SOCIALISM IS JUSTICE FOR THE MASSES - NYERERE

Poverty represents a profound injustice, and Tanzania could not postpone justice for its citizens in pursuit of economic development. These reflections were expressed by Dr. Julius Kambarage Nyerere (1922-1999), Tanzania's founding president, during an interview with a Norwegian journalist in 1985, the year he stepped down from the presidency. Affectionately known as ‘Mwalimu,’ which means ‘teacher’ in Swahili, Nyerere led Tanzania first as the prime minister of Tanganyika and subsequently as the president of the united republic, including Zanzibar. Nyerere's legacy is deeply intertwined with independence movements across Africa, standing alongside notable pan-African figures such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. He advocated for a socialist economic framework that prioritised the needs of the people, focusing on basics such as education rather than large-scale infrastructure projects. Critics have highlighted alleged shortcomings of Nyerere’s social and economic strategy, termed ‘Ujamaa’ (familyhood), arguing that Tanzania lacked the financial capacity to sustain a welfare system without a capitalist foundation. The 1967 Arusha Declaration, which established the principles of Ujamaa, emphasised human equality, fair compensation for labour and strong state oversight of production means to promote the welfare of all citizens. Nyerere had to deal with historical challenges stemming from British colonialism and the geopolitical minefields of the Cold War era, which impacted the implementation of Ujamaa. All told, his success at nation-building and his personal humility as a leader remain widely recognised. In contrast to autocratic leaders living in luxury at the expense of struggling citizens, Nyerere’s legacy serves as a model of servant-leadership from which contemporary leaders can draw valuable lessons. Video credit: NRK, 1985

Sources:

https://www.kas.de/en/web/tansania/laenderberichte/detail/-/content/ujamaa-past-and-present

https://africanarguments.org/2020/12/tanzania-remembering-ujamaa-the-good-the-bad-and-the-buried/

https://www.marxists.org/subject/africa/nyerere/1967/arusha-declaration.htm