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By Bobby J. Moroe
On December 9, 2021, Tanzania mainland, then Tanganyika, marked 60 years of independence from British colonial rule. In 1962, a new constitution was written and the Republic of Tanganyika was formed, with Mwalimu Julius Nyerere as its first President. The United Republic of Tanzania was formed on April 26, 1964, as a result of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Following this union, Mwalimu Nyerere remained as President of the new nation. In her address to the East African nation’s 60th Independence anniversary, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania urged Tanzanians to continue protecting the country by nurturing prevailing peace, solidarity and harmony. She emphasized that, over the 60 years of independence, Tanzania has succeeded in protecting its independence.
Many African countries, especially in the SADC region, remember Mwalimu Nyerere as a central figure in the pan-African drive for independence, and Tanzania’s involvement in supporting liberation movements across the continent owes much to his leadership. He strongly believed that Tanzania had a responsibility to actively assist other African countries under colonial rule to achieve freedom from foreign and minority rule, and focused the country’s attention on this issue as a major element of his government’s foreign policy.
It is well documented that the support Tanzania offered to “liberation movements in the continent and South Africa in particular went well beyond rhetoric encouraging African unity and solidarity.” The nation of Mwalimu was in the forefront as a base for those fighting for liberation, “hosting the forces of many movements.” It is no surprise that almost all the African liberation movements, within and outside SADC, had bases in Tanzania. “These movements benefitted from the safety and stability of the country, as well as the experience and guidance they received from those who had already achieved independence. The country also welcomed and housed large numbers of refugees from struggles across Southern Africa, providing an escape for those endangered by war or colonial oppression.”
Without any shadow of doubt, South Africa remained one of the notable beneficiaries of the generosity and support provided by the people and government of Tanzania during the struggle for liberation. As the nation celebrates its 60th anniversary of freedom, the people and the government of South Africa, joined in these festivities to express gratitude for the years of support during the apartheid regime. To this day, Tanzania remains synonymous with the struggle for freedom and liberation in South Africa.
As a young boy, growing up in the dusty streets of Soweto, Moletsane, I recall vividly how so many of my peers and older ones joined the struggle for liberation. Everyone in the community respected them for their bravery to face the brutal and heartless police forces – they were only armed with stones and homemade petrol bombs. The nomenclature used to describe them was “klip-goiers” or “stone throwers.” These were our heroes with whom we united in solidarity for a common purpose of bringing an end to white minority rule – consistent with what Mwalimu Nyerere advocated. The agitation against the government of P.W. Botha was so strong that other countries in the west had no choice but to wage sanctions against apartheid South Africa.
However, the lives of these heroes were always in danger. The security forces hunted them down – day and night – moving from one house to another. While some of them disappeared, seemingly in the hands of the unrelenting security forces, many secretly “skipped” the country for nearby countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania, among others.
As a result, Tanzania, among others, became a natural home for South Africans in exile. Many of South Africa’s past and present leaders who were enslaved by the apartheid regime in South Africa lived in Tanzania for many years, while on exile, and even made Tanzania their home away from home. It was in Tanzania, that Mazimbu, where the exiled African National Congress (ANC) in 1978 established the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO), as an educational institution. Named after one of South Africa’s foremost freedom fighters, Solomon Mahlangu, SOMAFCO became iconic during the struggle for freedom and liberation among the young and old majority of South Africans. We, in the dusty streets of Soweto, even knew about it, and envied those whose lives were touched by this iconic institution. During those days, a mere mention of SOMAFCO, Nelson Mandela or even Oliver Tambo would secure you time under detention, with torture and abuse by the brutal security forces.
To this day, SOMAFCO and Solomon Mahlangu remain a historical symbol of the people’s desire for freedom, hunger for equal rights before the law and a quest for a democratic and free society. The last words he uttered moments before he was sent to the gallows on April 6, 1979, Solomon Mahlangu, enthused, “tell my people that I love them, and that they must continue the struggle.” Even in his last hours, he was relentless and still believed that someday his people would be free, if they continued to fight.
This is a fight that Tanzania joined, sacrificing its own freedom and liberties for the majority of black South Africans – we dare not take it for granted. When it finally happened in 1994, Tanzania was there, in the forefront of the celebration of our new dawn – the new South Africa. Today, South Africa acknowledges the resilience and heavy price paid by Tanzania over the years for this great sacrifice.
On the occasion of his state visit to Tanzania in August 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “Let me take this opportunity to thank President Magufuli for inviting me and my delegation to visit the United Republic of Tanzania, our home away from home. Our visit to Tanzania is an expression of the strength and depth of the bilateral relations between our two countries. As South Africa, we value our historical, political, economic and cultural links and ties with Tanzania, and are pleased that these relations continue are poised to grow even stronger.”
This was an affirmation of how historical ties between the two countries have advanced their bilateral relations.
It was also Tanzania which took a lead amongst the organizations that supported the African liberation struggle. These included the Organization of African Unity (OAU), amongst others. History reminds us that Mwalimu Nyerere was a strong supporter of the formation of OAU when it was established in 1963, and subsequently, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, became the African Liberation Committees’ (ALC) headquarters and housed it for the duration of its existence. Through providing funding, logistical support, training and publicity, the ALC helped to support and organize the opposition to colonial rule in Southern Africa.
At the centre of Mwalimu Nyerere’s strategic tactic to the liberation of African countries was the Arusha Declaration of 1967, which outlined the principles of Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), regarding domestic and foreign policy. On 11 November 1965, Southern Rhodesia’s Prime Minister, Ian Smith, unilaterally declared his territory’s independence from Britain. Not since the United States in 1776 had a British colony declared itself independent, and the Rhodesian declaration was not dissimilar in language and syntax to its American forerunner. “Tanzania was one of the few countries in the British Common wealth that broke diplomatic relations with Britain after the Rhodesia’s unilateral declaration of independence. In so doing, Tanzania sacrificed £7.5 million in development aid from Britain”. This was too great a price to pay for a country that was emerging from independence, and beginning to rebuild itself an independent nation.
As a matter of historical fact, the Arusha Declaration was important within Tanzanian history as it demonstrated Mwalimu Nyerere’s commitment to socialist principles, which formed part of his concept of Ujamaa, literally meaning ‘family hood’ in Kiswahili. The concept of “Ujamaa was Nyerere’s model of African socialism, placing emphasis on political stability via a one-party system, rural regeneration through the creation of collective farms, and economic growth through nationalisation of key industries”.
Speaking at the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) National Conference in 1967, Nyerere declared that, “total African liberation and total African unity are basic objectives of our Party and our Government…we shall never be really free and secure while some parts of our continent are still enslaved”.
Tanzania under Mwalimu Nyerere was a key member of the Frontline States, an organization committed to overthrowing the apartheid regime in South Africa. By coordinating their approaches, the Frontline States could wield a greater influence than could be achieved individually. This took into consideration of the economic dominance apartheid South Africa had in the region, therefore, reducing ties and resisting pressure was a near-impossible task for a single nation.
When in 1980 the Southern African Development Coordination Committee (SADCC) was formed, it brought together nine Southern African countries, including Tanzania – later to be known as SADC. The purpose of this unity was to cultivate economic self-reliance and cooperation amongst the nation states in order to significantly reduce dependence on apartheid South Africa. To this day, South Africa remains an active and influential member of SADC.
After 27 years of freedom, with one of the best constitutions on the world, we as South Africans must look back and reflect on our journey with Tanzania. As we do so, we must also express gratitude to the people and government of Tanzania for the role they have played in the attainment of our freedom. It must, therefore, be our firm belief that both South Africa and Tanzania will continue to leverage on this rich history as a glue that binds them together for a common purpose, even in the execution of their present day diplomatic relations. To date, Tanzania continues to create a conducive environment for South African companies to flourish in the country. There are currently 208 South African businesses operating in that country, approximately 21 000 jobs have been created as a result of such investments in Tanzania.
These celebrations were also marked in West Africa with the High Commissioner of Tanzania in Nigeria, Abuja, Dr Benson Bana, hosting a series of high level events from 4-8 December 2021. These events included, amongst others, a visit to Abuja Children’s Home to make a charity donation, photo exhibition taking viewers down memory lane on the history of the country, and a special dialogue with the participation of diplomats and scholars to close it off. With the discussions held during the special dialogue, and from the selection of activities to mark this anniversary, it was explicit that Tanzania, true its character and in the spirit of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, remains firm in its Pan-Africanist approach to diplomacy.
For all what Tanzania has ever done for us as South Africans, we owe it to the people of Tanzania, and the foremost Pan-Africanist, the founding member of the OAU and the first President of Tanzania in 1961, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. As the government and people of Tanzania turn a new leaf in their path to prosperity, we wish them well and reaffirm our commitment to walk this new path with them in appreciation of the role they have played in the struggle for freedom and liberation in South Africa.
• Bobby J. Moroe is the Deputy High Commissioner of South Africa to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He writes in his personal capacity as a scholar in the fields of political science, diplomacy and foreign policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
