Nyerere and the vision of a United States of Africa
Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, a philosopher and teacher, led Tanzania from 1961 to 1984 when he voluntarily stepped aside. His legacy as a pan-African is expressed in the continuing chronicle. Towards the end of his life, his presence and influence in Tanzanian politics was more vivid. Julius Nyerere died on the 14th of October 1999 at St Thomas’s Hospital in London where he was being treated for leukemia.
Today, Nyerere continues to inspire millions of people in Tanzania and elsewhere, especially in other parts of Africa. The legacy of Nyerere can be summed up by some tributes accredited to him by many of his peer leaders, academics and politicians across the African continent as expressed here below.
Yoweri Museveni
During celebrations to mark the Martyr’s Saints of Uganda Day on Sunday the 3rd of June 2018 at Namugongo, in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni, a staunch follower of Mwalimu Nyerere described him as “…A devoted Christian and patriot who espoused pan-African values…a devoted Catholic, patriot and a true pan-African and a great leader. Why not call him a saint….who worked to unite us all…”
Julius Malema
Julius Malema, a leading opposition figure in South Africa, giving an address at the Africa Day Cerebrations on the 25th of May 2018, had this to say: “…Let us celebrate a pan-Africanist, Julius Nyerere. Those are the people who welcomed the ANC and the PAC in exile in Tanzania and made it possible to be trained and come back to fight against the nonsensical murderous apartheid regime… It was people like Julius Nyerere who received us when it was difficult…You will never know the role Julius Nyerere played in the revolution because those who write our history distort it to suit the white man…”
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda, the first President of Zambia, at the funeral of Nelson Mandela on the 15th of December 2013 in South Africa, could not hide his appreciation of the contribution of Tanzania and Nyerere in the African liberation struggles: “…Mama Maria thank you for coming to join us here. You and your husband did something important to Tanzania. This young president here (Kikwete) comes out of your work; continue to support him. May God bless him (Kikwete) and others like him who have come to know the importance of what Julius Nyerere did for us all...”
David Chacha
And historian David Chacha, of the University of Dar es Salaam, urges people of Africa to cherish Nyerere: “…Africa needs to keep alive the dream and vision of Mwalimu Nyerere for a shared destiny of the African people. The full realisation of our being lies in our collectivity as Africans. Our freedom, strength, dignity, survival and prosperity as a people depend on our unity as Africans, for only in unity can strength be found…”
Indeed the legendary pan-Africanist leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere is cherished across Africa. In Tanzania it is celebrated annually on Nyerere Memorial Day.
The spirit of Nyerere and other pan-African founding fathers must bind us together as one continent and each year we must celebrate a day to remind ourselves that one day Africa will be one nation – the United States of Africa.
We must end the story of Julius Kambarage Nyerere as one of the forefathers of pan-Africanism by singing part of the song of unity: ‘Africa Unite’ by a pan-African singer – Bob Marley.
In this song, he appeals to the people of Africa to unite and liberate themselves from neo-colonialism. The song goes: “…Africa unite: because we are moving right out of Babylon (neo-colonialism), and we are going to our Father’s land (the United States of Africa)… yes, how good and how pleasant it would be before God and man… to see the unification of all Africans…”. Yes, AFRICA MUST UNITE.
