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Tanzania, is a country on the east coast of east Africa.
 
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Former Presidents
By Mike Mushi | Published  01/1/2006 | | Rating:
MWALIMU JULIUS K. NYERERE

MWALIMU JULIUS K. NYERERE, the late Father of the Nation, was born in Butiama Village near Lake Victoria and walked 26 miles to begin primary school in Musoma at the age of 12.

He obtained his secondary education at the Tabora Government Secondary School and was offered a scholarship to study at Makerere University in Uganda where he obtained a Teacher's Diploma.

He also obtained a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1952. He taught at Tanzanian schools before he was forced by the colonial authorities to either continue teaching or give up his political activities.

Mwalimu went on to become President of the Republic of Tanzania in the period 1964-1985. He was the founder member and first (and only, as he was constantly re-elected) President of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). As President of TANU he campaigned throughout the country for independence from colonial rule. He spoke on behalf of TANU to the Trusteeship Council and Fourth Committee of the United Nations in New York in 1954.

Mwalimu was elected in 1958 as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the first elections in which the black population had a vote. He subsequently became the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. In 1960 he became the Chief Minister of the first Internal Government Administration of Independent Tanganyika.

He was Prime Minister of the first Government of Independent Tanganyika in 1961 and was elected Tanganyika's first President when it became a Republic in 1962. He became President of the United Republic when Tanganyika and Zanzibar were united in 1964.

Mwalimu was the founder member and Chairman of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, which was formed by a merger of TANU and the Afro-Shiraz Party of Zanzibar, from 1977-1989.

He served as the Chairman of the South Commission from 1987 to 1990, an independent international organization set up to review development experience and make recommendations on development strategy for developing countries.

He served as honorary Chairman of the Intergovernmental South Centre based in Geneva while continuing to live in Tanzania) which is the successor organization promoting South-South co-operation and solidarity. He was also Chairman of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation.

Mwalimu held numerous honorary degrees from: Edinburgh (UK), Duquesne (USA), Cairo, Nsukka (Nigeria), Ibadan, Monrovia, Toronto, Howard, Jawaharlal Nehru, Havana, Lesotho, the Philippines, and Fort Hare University in South Africa.

He was Chancellor of the University of East Africa (1963-1970), Chancellor of University of Dar-es-Salaam (1970-1985) and Chancellor of Sokoine University of Agriculture (1984).

He also received numerous awards including the Nehru Award for International Understanding, the Third World Prize, Nansen Medal for Outstanding Service to Refugees and the Lenin Peace Prize.

His publications include Freedom and Unity (1966), Freedom and Socialism (1968), Freedom and Development (1973), Ujamaa (1968), Julius Kaisari- a translation of Julius Caesar into Kiswahili and Mabepari wa Venisi (a translation of Merchant of Venice into Kiswahili).

Mwalimu Nyerere died on 14th October 1999 while undergoing treatment at the St. Thomas Royal Free Hospital in London United Kingdom, and was laid to rest at his home village Butiama, Mara region.

 

Comments
  • Comment #1 (Posted by Peter Ilmolelian)
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    Political career - Mwinyi:
    First para missing some text after 'in'
    Second para - missing '9' for '1977' I think.
    otherwise excellent!
     
  • Comment #2 (Posted by Peter Ilmolelian)
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    Nyerere: was he the Chancellor of Sokoine University of Agriculture for one (1984) only? I thought he still was the Chancellor when I attended there 1989-1991 - but again, am not sure as I did not attend my graduation ceremony as I had left Tanzania by graduation time.
    Otherwise excellent!!!
     
  • Comment #3 (Posted by Tanzanian in - Edinburgh Scotland)
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    You didnt say when Mwalimu was born..most people would like to know that..yes walking to school is a good story but hey...this is baba wataifa we are talking about....lets be proud of him and tell more.Otherwise what i have read is good just needs to add few things..he was not only our Hero but to many people we need people from outside to read more about him please.
     
  • Comment #4 (Posted by Aisea Mboja)
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    we are getting there,but we should concentrate more on matter relating to corruption,especially to big people in office, so as they can push their working class to act in responsible way.God bless tanzania,nearly there
     
  • Comment #5 (Posted by kundani)
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    Yeah tht's good but you have not told us about his birth date his birth date is March 23rd 1923 if you did not know sorry
    Mungu ibariki Tanzania
     
  • Comment #6 (Posted by sirriana)
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    i am so happy that you wrote about Nyerere
     
  • Comment #7 (Posted by Zara)
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    thanks for this that realy nice i'm not kuzodoaring you but i am telling you ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah aha haahaha ha ha ah aha ah aha aha aha!
     
  • Comment #8 (Posted by rodrigo thompson)
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    Indeed all of the previous leardership was good but most of them was Benjamin William Mkapa I rearly appriciate his excellence and making our country known in the word, He made alot of Changes and improving our Economic stutas for the person that have eyes i think he saw it especial on roads and many other realy CONGRATULATION we expect the same to you that you have our hope in your hands,
    I have question when the official website are updated? For example when you open the website of Embassy of Tanzania in China it still written that the President of Tanzania is Hon, Benjamin William Mkapa Then It will be Changed to the Current Presdent?
     
  • Comment #9 (Posted by Loota Mungaya Lotisia)
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    As a matter of fact we need now to love our country by saying I don't want be corrupt. Let us forget about 10% in our development project. If all the money directed to development is delivered to the right place at least to the tune of 30% I think thinks could have been better-off. So! the main point is CORRUPTION. Please guys let us SAY NO CORRUPTION in our heart and we will be like JAPAN or USA.
     
  • Comment #10 (Posted by Stephen Kirama)
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    About Tanzania.
    First, the website generally is a very big step. Excellent. On the information about Tanzania, the language there is not straight enough: I suggest it to read: Tanzania is a country on the Eastern Coast of Africa. (It is amongst the three East African Countries, others being Kenya, and Uganda)
    Otherwise bravo.
     
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