Tanganyika independence: Could the ancestors have understood?

Independence Day for many African countries is rarely a cause for celebrations. Minus the fact that a particular country gained political independence on the said day some years ago, much of the rest of the journey travelled since then calls for many other things but celebrations. The reasons for this are many and diverse but could as well go back to the beginning of the colonial projects on the continent.

The colonial territory that was later called Tanganyika ended up with that name by accident. British colonisers picked it up in 1920 from a range of suggestions that included Kilimanjaro, Tabora, and a name of a British colonial army general to a name of a British queen (which was also a name of one of the lakes). Some colonial bureaucrats picked a name of another lake, which an explorer had encountered in the late nineteenth century and locals referred to it as “Tanganika”. Others suggest that the name comes from a combination of two other words from coastal societies which described their farmlands as ‘Tanga” and areas far beyond their own as “Nyika”.

This week, marked sixty years since colonial rule ended in what was Tanganyika back then. What could the ancestors make of what came after them?

What could traditional rulers like Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga or Mangi Meli Kiusa bin Rindi Makindara or Mtyela Kasanda, who posterity came to know as Mirambo who fought against Germany colonisers make of this country today? What of the other generations like those who fought in the Majimaji resistance of the early twentieth century make of this country after sixty years of ‘self-rule’?

What could they have thought of the generation that delivered political independence in 1961? Could they be proud of how far we have travelled since then? Could they consider political independence a success story after sixty years of trials and errors? Could they approve of the job that has been done by successive generations in charge after their own?

Could they have understood the concept of a ‘new’ country beyond their own chiefdoms? Could they have understood the concept of the nation-state that emerged out of the struggles against colonialism? What could they have made of Ujamaa na Kujitegemea policies? Could they have understood them because they are rooted in some aspects of African culture?

Could they make sense of the solidarity with other faraway lands in efforts to help them chase away colonisers there? Could they have considered fair sacrifice the limbs and blood given to such causes?

Could they relate to the concept of one ruler over a vast land well beyond their own? And what of the invention that is a political party? Could it have made sense to them to rule through this vehicle and what that entails? The political party that delivered political independence is still in charge in a different reincarnation; could they have understood this as a sign of ‘good health and good fortune’ for such longevity in power for that political party? What of rulers serving for just a particular time and then be replaced by another ruler; one that is unrelated to them by blood? Could this be too alien to them?

What could they make of the youths who constantly dream and make efforts to leave the country of their ancestors; one which they gave their lives for? Could they understand this as youthful impatience with life after being disillusioned by too many things in their young lives or see it as betrayal? Could they point fingers at these youths or those who have driven them to a life of hopelessness?

Could they have understood poverty amidst abundance of natural riches?

Could they have understood our continued sense of inferiority complexes and the ignorance of refusing to learn from past mistakes and make new ones instead of repeating old ones? Could they have considered us really independent?

There are just too many questions but when all the dust settles, could they have accepted an invitation to the sixtieth birthday of what once was? Could they have given their seal of approve for those in charge of the country today by gracing the occasion with their attendance?

In their wisdom, could they have understood these past sixty years?