor, and faced with a lot of challenges concerning the development and wealth of people. Instead let us use the opportunities and gatherings to focus and geared in contemplating how to eliminate the fourth enemy of the nation which will enable us eliminate the old three ones and thereafter enjoy a true independence

Rose Mdami

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Tanzania Celebrates 50 years of independence... What a lesson?