Sino-tanzania ties, now 50, should be nurtured
What you need to know:
It was built through aid provided by the government of the People’s Republic of China, in response to a request by Tanzania founder-president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Symbolically, the Friendship Textile Mills at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam, better known by the single Kiswahili word ‘urafiki’, which stands for friendship, best captures the solid relations between Tanzania and China.
It was built through aid provided by the government of the People’s Republic of China, in response to a request by Tanzania founder-president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
The largest in the sector, became operational in 1968, providing several jobs, was a source of decent livelihoods and social welfare advancement for hundreds of wananchi, and a training centre for new technological skills for many people in our new nation.
Urafiki curtain-raised other factories which created many jobs, contributed substantially to national coffers and made Tanzanians better dressed.
Besides improving surface transportation in Tanzania, the China-sponsored 1,860 kilometre-long Tazara Railway linking Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia freed land-locked Zambia from dependence on the then Rhodesian regime (subsequently independent Zimbabwe) and South Africa.
From the Urafiki-Tazara era to-date, the Chinese culture of hard work, dedication, and discipline has been most helpful to Tanzanians who care to pick free, helpful lessons.
Grumbling by some quarters about Chinese nationals allegedly grabbing economic opportunities, the question arises is: Should slowness and apathy by some local service providers be tolerated and even celebrated as virtues ?
As for fake Chinese goods, the crooks behind them don’t have government blessings.
Against that background, the 50th anniversary of solid Sino-Tanzania relations, formally kick-started by the 1965 visit to Tanzania by Chinese prime minister Zhou En-Lai, are delightful.
Incidentally, it’s from the guest that Mwalimu Nyerere borrowed the ‘kimao’ tunic that many compatriots embraced for a couple of years.
We salute the Tanzania and China Friendship Promotion Association for organizing the commemorative event in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
Long live Sino-Tanzania relations !
