Struggles of man who discovered tanzanite

Dar es Salaam. Mzee Jumanne Ngoma is in his twilight years, as he is now 78. He is the man whose struggle for recognition as the discoverer of tanzanite dates as far back as the 1960s.

Here is the man who was dismissed offhandedly by government officials--in his many visits to Mining Department offices- when he tried to convince them that the gemstones he was carrying were precious.

What he got after his initial efforts of trying was a certificate of identification of the gemstone signed by one Mr Bills on September 23, 1967 and discouraging remarks by some government officials who claimed that the global mining market was not ready for such stones.

Despite the gemstones being identified as “Zoisite. Almost unusual variety… softer than most gemstones. Its quality suggests that a market could be found,” the first certificate said.

Mzee Ngoma, born in 1940 in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region, had to wait till 1984 to get official recognition by the government as the sole discover of tanzanite.

He, however, continued to fight for what he says, were his rightful rights as the discoverer of tanzanite.

“My father has really struggled to get a reward for the discovery. He visited almost every office that he thought could help him and sought the audience of many officials whom he thought could help,” Ms Asha, Ngoma’s daughter said.

The financial rewards to Mzee Ngoma from what later became a multi-billion gemstone business had to wait longer, that is, 34 years, when he was already tired and weary, and with half of his body paralysed. On April 6, 2018 President John Magufuli awarded Mzee Ngoma Sh100 million for his discovery. Mzee Ngoma, who was in the audience during the launching of the Mirerani wall to prevent tanzanite smuggling, thanked President Magufuli for his kindness.

“Your kind gesture today, Mr President, is a sure confirmation that you are the president of the poor,” Mzee Ngoma, who has been blessed with six children, said in a weak voice.

Mzee Ngoma’s family, however, hopes for more rewards. “It is our hope that as the country keeps benefiting more and more and that the government will continue finding ways of rewarding our father even more,” Ms Asha Ngoma noted.