EDITORIAL: Drawing lessons from Nyerere on leadership
What you need to know:
Mwalimu Nyerere, who was born on April 13, 1922 and died on October 14, 1999, was the first president of Tanganyika and later Tanzania. His decision in 1985 to step down from power, did set the pattern of transition of power from one leader to the next.
Tanzania today commemorates 18 years since the death of the Founding Father of the Nation, Julius Nyerere. There is pretty much to talk about and learn from Mwalimu, who was not only a political leader, but also a philosopher, theorist, activist, translator and writer.
Mwalimu Nyerere, who was born on April 13, 1922 and died on October 14, 1999, was the first president of Tanganyika and later Tanzania. His decision in 1985 to step down from power, did set the pattern of transition of power from one leader to the next. Since then Tanzania has had four other presidents after him.
As one of the pioneer leaders of an independent Africa, Nyerere stood for total liberation of people from colonialism and any sort of oppression. It was based on this conviction that Tanzania sacrificed immensely towards the liberation struggles of Mozambique, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia), Namibia and South Africa.
It was not surprising that Tanzania was the most important base for all liberation fighters from southern Africa. This is proof that Nyerere was a true believer of freedom of the people. This conviction was deeply rooted in his socialism and self-reliance policy that viewed all human beings as equal.
On the economic front, the Founding Father pushed for self-reliance. He wanted Tanzania, and Africa in general, to try and become as much as self-reliant as they could be. This was particularly in the fight against the archenemies: poverty, disease and illiteracy. For him, it was through self-reliance that a nation could be truly free, particularly when it comes to self-determination.
Freedom, development and discipline connected
It was during Nyerere’s era that Tanzania set up its development road map. The economy was to be based on both manufacturing and agriculture. Much as the economy was young, the first president of Tanzania made every effort to try and establish key primary industries in most parts of the country. Therefore, both agricultural and industrial developments were crucial to his leadership. His main objective was to build a modern society where science and technology play the crucial role of liberating man from the archenemies: poverty, disease and illiteracy.
“Mwalimu (Teacher), as he was affectionately known, spoke strongly about the connection between freedom, development and discipline in building socialism, whose basis was a belief in the oneness of man and the common historical destiny of mankind. It was under his leadership that education was provided for free from primary through university. He was convinced that with a sizeable skilled manpower, the country could unlock much of the economic potentials it has been endowed with.
And, even after stepping down from power, he never hesitated to advice the sitting presidents to work harder in collecting tax. He argued that there will be no development if people and legal entities did not pay their due taxes.
Mwalimu Nyerere was a firm believer of the government being accountable to the people. He argued that since the people paid their due taxes, then they had the right to know what was happening within the government and that it truly served them.
Today’s and future leaders need to emulate Mwalimu Nyerere leadership style that put man at the centre of all development initiatives. They should not seek self-glory but the development of human beings.
