A Letter from Tabora

A Letter From Tabora

By Mark Mwandosya

VANYAMWEZI NA GAVO
Ukumya ninga ukumiliza lumbuga?
Ukakumya ngulu ya vugayiwa mapune?
Ali myongo, mapolu nago –
Gose na zyose zyakutogezya minso na
Miganiko mu myioyo?
Ukakumya vudekanu wa vavyalwa vakwe?
Vanhu va nsunsu, v’isima na vikondelekezyu va nseko?
Sumbwa –
Sumbwa – tugila matye hansi,
Sumbwa gema kuvaleva, vakilwe,
Valasani, vifinuzi, leka na kuyomba,
Vansika ikasilaga vakayangulagwa,
Kuyangulwa kwavo umanye kwigwa kwa muna mbulu.
Lwande lumo lwaputa myuye......

~poem by Mwalimu Robert Mswanyama aka Mwanakisuvi (A former school teacher at Sikonge Moravian Mission Primary School in the 1960s. He was a choir master and composer, a poet. He wrote his poetry in Kinyamwezi). This poem was provided to me by my friend David Kapya.


On 17 February 2024 the Air Tanzania Flight No. TC 130 bound for Mpanda took off at 06.00 hours on the dot as scheduled and as shown on the ticket. When the loudspeaker called our attention, the young people sitting to said, "ATC regrets to announce the delay of flight..." Ordinarily they would be dead right. For delays of ATC flights are a legend. To be fair to ATC, delayed flights seem to be the order of many an African airline. I have been through that experience several times. And that encounter is common to many airlines in the world. The only difference is in what airlines are supposed to do in cases where delays are occasioned by the airlines themselves. Regulators differ in the manner they deal with airlines which inconvenience passengers through delays. Some penalize service providers while others require airlines to give cash to the affected passengers to atone for the poor service. As for the airlines I use on local and regional flights, sometimes even an apology is not forthcoming. The other time I was travelling to Entebbe, and the flight was delayed by three hours. I had to call airline officials and 'request' them to apologise to passengers for the delay.

So the departure of flight TC 130 bound for Tabora via Mpanda, on time, was out of the ordinary, more so because I had to wake up at 0200 hours and leave my residence in Dar es Salaam at 0300 hours to be in time to check in for my flight to Tabora. "We are beginning our descent into Mpanda Airport. Please put your seats into the upright position and fasten your seat belts," that is how I was woken up after a one and half hour’s nap.

The last time I was at Mpanda was 2003, I believe. I had driven from Mbeya to Mpanda, passing through Sumbawanga, and the spectacular Katavi National Park on the way. I was then Minister responsible for transport. I had come to Mpanda to inspect the upgrading of the Mpanda airstrip which was being financed by the United Nations agency responsible for refugees. My delegation and I also took time to visit one major camp for refugees mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A refugee camp is a miserable place. Don't you ever wish there was chaos or a breakdown of law and order in your country such that people flee and become externally displaced. Never.

I counted the number of passengers disembarking at Mpanda. Twenty adults and some children got off. I was curious to find out how many would board for the flight to Tabora and Dar es Salaam. Fifteen, was the number! I wondered if ATC found the route to Mpanda economic to operate. When I shared the observation with my daughter, she was philosophical, "Tell me which airline in the world is economic to run." I should have known better. After all I used to be Minister responsible for civil aviation. Airline business itself is usually loss making. If you break even, you are fine. A margin of 4 percent is regarded as incredible. Otherwise, the industry is a social and economic (and a political) enabler.

Aviation wise, Tabora is a 'stone’s throw' away from Mpanda. After a 20 minutes’ stop, we were advised to fasten our belts for a 30 minutes’ flight to Tabora. We were also advised not to move from our seats, let alone go to spend a penny for that matter. For, soon after taking off we would be descending into Tabora Airport. The touch down on the tarmac runway, at 08.50 hours as per schedule, was flawless. Twenty years earlier I had touched down at Tabora Airport but the runway was murram surfaced. Progress in this regard is definitely discernible.

I am warmly welcomed by Engineer Walter Christopher, Manager, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) Wetern Zone, and Ms Upendo Kavishe, EWURA Principal Administrative Officer. For I have flown in to attend the inauguration of the EWURA Western Zone offices headquartered in Tabora Municipality. The Zone covers Shinyanga, Kigoma, Katavi, Shinyanga and Tabora regions of Tanzania Mainland. The Board of EWURA last year decided to create a sixth zone, the Western Zone, in order to bring the services of the regulator closer to the public and other stakeholders. Other Zones include the Eastern Zone, Northern Zone, Central Zone, Lake [Victoria] Zone, and the Southern Highlands Zone.

Following the official launching of the EWURA Western Zone offices, Victoria Elangwa, Haruna Masebu and Ngosi Mwihava, fellow members of the Board of Directors of EWURA, and I pay a visit to the Tabora Urban Water and Sanitation Authority (TUWASA). We hold talks with Dick Mulimuka, Chairman of TUWASA and senior staff who brief us on the water situation of the TUWASA service area which covers Tabora Municipality, Isikizya, Sikonge, Urambo and Kaliua. The main sources of water are Lake Victoria (by pipeline) and the Igombe Dam.

In the time available to us we are able to visit the following infrastructure: Itumba Tank area, where the main water pipeline from Lake Victoria, via Shinyanga, terminates: Kazeh Hill water storage tanks; and Igombe Dam.

On the way to and from Igombe Dam, we stop at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Itaga. His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Paul Ruzoka, who features prominently in this letter studied here in the 1960s, and later became Rector of the same Seminary. His Eminence Protase Cardinal Rugambwa is an alumni of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Itaga. I am reminded that Itaga Seminary is also the alma mater of Hon. Dr Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United

Republic of Tanzania, and that my friend Col. (Rtd) Joseph Simbakalia. I also understand that my colleague, former Foreign Minister Bernard Kamilius Membe (RIP), among many others, also passed through Itaga Seminary.

The last time I was in Tabora was in 2009. I was then Minister responsible for water. I made a tour of the Igombe Dam. We had realized that Igombe, as a source of water, would not suffice to meet the requirements for Tabora in the medium and long term. After internal consultations and studies, we decided to extend the Lake Victoria water transmission main from Shinyanga to Igunga and Tabora. I was in Tabora then to, among other things to announce the decision. Coming to Tabora after all those years and witnessing Tabora being supplied 41 percent of its water requirements from Lake Victoria was like witnessing a dream come true. We had also planned for water from Lake Victoria to reach Urambo and Sikonge. Again, another dream is coming through. For, during my stay in Tabora this time, I was informed that the project to extend the mains from Tabora to these districts was under implementation. As if to clear my doubts, Eng. Mayunga Kashilimu, Managing Director of TUWASA makes sure he shows me the water pipes that have been acquired for the project.

Back to my arrival at Tabora Airport. Driving to JB Series Hotel where I would end spending four nights was an eye opener. Pot-holes are a characteristic of many African townships. As one leaves the airport one tightens the seat belt in anticipation of a rough journey to town. Not anymore, certainly not in Tabora. The Tabora I knew, sleepy and unkept and full of pot-holes is history. All the major roads into and out of town are tarmac grade. Along the road sides are drainage channels. What also impresses me as an environmentalist is the sight of tree cover along both sides of the paved roads, giving a semblance of tree-lined avenues. I knew Tabora had many trees, but those were mango trees, some as old as 150 years, planted along the slave trade route from Ujiji, through Tabora to Bagamoyo. The old mango trees are still there. They are the ‘trade mark’ of Tabora.

THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT OF TABORA

I found Tabora spectacularly green. It is was indication that the seasonal rains had come on time. It was cloudy and raining when I was there. The greenery that struck me was above ground, I mean tree cover. Tabora had some sort of tree cover when I was there some years back. As observed earlier on, those were mainly mango trees. Some mango trees which were planted over 170 years ago during the slave trade era are still standing. They were planted to mark the route the slaves would take during the gruelling journey from Ujiji, by Lake Tanganyika, through Tabora and all the way to Bagamoyo along the slave trade route, before being shipped to the slave market at Mkunazini, Zanzibar.

Left alone without anthropogenic (human-induced) interference nature replenishes itself and vegetation blossoms, trees cover the land. The situation does not hold in populated areas, and certainly not in towns, and where fuelwood is used for tobacco curing. Deliberate, determined and concerted efforts had to be undertaken to increase the noticeable and significant tree cover of Tabora. Trees maketh a town beautiful. Behind every such an outcome is the collective desire of residents. However, for people, and municipal residents in particular, to support a cause, leadership is the driving force. Ask any resident of Tabora about the greening of the municipal, the response is the same, "Regional Commissioner Aggrey Mwanri."

It is one of those responses one is delighted to hear. Aggrey Mwanri and I were both Members of Parliament 2000-2005, representing Hai and Rungwe East constituencies, respectively. Furthermore, both of us were front-benchers. He was then Deputy Minister for regional administration and local government when I was Minister responsible for communications and transport. As such it came as no surprise to me that he was the brain and the force behind 'green Tabora'.

As I sat down to pen my reflections on Tabora through this letter, I had to look for him. He was in Kilindi District that morning touring as the 'Cotton Ambassador'. I did not ask him what the 'ambassadorial' post was all about, since Tabora was my main reason for calling him. I am sure he excused me for the informal manner with which I greeted him, instead of, "Your Excellency Ambassador Mwanri!" The conversation was is exciting as it is informative. Learning is indeed a life-long vocation.

He tells me, "When one is appointed to a post of the kind of Regional Commissioner, a position which is neither permanent, nor pensionable, apart from your normal schedule of duties, which can overwhelm a person, you must choose a subject matter, an issue or two, you want concentrate on so that you can leave a legacy upon departure. My agenda number one was, the reduction of environmental degradation of Tabora Region." He says he realises he s talking to 'an environment guru', I guess this is in reference to my having been Minister of State responsible for environment at some stage in my political career. However, he says he needs to remind me about the serious nature of degradation of the environment wrought upon by tree felling for use in kilns used to dry tobacco. To emphasize the point he says he was amazed to find out that all tree species were candidates for felling for tobacco curing. This activity includes the use of such hard wood species as 'mninga' (Pterocarpus angolensis), which takes decades to mature.

To get the implementation of his agenda rolling at the very outset of his term as Regional Commissioner, he organised a regional workshop on the environment of Tabora Region, an event which was officiated by Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan who was then Vice President of Tanzania, and under whose purview the environment fell. The workshop was also attended by January Makamba, the then Minister of State responsible for the environment, and a variety of officials and stakeholders from across Tabora region. This is how he got the endorsement and encouragement of the top national leadership to proceed with the implementation of his vision for a 'green Tabora'.

Success of a programme of the nature that was envisaged required mass mobilisation, acceptance and participation. Public information and education were essential components of the implementation strategy. Getting institutional and corporate understanding, appreciation and support was also an important component of the strategy.

Mwanri says, "In order to implement the 'green Tabora' strategy, we set forth to assign tasks to be undertaken by various stakeholders. The Regional Commissioner had to prepare tree nurseries for 10,000 seedlings. District Commissioners had to establish nurseries for 5,000 seedlings and oversee the distribution and planting of the same. Likewise, each District Council was assigned to establish nurseries for 5,000 seedlings. These local councils included: Tabora Municipality, Sikonge, Urambo, Uyui, Nzega Township, Nzega District, Igunga and Kaliua. Every Divisional Officer had to establish nurseries for 1000 tree seedlings.  Ward secretaries had to oversee the planting of 500 seedlings. Every hamlet leadership was given the task of planting 50 seedlings. Importantly, every person resident in Tabora had to plant two seedlings, and every student had to plant one seedling. We encouraged students to look after the seedings and upon growth the tree would be labelled after his or her name. Tobacco buyers, whose business is associated with massive environmental degradation took up the challenge to establish nurseries in all districts. Defence and security organs of government including auxiliary forces, actively participated in the programme, as did religious institutions, parastatal organisations, corporate entities, non-governmental organisations, political parties, and other organisations. For a massive programme of this nature, by-laws had to be enacted by District Councils in order to guide its implementation."

The implementation of the programme had its own challenges,

especially in Tabora municipality. Some residents opposed the whole idea and did not want to participate. Gentle persuasion was undertaken. Where this failed, some coercion was undertaken, and in a few cases the law took its course. Bylaws were promulgated to ban rearing of livestock (cattle and goats). Livestock owners were given the option to relocate to Kipalapala 

"I want to make Tabora Municipality look like Toronto", declared Mwanri at the onset of the ' green Tabora' programme. When I was in Tabora I heard umpteen times, the town being referred to as 'Toronto'. As a matter of fact, one area of Tabora municipality is known as 'Toronto'.  "Why make reference to Toronto and not Kigali, Moshi, Montreal, or any other city?" I ask him. Here is his response, "When I was Deputy Minister for regional administration and local government, I had the opportunity to attend a short course on mass communication which was held in Montreal. I also had the occasion to visit Ernest Mwanri, a relative of mine who lived in Toronto. He asked me which areas of interest I would be interested to visit while in Toronto. I told him the environment was 'in my heart'. He took me around many areas of Toronto, and I was awed by the manner in which the environment was being looked after. My dream of a rich, friendly, and environmentally sustainable Tanzania was rekindled."

This is the story behind 'Green Tabora'. It is an example which warrants emulation by other municipalities.

TABORA SCHOOL

In my public service I submit that I have been a teacher by choice and a politician by accident. I taught at the University of Dar es Salaam where I was professor of electrical engineering, and elsewhere. It is my interest in education that made me request Walter Christopher, my host in Tabora, to make the necessary arrangements for me to visit Tabora Boys Secondary School (Tabora School), rather belatedly I must add.  I have been to Tabora many times in my career in public service, but I have not been to Tabora School, or indeed to any other education institution in Tabora. I also have a family responsibility to undertake. My wife has reminded me that Joshua Nicodem Mwaipasi, a nephew of mine, is a Form One student at Tabora School. Mwalimu Deogratias Mwambuzi, the Headmaster is gracious enough to oblige.

At the entrance of the driveway into the campus of the school, variously referred to as Tabora School or Tabora Boys, is a large external signage proclaiming the school to be 'the Head of Tanzania'. As I read it, I wonder how many 'heads' Tanzania has had. It reminds

me of the opening verse of my Malangali Secondary School anthem which began with the words, 'Malangali School, Kichwa cha Tanzania.....'. The campus is large in comparison to many recently established secondary schools, more so being in the centre of the municipality of Tabora. Mwalimu Deogratias informs us that a large chunk of the original campus was hived off by the Government and has been allocated to other institutions.

We are welcomed to his office where we receive a brief on the famous and historic Tabora School. This is after I confess that I did not pass through Tabora School, which somewhat surprises him. I explain that as I was completing my Standard VIII at Chunya Middle School, in the then Southern Highlands Province, Tabora School was not an option I could choose. The best students in the Southern Highlands (present day Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma, Rukwa and Katavi) were selected to go to Malangali Government Secondary School, which I joined in 1965. I imagine Tabora School was then reserved for best students in the western provinces of Tanzania. That being said, Tabora School has maintained the fame and the good performance of the days gone by.

In the good old days, most of us followed the goings on at Tabora School with interest. Lennox Josiah Nkisu Amulike Mwamasika, a paternal uncle of mine, studied at Tabora School from Standard IX to Standard XIV, before proceeding to read law at the University of Dar es Salaam. I remember the many stories he told us about Tabora School (Berlin) and Tabora Girls (Warsaw) as we vacationed together. I recall his very close friend was a classmate of him called Moses Iga Gamba Maira. Both would later become prominent public and private lawyers, respectively. Lennox used to call Moses Maira by the name of Bromion, presumably the character in the mythology of William Blake, a poet. Another friend of his was Salum Toziri (SalToz) from Ujiji, Kigoma who was a few years behind Lennox at Tabora

School. Their interest in Congolese music, lyrics and songs cemented their friendship.

Lennox used to teach us how to dance to Congolese rumba. We would sing lingala beats such as Rochereau's (Tabu Ley’s) Mokolo mosusu ngai nakanisi. Naloti lokola ngai nakolala, Ah mama ha, Mokolo na kokufa. Mokolo nakokufa nani akolela nga? Nakoyeba te oh, tika namilela. Liwa ya zamba soki mpe liwa ya mboka. Liwa ya mpasi soki mpe liwa ya mayi. Oh mama, mokolo nakokufa. Mokolo nakokufa.....

My presence at Tabora School reminds me of names of the many alumni of the school I knew or heard of as a primary, middle and secondary school student, and those I met later in life. They include, among others:  Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, first Prime Minister of Tanganyika and founder President of Tanzania; Rashidi Kawawa, Prime Minister and Vice President of Tanzania; George Kahama, Ambassador and Minister; Abdallah Saidi Fundikira,  first Minister of Water, Minister of Justice; Amon James Nsekela, Permanent Secretary, Ambassador, and Chairman of the National Bank of Commerce; Cleopa David Msuya, Permanent Secretary, Minister of Finance, Minister of Industries and Trade and Prime Minister and First Vice President; Joseph Warioba, Attorney General, Prime Minister and First Vice President; Kanyama Chiume, Malawi Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Aubrey Kachingwe, Malawian novelist and writer, author of No Easy Task, published by African Writers Series; Anthony Nyakyi, career diplomat and Ambassador; David Homeli Mwakyusa, professor of internal medicine, Minister of Health; Malise Kaisi Mwamatandala, consultant gynaecologist; Arthur Dallas Seme, consultant virologist and researcher; Alexander Donald Gwebe Nyirenda, the soldier who raised the national flag and the torch on Mt. Kilimanjaro on independence day; Mirisho Sam Hagai Sarakikya, Chief of Defence Forces;  Elisha Kavana, Deputy Army leader; Edwin Mtei, First Governor of the Bank of Tanzania; Paul Sozigwa, Director of TBC, and Press Secretary to Mwalimu Nyerere; Basil Pesambili Mramba, Regional Commissioner, Minister of Industries and Trade, and Minister of Finance; Harith Bakari Mwapachu, Director General Board of Internal Trade, Managing Director of Air Tanzania, Minister of Justice; Gamaliel Mgongo Fimbo, law professor; Harold Nsekela, law lecturer, Chief Counsel Tanzania Legal Corporation, Judge of the Appeal Court of Tanzania, President East African Court of Justice; George Kilindu, prominent lawyer; Caesar Manning; Gibbons Mwaipopo, lands surveyor; Martin Nikusubila Mwakalindile, Chief of Staff of Tanzania People's Defence Forces;  Grant Mwakatundu, lecturer, Commissioner for Agriculture; Joseph James Mungai, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Education; Gideon Kaunda, prominent transportation lawyer; Suleiman Mwakanyamale; Juma Mwapachu, Ambassador, Secretary General of the East African Community;  Ibrahim Lipumba, professor of economics; Juma Kapuya, professor of botany, Minister of Education; Tutindaga Mwasabwite telecommunications engineer; David Kapya, career diplomat; Kelly Ngwira; Francis X. Saidi, TANESCO engineer; Awadhi Sadiki Mawenya, professor of civil engineering; and Engineer George Ally (Hadji Ally).

At Chunya Middle School, Hadji Ally had left a record for outstanding academic performance. He went to Tabora School before I joined Chunya Native Authority Middle School. We all aspired to equal or surpass his record. From Tabora School he went on to the University College of Nairobi (a constituent college of the University of East Africa) where he graduated with honours in civil engineering. He has had a very successful career as a consulting engineer. As aspiring physicists and mathematicians, we followed with interest the performance of Awadhi Sadiki Mawenya, another outstanding Tabora School alumni who, after a stint in the private sector joined the academia and became the first Tanzanian Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam. I joined him later at the Faculty of Engineering where we both taught and later retired as professors.

Back to our conversation with Mwalimu Deogratias. There are two conflicting dates regarding the beginning of Tabora School, 1922 and 1925. According to his narration there were nine students at Tabora who had been registered under German tutelage. After what is referred to as the First World War and the defeat of Germany, the British colonial government decided to do away with the German education system, and the construction of Tabora School as we know it today began. Except for the building which housed the class, no records exist about the nine students of the class of 1922. The construction of Tabora School began in 1922 and the foundation stone was laid by the colonial governor Donald Cameron in April 1923. Construction of the main building was completed in 1929. The plaque signifying the occasion is still engraved to the foundation stone. The first students were enrolled in 1925, which is the official date of the beginning of Tabora School. The formal opening of Tabora School was officiated by Acting Governor John Scott on 26 February 1925. Mwalimu Deogratias was kind enough to avail to me the list of that pioneer class and the dates of their enrolment, as follows:

The headmaster's office, staff rooms and all the classrooms are in the 'new', recently constructed buildings. The main block and the quadrangle of this 'new' wing of Tabora School, the senior school, was opened in 1942. He tells us that was the year Mwalimu Nyerere completed his studies at Tabora School. The school has done a lot to preserve its own history, which is in a sense part of the history of Tanzania itself, and the history of the nation. Before we leave his office, my attention is drawn to the chronological list of the Headmasters of Tabora School since its inception in 1925. They include the following: A. Travers Lacey (1925-1929); C. Whybrow (1929-1930); C.J. Tyndale Biscoe (1930-1931); P. E. Williams (1931-1935); J.A.C. Blumer (1935-1936); P.E. Williams (1936-1939); E.S. Williams (1939- 1942); J.A.C. Blumer (1943); E.S. Williams (1943-1945); C. Whybrow (1945); M. Cooke (1945); W.R. Clarke (1945-1946); J.A.C. Blumer (1947-1950); R.S.D. Williams (1950); John Reginald Crabbe (1951-1953); Leslie Partner (1953); John Reginald Crabbe (1953-1956); Leslie Partner (1956); John Reginald Crabbe (1956-1962); Leslie Partner (1963-1965); After Leslie Partner, Tanzanians took over the leadership of the school. Reuben Seme, an alumni of Tabora School, then newly arrived, and a Master of Science in chemistry graduate from Cambridge University, was the first national to take over as Headmaster of Tabora School (1965-1967); A.R. Murasi (1968); R.A. Mandara (1968-1970); L.K. Msaki (1971-1977); A.S. Ndeki (1978-1991); M.L.S. Katendele (1991-1994); N. Wajimila (1995-1996); A. Mrisho (1996- 2007); J.N.S. Bitwale (2007-2009); D.M. Abdallah (2009-2015); R. Marwa (2015-2018); and Deogratias Mwambuzi (2018-to date). Between 1951 and 1965 the headmastership of Tabora School alternated between two teachers, John Reginald Crabbe and Leslie Partner.

Mwalimu Deogratias then takes us to a museum of history, the history of the independence of Tanganyika, and Tanzania. As stated earlier on, one cannot separate the history of the school and that of the country. Mwalimu Nyerere went to Tabora School in 1937 and completed his studies there in 1942. Many early leaders of this country went through Tabora School. I am reminded that 6 of the first 8 Ministers of the first Cabinet of Tanganyika which was led by Prime Minister Julius Nyerere passed through Tabora School. These were Rashidi Kawawa, Tewa Said Tewa, Abdallah Saidi Fundikira, Amri Abedi, George Kahama and Julius Kambarage Nyerere himself. It was 

a privilege for me to be a colleague of George Kahama when we were both Ministers in the Cabinet, under President Mkapa and briefly under Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. I am also lucky to have been a colleague of Mzee Abdallah Saidi Fundikira. We were both Members of Parliament in 2005. Incidentally, Chief Abdallah Saidi Fundikira was the first Minister of Water in post-independence Tanganyika, a post I would inherit much later in 2008.

Many of the post-independence professionals passed through Tabora School (and Malangali School of course). From Tabora School, those

who excelled went Makerere College in Uganda which was then a constituent college of the University of London. I remember the days when Makerere College students hailing from Rungwe District, while on leave, would be asked by Nyakyusa elders, "Linga umalile ku Makerere po kwisa ku Mpuguso?" Literally translated it meant, "After Makerere College, we assume you will be joining Mpuguso to complete your education." Mpuguso was then the one and only middle school in Rungwe. It was by our standards then, The School. The museum of contemporary history at Tabora school is something that needs to be replicated across the country before our history gets wiped out and or is written from the perspective of outsiders.

Mwalimu Deogratias goes on to open a book on whose cover the following words are printed in bold letters: TABORA SCHOOL FIRST ADMISSION BOOK. He informs me they have kept the records of admission and enrolment of all students who passed through the school from the first day in 1925 to date. That is remarkable indeed. I ask him to show me the registration and other details of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. He opens the relevant page and reads the details: Date of Registration, 9th March 1937; Registration Number, 590; Name, Kambarage, Father's Name, Nyerere; Father's status, Mtemi; Place of origin, Musoma; Tribe, Mzanaki; Date of completion: December 1942; Remarks; passed into Makerere. These are interesting details. I am curious to find out about his peers, those who were enrolled the same day. On that page I notice two names of interest: Amri Abedi, from Ujiji, Registration Number 593; and Maswanya Ali, from Tabora, Registration Number 597. Little did these two, and Kambarage Nyerere know that they would later be joined together in the struggle for the independence of Tanganyika and 24 years later they would be Ministers in the first Cabinet after independence.

I was also interested to find out about the origins and societal status of the students who were enrolled on the same day as Mwalimu. Their fathers' occupations ranged from: chief, sultan, mtemi, clerk of mtemi, farmer, mwanangwa, drum major 1st battalion King's African Rifles, carpenter, cultivator, train driver, headman, fisherman, and native authority school teacher. I go to back to the first pages of the register at the batch of the students enrolled in 1925 and take note of the occupation of the students' fathers. Again, they range from sultan, chief, akida, to mwanangwa. As one browses through the 1000+ entries of the first registration book of Tabora School, clearly, the school then was meant for students from families of chiefs and their assistants and other highly placed Africans, an indication that the founders of Tabora School had in mind to train students who would later in life assume leadership in what was referred to as 'native administration'. Originally Tabora School was supposed to educate sons, heirs of chiefs and the then aristocracy, modelled along the English Public School system.

I spent more time going through the Tabora School Admissions Book of the first 1000+ alumni. I found names of people I had heard about or learnt about in school. As I perused the book, the following names of the early Tabora School alumni came to my notice:

Eli Francis Mwaisela, Registration Number (Reg. No.) 458 of 28th February 1935, from Tukuyu, Rungwe. The entry at the end of his particulars shows that from Tabora he went to Makerere. Dr Mwaisela was one of the first indigenous doctors. Mwaisela Ward at Muhimbili National Hospital is named after him;

Humbi Ziota, Reg. No. 483 of 27th April 1935. Chief Humbi Ziota, a senior chief from Usongo Nzega, was a member of the Committee of Enquiry into the future of Serengeti and Ngorongoro. He later became Assistant Minister for natural resources;

Amri Dodo, Reg. No. 420 of 10th May 1934.  Amri Beo Dodo was Chief of the Gorowa in Babati. In the 1961 general elections, Amri Dodo as a TANU candidate was roundly defeated by Herman Elias Sarwatt, an independent candidate;

Kaisi Mwamatandala, Reg. No. 388 of 4th October 1933, from Rungwe. After Tabora School Kaisi Mwamatandala went to Makerere College. Upon graduation he became a teacher and a distinguished educationist. He once taught at Tabora School too, and Grant Mwakatundu, his future in-law., was one of his students. He was the father of Dr Malise Kaisi Mwamatandala, an alumni of Tabora School;

Stephano Mhando, Reg. No. 417 of 7th January 1934. Stephen Mhando graduated from Makerere College in 1939. After attaining a diploma in education, he taught at various schools. He was involved in the Tanganyika decolonisation struggle. He once served as Minister of State for foreign affairs;

Keara Mwambenja, Reg. No.519 of 16th February 1936, from Rungwe. The entry on record states that Keara Samson Mwambenja's father was Chief Mwangoka's deputy at Katumba, Tukuyu. He joined Makerere College in 1938. Upon graduation he joined the civil service, becoming a senior information officer with the Tanganyika Information Services at independence;

Anosisye Mwaipyana, Reg. No. 520 of 16th February 1936, from Rungwe. Anosisye Paddy Mwaipyana entered Makerere College in 1938. He graduated with a diploma in education and went on to teach at Old Moshi secondary school and later on Malangali secondary school, my alma mater. After independence Mwalimu Anosisye Paddy Mwaipyana became a senior officer in the Office of the President;

Eliah Mwamafupa, Reg. No. 617 of 6th March 1938, from Rungwe. He entered Makerere College in 1940 and graduated with a diploma in education. At independence Mwalimu Mwamafupa became one of the senior education officers;

Adam Sapi, Reg. No. 621 of 8th March 1938. According to the Headmaster's note, Adam Sapi Mkwawa, son of Chief Sapi Mkwawa, passed into Makerere 1940. However, he returned to succeed his father who had been deposed;

Aaron Mwakang'ata, Reg. No. 620 of 6th March 1938, from Rungwe. Upon completion of his studies at Tabora School, Aaron Mwakang'ata joined the colonial service as a clerk to information office in Dares Salaam. After independence he was one of the first people to be appointed Regional Commissioner;

Warte Lazaro, Reg. No. 619 of 6th March 1938, from Rungwe. After Tabora School, Warte Lazaro passed to Makerere College in 1940, where he studied medicine. At independence Dr Warte Barte Lazaro Mwanjisi was one of a handful of African doctors and a senior medical officer. Dr Mwanjisi was father to Captain Tony Lazaro, Jane and Cosmus. Siblings of Dr Mwanjisi include Roland Mwanjisi, Frank Mwanjisi and Elifasi Mwanjisi. They all went to Tabora School and graduated from Makerere. Roland Mwanjisi was once publicity secretary of TANU, and Assistant Minister for Home Affairs. Frank Mwanjisi became Permanent Secretary for Labour, and Elifasi Mwanjisi was one of the early departmental directors at the Bank of Tanzania. Another sibling, Victoria Sekelaga Mwanjisi went to Makerere too and later became headmistress of Tabora Girls School; Their father Mzee Lazaro Mwanjisi was, in 1929, the first African to teach at Rungwe Central School.

George Moses Lufumbi Mwaipopo, Reg. No. 656 of 8th March 1938, from Rungwe. George Mwaipopo passed to Makerere College in 1940. Upon graduation Mwalimu George Mwaipopo taught at Tabora School and other secondary schools. At independence he was one of senior education officers;

Austin Shaba, Reg. No. 675 of 8th March 1939. The headmaster noted that his father was a clerk in the colonial administration stationed at Sumbawanga. The headmaster further noted that he was not sure whether Austin Shaba was a Mnyasa or Mngoni. Shaba joined Mwalimu Nyerere in the decolonisation struggle and became a Minister soon after independence; and

Kumalija Chagula, Reg. No. 685 of 8th March 1939. Wilbert Kumalija Chagula joined Makerere College in 1945 and graduated in medicine and surgery. Dr Wilbert Chagula practiced for a few years at Sewa Haji Hospital in Dar es Salaam before returning to Makerere as a lecturer. Soon after independence Dr Chagula became Vice Principal and Registrar and later Principal of the University College, Dar es Salaam, a constituent college of the University of East Africa. Dr Chagula was later appointed Minister for Water Development and Power and later on Minister for Economic Affairs and Development Planning, Minister for Water, Minerals and Energy, and Minister for Finance and Administration for the East African Community. He was Tanzania's first Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and later on Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

As I go on perusing the Admissions Book, I am intrigued by one entry, Registration Number 879 of 2nd February 1943 in the name of James D. Rubadiri. His guardian's name was Barnabas Rubadiri, who was working as a clerk with the colonial administration at Sumbawanga. I am not sure if this entry belongs to James David Rubadiri, a distinguished Malawian writer, poet, academic and diplomat. Prof. Rubadiri taught at Makerere, the University of Nairobi, the University of Botswana, and at the University of Malawi.

The Museum at Tabora School is home to boards listing house prefects from the 1950s. Reading the House Prefects boards is like going through a list of who is who in the leadership of post-independence Tanganyika and Tanzania. I can only mention here the few names of house prefects that I knew or came to know later:  RUHINDA (formely SCOTT): Charles Kileo (1967), Anthony Msinjili (1969);  KIMWERI (formerly CAMERON): Juma Kapuya (1967), Adelhem Mponguliana (1967);  MIRAMBO (formerly WILLIAMS): George Mwanukuzi (1948), Abdulrahman Msangi (1949), Harun Sembuche (1952), Tuntemeke Sanga (1952), Isael Elinewinga (1953), Athumani Magoma (1955), Clement Luhanga (1956), Sam Hagai (Sarakikya) (1957), Christopher (Kasanga) Tumbo  (1957), Hussein Lugusha (1959), Arnold Kilewo (1959), Godfrey Mang'enya (1960/1961/1962) John Kiwia (1961/1962), Daudi Mwakawago (1961/1962), Samuel Sitta (1963) Grant Mwakatundu (1963),  Gibbons Mwaipopo (1964), Hamisi Msumi (1964), Charles Mwakasege (1964), Leonard Tarimu (1965), Dick Kasesela (1965);  SINA (formerly BISCOE}: Reuben Seme (1951), Albert Chagula (1951), Edwin Mtei (1952), Philemon Mgaya (1954), Alfred Mdachi (1954), Elifasi Mwanjisi (1957), Joseph Butiku (1958), Godwin Mwazembe (1958), Juma Lweno (1953), Hadji Ally (1964), Augustine Ramadhani (1965), Charles Mwandambo (1965), Abubakar Mgumia (1966); and MWANGA (Formerly SCOTT): Aubrey Kachingwe (1950), Saidi Washokera (1956), Lucas Nyalali (1956), Hashim Mbita (1957), Emmanuel Kaganda (1957), Martin Mkono (1959), Joseph Warioba (1962), Onesphoro Chawe (1962), Meshack Maganga (1963), Gamaliel Fimbo (1964), Johnson Mwambungu (1964), James Kateka (1964), and Francis X. Saidi (1966).

From the museum of the history of TANU, Mwalimu Deogratias takes me through a tour of the rest of the school. We start with classrooms and other facilities in the 'new' block. We then proceed to the 'old' wing, the original school which has now been converted into dormitories.

The imposing 100 years old building has recently been refurbished through the Government project to rehabilitate old, historic schools. He shows me where Mwalimu Nyerere’s classroom was when he came to Tabora in 1937, and his first dormitory, WILLIAMS, now MIRAMBO just above the classroom.

He then takes me to the first classrooms that were built during the German colonial times and which before 1922 had been used by the nine students whose records are not available, and which gave way to the founding of Tabora School.

There is also a more 'modern' dormitory nearby which Mwalimu Deogratias insists I must see. He explains, "This is SINA, the dormitory where Harrison Mwakyembe used to live during his student days here before he moved to St Mary's Secondary School for his advanced level studies."

As we walk back to the car park, I tell the headmaster how I am impressed by the pleasant environment of the school, and in particular the beauty of tree cover. I also stop to read the messages written by students and posted on the boards hanging on the trees. They include the following, paraphrasing Edison Arantes do Nascimentos (Pelé) famous quote, "Success is not an accident. It is hard work, studying and love of what you are doing", and another famous quote, by Mahatma Gandhi, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever".

Tabora School has lived up to the expectations. For, and as Mwalimu Deogratias responds to my question concerning the performance of the school over the last two years as follows, "In 2022, of the 100 students who sat for the Form Four final national examinations, 97 got Division One and 3 got Division Two. The same performance was repeated in 2023. Of the 118 students who sat for the examination, 115 got Division One and 3 got Division 2. As for the Form Six performance, 155 students who sat for the national examinations in 2022, only one student got Division 2, while 154 students got Division One. And in 2023, all 109 students who sat for the Form Six national examination got Division One." Well, that is nothing short of remarkable. I congratulate Mwalimu Deogratias Mwemezi, and the teachers and request them to keep up the excellent performance of the school where Mwalimu Nyerere studied. There could be no better way to honour him.

"What is this lorry doing in front of the 'new' Tabora school edifice?" I ask Mwalimu Deogratias. "The lorry number STG 4430 is part of the recent history of Tabora School. Take a picture of the lorry. Recent alumni of the school should be able to associate themselves with this lorry."

As for past teachers and the alumni, he says they have contributed to the development of the school in many, many ways, and he goes on to thank them all. However, he makes special mention of Hon. Joseph Sinde Warioba, former First Vice President and Prime Minister, and David Kapya, a retired career diplomat. Planning has begun for the centenary celebrations of Tabora School due to take place in February 2025.

My parting question is, "Where is 'Warsaw'?" Mwalimu Deogratias Mwambuzi smiles. His answer is brief and matter-of-fact. "Just across the road, on the other side of the road".

Throughout the visit, Headmaster Mwambuzi has been accompanied by Mwalimu Kiapo Nathaniel Myeji. I thank them most profoundly for hosting me.  I tell them how impressed I have been by what I have seen, what I have heard and what I have learnt. I had planned to spend an hour and ended spending for 4 hours. It has been time well spent.

TABORA AND THE DECOLONISATION STRUGGLE

A famous African adage says, "If you do not know where you are going, you should at least remember where you have come from". As a country, I am sure we know where we are going. For that matter the leadership is crafting Tanzania Development Vision 2050. I happened to be in the team which prepared the draft of the National Development Vision 2025. We had envisaged Tanzania would be a mid-middle level income country by 2025 with a per-capita income of 3000 US$ by 2025. We are now at the low-middle income spot. We need to catch up and advance towards the top rung of the middle-income ladder.

My visit to Tabora School, and the tour of the Museum of the History of TANU in particular, rekindled my interest in the history of the decolonisation of our country. In this context, Tabora holds a special place. However, Tabora is more like an unsung hero. While at Tabora, therefore, I set out to find out someone who knew about the role that Tabora played in the independence struggle. John Mchele, a longtime friend suggests I visit headquarters of the Province of Tabora of the Roman Catholic Church. As Walter Christopher arranges for my visit there, he is advised I have to meet with His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka. For, he is the fountain of knowledge about the history of religion and politics in Tanzania and in particular that of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Tanzania. I am accompanied by Eng. Walter. Present in my conversation with His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka is Father Deogratias Mwageni, Headmaster of St Mary's (Mihayo) Secondary School.

Who is His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Paul Ruzoka? He was born on 10th November 1948 at Nyakanyezi in Kakonko, Kigoma. He did his primary school there and at Ujiji Seminary before joining Itaga Junior Secondary School, Tabora.

He later joined the Ntungamo Seminary in Bukoba and Kipalapala Senior Seminary. He was ordained as priest in July 1975. After a short stint as a parish priest at Kibondo, in 1976 he was transferred to St Charles Borromeo Seminary Itaga, his former school, as a teacher. He later became Rector of Itaga Seminary before being appointed Bishop of Kigoma in December 1989, where he served for 16 years. On 25 November 2006 he was appointed Archbishop of Tabora. He served the Archdiocese of Tabora until his retirement on 10 November 2023.

We are here because this is the place where Mwalimu Nyerere taught after graduating from Makerere College. Many of us think the former St Mary's, now Mirambo Secondary School is the where Mwalimu Nyerere taught. "Not so", says His Grace Ruzoka.

He goes on to set the record straight as follows, "The present St Mary's (Mihayo) Secondary School is the school where Mwalimu taught Biology and English after graduating from Makerere College. The early 1960s saw the need by the Province of Tabora to expand secondary education. This led to the construction of a new and larger St Mary Secondary School elsewhere in Tabora town. It was later nationalised and renamed Mirambo Secondary School. Mwalimu Nyerere's school, its predecessor, became St Mary's Primary School. The primary school was later to be upgraded to a secondary school again, St Mary's (Mihayo) Secondary School, in honour of His Grace Archbishop Mihayo." I ask who His Grace Archbishop Mihayo was. His Grace Ruzoka informs us Mark Mihayo was ordained as a priest in August 1940. Rev. Mihayo became the first African Bishop for the Archdiocese of Tabora on 28 September 1960. He thus became the first African Archbishop in Eastern and Central Africa. He retired in March 1985, becaming Archbishop Emeritus of Tabora. His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Mark Mihayo died in March 1995.

Father Deogratias Mwageni accompanied by Frt (Fratelli, Brother) Felix Lazaro leads us as we go to St Mary's (Mihayo) Secondary School, a five minutes’ walk from the Archbishop's House. Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka insists he must come with us. From there we proceed to the building where Mwalimu Nyerere resided, a mere five minutes’ walk from the school. It is a two-in-one bungalow with an external wall separating the two units. One unit was Mwalimu's, and in the other lived Andrew Tibandebage, Mwalimu's colleague, fellow teacher and friend. According to the Directory of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tabora Mwalimu Nyerere was at St Mary's from 1946 to 1949. 

Andrew Tibandebage taught at St Mary's School from 1945 to 1954.  After independence Mwalimu appointed Andrew Tibandebage, Ambassador. He was to represent Tanganyika, and later Tanzania, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Germany, Congo Kinshasa, France and Burundi. Ambassador Tibandebage has also served as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Tourism. The building where Mwalimu Nyerere and Andrew T8bandebage resided is still in good condition, and Mwalimu Nyerere's unit is now the office of the local parish (parokia).

His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka later leads us to another place of historic importance. No one knows what the fate of Tanganyika (and therefore Tanzania) would have been if the TANU Annual Delegates Conference which took place at the venue we were to visit, would not have taken place, or if the conference would have rejected Mwalimu's proposal. We are about to witness history. His Grace Ruzoka takes us to the hall where the decision by TANU to participate in the election that the colonial government had decided to hold on the basis of one-man-three votes was taken.

It had been decided by the colonial government that each of the constituency for the Legislative Council was to be represented by three candidates on a racial basis by a European, an Asian and an African. Each eligible voter, therefore, was required to cast three votes (tripartite voting). Secondly, the bar for who could qualify to be an eligible candidate, and an eligible voter, was very high. To qualify, a voter had to earn a minimum of 400 United Kingdom pounds per annum, to have attained level of education of Standard XII, and had to be employed. The idea was that TANU would find it difficult to field suitable candidates, and would not have sufficient votes to win the election which was being planned. The colonial government was also banking on the possibility that the decision to participate in the election or not would be split TANU and render it a spent force. Therefore, the decision that was going to take place during the TANU Annual Delegates Conference of 21-25 January 1958 at the venue we were visiting, was going to be momentous.

His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka explains that while Mwalimu Nyerere supported the idea that TANU had to participate in the elections he appreciated that the conference would not be easy at all. Radicals in the Party who included Sheikh Suleiman Takadir, Chairman of the TANU Elders Council, and Zuberi Mtemvu, TANU Publicity Secretary, Bhoke Munanka, Jumanne Abdallah and others, had vowed to oppose the motion. His secret meetings in Tanga prior to the Tabora Annual Delegates Conference, and his decision to temporarily vacate the chair in favour of Mwalimu Kihere from Tanga so that he could participate in the debate from the floor as an ordinary delegate, to a large extent helped the meeting come to an agreement.  This was after an acrimonious debate. In her book, The Making of Tanganyika, Judith Listowel has recorded a conversation with Elias Kisenge, who, during the Tabora Conference, was the Organising Secretary -General of TANU. Kisenge recalled Nyerere’s remarks which swayed the conference in favour of his stand. Nyerere told the delegates: “Imagine you have a shamba and that in front of it there is a pond, with a [ot of mud around it. If you want to harvest your crops and carry them out of the shamba you must step intob the mud and dirty your feet. What would you prefer? To lose your crops and keep your feet clean? Or to harvest your crops and dirty your feet? Now think about what we want. We want that house in which Twining is now living. In order to get it, we must dirty our feet by walking through the mud of an unfair election. What would you do? Keep your feet clean and not get the Twining house or dirty your feet and get the Twining house?....”

In Tanga he had secretly met with Abdallah Saidi Sembe, Hamisi Heri, Mwalimu Kihere and others. Zuberi Mtemvu resigned from TANU and formed another party, Tanganyika African National Congress (ANC). TANU was later to participate in the elections and win resoundingly.

Apart from the list of participants and a few other posters hanging on the wall, nothing does indicate that an important decision which shaped the struggle for the independence of the country, took place in this rather modest hall. As I explore the hall, my attention is drawn to a framed poster which lists the attendance of delegates to the historic conference. For posterity, I have included this list as an Annex to this letter. I also take solace in the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is looking after the building which has been and continues to be used as a student centre. Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka further explains that the momentous decision to participate in the election was announced to TANU members and the African population at large, at a meeting at the market at the centre of Tabora. Many people, therefore, think the decision itself was taken at the venue of that meeting. A monument stands at the market to commemorate that notable event. Archbishop Ruzoka is kind enough to escort us to the monument. The monument is imposing. However, more could be done to keep the area better preserved. It is not easy to reach as it is almost surrounded by many small shops we call 'frames'.

It is well worth to noting that besides 'tripartite voting' which was an historic decision, and a turning point in the history of Tanganyika, and Africa for that matter, education for the Africans was also at the centre stage of discussions and decisions taken at the Conference. These included the decision to construct Middle Schools to be run by the Party. Another historic also decision that was taken at the Conference, to establish a college modelled on Fircroft College, Birmingham, or Ruskin College, Oxford, and to set up the Tanganyika Education Trust to implement the decision. Kivukoni College (now Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy) was the product of the Tabora TANU Annual Delegates Conference. I was privileged to serve as Chairman of the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy Governing Board in 2021.

THE 'TEMBE': TABORA AND THE SLAVE TRADE PAST

No one likes to be reminded of slave trade that affected the African for centuries. However, it did happen, and somewhat shaped the course of events that culminated into colonialism, imperialism, the struggle for independence, multilateralism and the situation obtaining now. Africans and Afro-centic societies the world over must take a vow, "Never Again". For that to happen, and as we brace for a difficult and competitive future, a glance at the rear mirror in order to appreciate what happened and why, who was responsible and why, should prepare us face the future. This is the context within which I place my visit to the 'Tembe' at Kwihara, Itetemia, in Tabora. The 'Tembe' is over 150 years old. It still exists and is in a relatively good state, much as the area could be better looked after.

After a tour of the Tabora water supply and storage facilities, I ask Engineer (Eng.) Mayunga Kashilimu, Managing Director of the Tabora Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (TUWASA) if I can visit the 'Tembe'. I have heard about the place during my useful and productive encounter with Archbishop Emeritus Ruzoka the previous day. Eng. Mayunga obliges. He has visited the place before and spoke highly of Mzee Kaloka who was the keeper and narrator of the history of the 'Tembe'. For the trip to the place, I am accompanied by Engineer Ngosi Mwihava, member of the board of directors of EWURA, and chairperson of its water committee. Ngosi Mwihava was a mechanical engineering student at the Faculty of Engineering and I I taught him Control Theory ME341. We later met in 1986 when he joined me at the department of energy in the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals. He rose in the civil service ranks until he retired as Deputy Permanent Secretary. Our paths crossed again when we were appointed to the Board of EWURA. We have been in Tabora for the inauguration of the EWURA Western Zone offices.

Upon our arrival at the 'Tembe', Eng. Mayunga asks some residents of the area if they can locate Mzee Kaloka for us. They look at us curiously as if to say, "Don't you know?"  One of the then says, "Mzee Kaloka is no more. He passed on a month ago." He continues, "Don't worry, there is someone else who can help. He knows the place well enough to be of use to you. He lives in the neighbourhood. Let us call him."

Shehe Abdallah does indeed live up to our expectation. He narrates the story of the 'Tembe' as if he was there during its construction and later utilisation. He told us the place was built by Said Salim Mohamed, an Arab slave trader. The locals nicknamed him 'Muyombazelele', the one who talks too much. It was built as a collection point for slaves from Congo, Kigoma, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Lake Victoria area and Ufipa.

At any one time there could be 200 slaves arriving and a leaving for Bagamoyo at the coast, and later to the main slave market at Mkunazini, Zanzibar. He further explains that at the height of the slave abolition movement in Europe and specifically in United Kingdom (UK), Dr David Livingstone was sent to Eastern Africa by some missionary society to prepare for the 'evangelisation' of the African society and to advance the cause of abolition of the slave trade.  According to Shehe, when Livingstone arrived in Zanzibar, during his short stay there, he managed to secure the freedom of some slaves. From these freed slaves, he got to know the geography of the slave routes to the interior of the continent. Accompanied by some of them, he was able to sail to Bagamoyo, and later to trek the interior until he reached present day Tabora.

At Tabora, according to Shehe, Livingstone met with slave trader Said Salim Mohamed who invited Livingstone to stay with him at his place, the 'Tembe'. Livingstone accepted the invitation. During his brief stay there, one day Said Salim Mohamed made an overture to Livingstone, inviting Livingstone to join him in the lucrative slave trade. A major disagreement erupted between them, with Livingstone strongly advising Said Salim to stop involvement in slave trade. After that 'altercation', Said Salim is understood to have left Kwihara for Ufipa to continue with David and John his 'business'. David Livingstone later left for Ujiji in the trail of the slave trade route.

As all this was going on, those who had sent David Livingstone on a mission had lost contacts with him and were concerned about his whereabouts and his health. A team comprising of Henry Morton Stanley and John William Shaw was sent to East Africa to search for Livingstone. On reaching Zanzibar, they were told that Livingstone had left for the interior and was believed to be in Unyanyembe, the Kingdom of Unyanyembe. They then left Zanzibar for Bagamoyo and trailed along the slave route to Itetemia. Upon arrival they were told David Livingstone had already left for Ujiji. They stayed at the 'Tembe' briefly before proceeding westwards. During their journey to Ujiji, John William Shaw was struck with dysentery and fever, a condition believed to have been malaria. They agreed that Henry could procced as John slowly found his way back to Itetemia, to the 'Tembe' to recuperate, and wait for David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley. He indeed did arrive at the 'Tembe' but the pain he suffered must have been too much for him. Using his shotgun, he shot himself. The sound of the gun must have alerted the villagers who came immediately, only to find that John had taken his life, and proceeded to bury him. John William Shaw's grave is in the ‘Tembe' general area, along the slave route from Ujiji.

Shehe later showed us the inside of the 'Tembe'; the exhibition of letters written by David Livingstone, the place where he lived, Saidi Salim Mohamed's living area, the place where John William Shaw shot himself, and copies of various articles in UK and US newspapers about Livingstone and Stanley. We also shown the room where the crowded slaves spent their nights, the various metals used to shackle together the slaves, instruments of punishment and torture, guard rooms, the walled yard where slaves spent their daylight hours, paintings of slave columns, and paintings of King Mirambo and his soldiers, the Rugaruga. One needs to see all these by himself or herself. According to Shehe, Said Salim and other slave traders preferred to use Sudanese or Nubians as armed guards.

At the end of the visit, one leaves the 'Tembe' with mixed feelings. In the Tembe there are large portraits of slaves carrying huge ivory tusks and other trophies chained together, travelling, or rather walking on foot from the interior to the coast, to Bagamoyo. Alongside them are turbaned Arab slave owners armed with whips and guns. The horrors they suffered on the way must have been immense. For some, the place is shrine to be kept to attract tourists. It does, perhaps, make economic sense for Tabora. For others, me included, it is a place woth preserving for Tanzanians and Africans to visit in order to reflect and ponder, why did it happen? what lessons do we learn, what do we mean by 'never again'? Isn't there 'modern' slavery? What form does it take? Doesn't poverty ultimately manifest itself in 'modern' slavery? Why is it that West African slave trade has been more studied and researched into compared with the equally abhorrent Eastern African slavery? What ever happened to the slaves who were taken to the Middle East? What happened to their descendants? Has any Arabian Peninsula nation taken responsibility, or atoned for the wrongs wrought upon Eastern Africa by the slave trade? 

Shehe explaining the Slave Route 

As I come to the end of my letter from Tabora I am mindful of the fact that I have not yet touched upon a very common saying, Mzigo Mzito Mpe Myamwezi (If the load is heavy, give it to a Nyamwezi). I have asked some friends from Tabora as to the origin of this saying. I am informed it must have been associated with the slave trade era. Arab slave traders such as Tippu Tip (Hamad ibn Muhammad ibn Jum’ah ibn Rajab ibn Muhammad ibn Said al Murjebi), Muyombazelele (Salim Ahmed Mohamed), and others, would use the Nyamwezi slaves, because of their physique to carry heavy ivory tusks from the hinterland to Bagamoyo and Zanzibar. Over the years people from the mainland have migrated from the Mainland to Zanzibar, and vice versa, and the saying ‘Mzigo mzito mpe Mnyamwezi’ is colloquially used to refer to any person who is called upon to perform some heavy task. I would like to believe it is not the arduousness of the task to be performed, or the heaviness of the load to be carried that the saying refers to, but the diligence and honesty that we associate with the Nyamwezi.

Mark J. Mwandosya

Lufilyo, Busokelo

August 2024

Acknowledgement

A letter of this length could not have been written without the assistance I have received from numerous individuals. I have quoted many of them in the body of the letter, However, I take the liberty of recognising them again here, as I add those who do not appear in the letter, but were kind enough to respond to my inquisitiveness. They include the following: His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Paull Ruzoka, Eng. Walter Christopher, Mwalimu Deogratias Mwambuzi, Mwalimu Kiapo Nathaniel Myeji, Father Deogratias Mwageni, Father Nicholaus Bulabuza, Frt. Felix Lazaro,  Dick Lucas Mlimuka, Eng. Mayunga Kashilimu, Emmanuel Mwandosya, Dr Grant Mwakatundu, Prof. David Homeli Mwakyusa, Capt. Tony Lazaro, David Joseph Kapya, Christine Kilindu, Cecilia Mlenga, John Mchele, Col. (Rtd) Joseph Simbakalia, Tusekile Mwandosya, Najibah Batenga, Victoria Elangwa, Ngosi Mwihava, Haruna Masebu, Upendo Kavishe, Shabani Komba, and Musa Hamisi Lusalago.

ANNEX: List of Participants to the historic TANU Annual Conference held at Tabora in 1958

List of Delegates to the 1958 TANU General Conference held at Tabora. 

(MAJINA YA WAJUMBE WALIOHUDHURIA MKUTANO MKUU WA TANU WA MWAKA 1958 KATIKA UKUMBI WA PAROKIA YA KANISA KUU LA KATOLIKI TABORA)

Provincial Chairpersons (Wenyeviti wa Majimbo)