Mixed reactions greet Nyerere's new statue at the African Union headquarters

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians are taking to social media to express disappointment with the newly unveiled statue commemorating their founding president, Julius Nyerere, in Ethiopia.

The statue, unveiled outside the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on Sunday, February 18, 2024, has sparked criticism online, with some users noting that it bears little resemblance to Nyerere.

Nyerere was honoured for his contribution to liberating Africa from colonial rule and the statue was unveiled by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Nyerere led Tanzania to independence in 1961. He was the head of state until 1985.

Situated on the grounds of the building complex named in honour of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere which hosts the African Union Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, the statue pays tribute to his pivotal role in Pan-Africanism and peacebuilding.

As the first Prime Minister of independent Tanganyika (1961) and subsequently the first President of the new state of Tanzania (1964), the effigy of the former Tanzanian leader and Pan-Africanist joined the distinguished ranks of monuments at the AU Headquarters.

In 2012, the statue of Ghanaian Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah was unveiled, followed by the statue of Emperor Haile Selassie in 2019, recognising their significant contributions to the AU, which was formerly known as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Aligned with the 2024 AU theme of Education, Mwalimu Nyerere’s statue emphasises his philosophy on education.

“He believed that education’s primary purpose is to transmit accumulated wisdom and knowledge to people, resonating with principles such as self-reliance, critical consciousness, equality, social justice, and common good. Nyerere’s innovative theory links education for liberation to the goal of building an egalitarian society based on Ujamaa,” the AU said in their statement.

While some Tanzanians praised the gesture by the continent's governing body, others focused on aesthetics.

"That is not our Nyerere," one commented on X (formerly Twitter). A number of people were quick to criticise the look of the statue, saying that it does not resemble Nyerere, neither in his youth nor in his old age.

This incident follows a similar controversy last year when a statue honouring Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda, had to be removed due to widespread ridicule, with many criticising its lack of resemblance to the leader.

Speaking on the challenges in sculpting and pottery, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Department of Art, Digna Enock said that the mistakes that are made during the process are when artists fail to follow the principles of that art.

He said: "There are principles to be followed in the production of sculptures, including the proportion of the elements present in the image where you must closely look at the face shape, especially the size of the nose, eyes and mouth."

"Also, if you have ever seen someone, it makes it easier for the artist to estimate some things in the sculpture, I think that many artists who create his statues [Nyerere] have never seen him in person, so they use pictures which it makes it difficult to transfer some elements in the work," said Digna.

Wenceslaus Ngonyani, who is also a sculptor said that sometimes the budget can determine a final project.

“Your budget will also decide what kind of product you get, not what you want. You cannot get something worth Sh5 million at Sh2 million and think it will be what you need,” he said.

However, their opinion was different from that of cartoonist Masoud Kipanya, who said that with the advancement of technology, making sculptures has become easier by using 3D technology.

Three-Dimensional (3D) Technology images are computer-generated graphics that provide the perception of depth similar to a real-world object.

By using 3D technology, he shares that there is no need for a person to carve or mould and that it is one of the reasons that the statues of other leaders of different countries resemble them.

Senior Arts Officer of the National Arts Council (Basata), Mr Abel Ndaga said there is a law known as the 'Founders of the nation (honouring - procedures) act',  that directs how the statues of Mwalimu Nyerere and the first President of Zanzibar, Abeid Amaan Karume should be created.

If any person creates a statue or any other resemblance of the two leaders without considering that act, they are committing an offence.

"In order to make the statues, there is always a committee that also involves the family in the initial stages, and Basata becomes a member of that committee," he said.

Mr Ndaga added: "Those who just make a statue in the streets without following the procedure are committing an offence because a family member should be there to confirm if the statue resembles their relative or not."

However, Nyerere’s son, Madaraka said that he was among the members of the special committee formed by the government to oversee the process of making the statue of Nyerere at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, and they approved it by more than 90 percent.

"All the committee members had the same position, no one had more power than the other, the process went well. I don't remember exactly how much we approved, but it was more than 90 percent," said Madaraka.

This is not the first time the statue of Mwalimu Nyerere has created a debate on social media.

In 2019, a statue unveiled by the late President John Magufuli and the then minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamis Kigwangalla, was criticizlsed for not resembling the founding father of the nation.

Addition report from Aurea Simtowe and Iman Makongoro