And that is the subject of today’s presentation, which will briefly discuss the three above mentioned topics.
1. A brief history of the establishment of this Union.
The process leading to the establishment of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, was carried out, and completed, in two historic events which were: (i) the signing of the Union Agreement; and (ii) the ratification of this Agreement.
The signing of the Union Agreement, which was officially documented as the ‘Articles of Union’, was done on Thursday, 22nd April, 1964, by the two Presidents of the Republic of Tanganyika, Jullius Nyerere; and of the Peoples’ Republic of Zanzibar, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume. While the second event, namely the ratification of that Agreement, was done three days later, on 25th April, 1964.
1. A brief history of the establishment of this Union.
The process leading to the establishment of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, was carried out, and completed, in two historic events which were: (i) the signing of the Union Agreement; and (ii) the ratification of this Agreement.
The signing of the Union Agreement, which was officially documented as the ‘Articles of Union’, was done on Thursday, 22nd April, 1964, by the two Presidents of the Republic of Tanganyika, Jullius Nyerere; and of the Peoples’ Republic of Zanzibar, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume. While the second event, namely the ratification of that Agreement, was done three days later, on 25th April, 1964.
In connection with these events, there are two significant points, which should be noted. One is the great secrecy which surrounded the negotiations leading to that Agreement. And the other is the absolute uniqueness of the ‘product’ of that Agreement.
The period covering the negotiations cannot be precisely specified, for the reason only that the said negotiations were conducted in great secrecy, for fear that if these negotiations became publicly known; their efforts could be sabotaged by presumed enemies. This secrecy continued even with regard to the signing ceremony of that Agreement, for on the actual day when President Nyerere travelled to Zanzibar the signing ceremony, the Nationalist newspaper, which was owned and published by the ruling party TANU; came out with camouflaged information saying that “President Nyerere has gone to Zanzibar on his first official visit after the success of the revolution. He is scheduled to hold cordial talks with President Karume”.
This secrecy also covered the convening of the emergency session of Parliament which ratified the said Agreement; as the Members of Parliament were summoned to Dar es Salaam at short notice to attend an emergency meeting of Parliament, but without being told the purpose, or reason, for this emergency meeting.
The uniqueness of the ‘product’ of that Agreement.
The ‘product’ of that Agreement was the birth of an entirely new sovereign country called the United Republic of Tanzania. Its uniqueness lay in the fact that, unlike the majority of the other African countries which came into existence as a result of the political will of the colonial powers that had previously ruled them, who “granted” them independence after prolonged struggles, and actually armed struggles in most of the cases. But the predecessors to the United Republic of Tanzania also share the same background of having been initially ‘granted’ the Instruments of Independence by the British colonialists; this United Republic was unique in the sense that it was a product, or creation, of our own making; as a result of cordial negotiations and mutual Agreement, between the two leaders of our former two separate nations.
The uniqueness of the ‘product’ of that Agreement.
The ‘product’ of that Agreement was the birth of an entirely new sovereign country called the United Republic of Tanzania. Its uniqueness lay in the fact that, unlike the majority of the other African countries which came into existence as a result of the political will of the colonial powers that had previously ruled them, who “granted” them independence after prolonged struggles, and actually armed struggles in most of the cases. But the predecessors to the United Republic of Tanzania also share the same background of having been initially ‘granted’ the Instruments of Independence by the British colonialists; this United Republic was unique in the sense that it was a product, or creation, of our own making; as a result of cordial negotiations and mutual Agreement, between the two leaders of our former two separate nations.
In our English history class at Francis College Pugu (as it was then), with our class teacher Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, we were taught the phrase that “Markets, Money, Machines, are the three ‘M’s which transformed the insular English nation, into a nation of worldwide interests”.
I wish to borrow that sentence and rephrase it to read thus: Our leaders’ “political commitment, political maturity, and political iron will; were the three ‘P’s which transformed the former separate nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, into one strong, viable, sovereign nation”.
2. The origins, or sources, of this Union.
I stated confidently in my presentation at the afore-mentioned symposium, that there were the following five distinct sources that were the foundations of our Union:
2. The origins, or sources, of this Union.
I stated confidently in my presentation at the afore-mentioned symposium, that there were the following five distinct sources that were the foundations of our Union:
(i) the Zanzibar glorious revolution of April 12th, 1964.
(ii) the need to protect that revolution.
(iii) the need to strengthen the long association of the peoples of these lands, and of their ties of kinship and amity.
(iv) the desire for unity of the African peoples.
(v) the political iron will of our two leaders who founded this Union.
These sources were further elaborated as follows :-
The Zanzibar revolution.
The Zanzibar revolution.
The “Instruments of Independence” of Zanzibar State were ‘granted’ to the then Arab Sultan of Zanzibar following the October 1963 pre-independence general election, whose results were disputed by many independent observers; for the simple reason that the Afro-Shirazi Party had been unfairly denied victory. For at that election, that party had obtained 54% of the total valid votes cast, but had obtained a minority of only 13 the Legislative Council seats, while the coalition of the Arab parties, the Zanzibar Nationalist party (ZNP) and the Zanzibar and Pemba Peoples’ party (ZPPP) had obtained 18 seats. This was the result of the constituency gerrymandering action which was undertaken by the colonial Administration in Pemba, in favour of the Arab ZPPP party. This, in fact, was the fundamental ‘root cause’ of the glorious revolution which was successfully carried out by the Afro-Shirazi party, during the night of 11th January, 1964.
The need to protect that revolution. Hence, following that successful revolution, there was strong fear that the deposed Sultan and his supporters might attempt to launch their own counter-revolution, in order to regain their lost power in Zanzibar. And, in view of the bare fact that President Karume’s infant government had not yet established any viable defense mechanism that would protect the country from such invasion, that fear was, indeed, real and genuine. Thus, in such circumstances, it was reasonably expected that Zanzibar’s Union with Tanganyika would offer the necessary protection against such possibility of an invasion.
The need to strengthen the ties of kinship and amity.
It may be remembered, that the need “to maintain the long association of the peoples of these lands, and to strengthen the ties of kinship” arising there from; was one of the major goals of this Union; as was confirmed by President Nyerere himself, in his speech to the National Assembly on 25th April, 1964; wherein he said the following:-“Tanganyika na Zanzibar ni nchi ndugu. Tunashiikiana kwa historia, lugha, mila na desturi, na siasa. Na udugu wa Viongozi wa vyama vyetu vya siasa, haukuanza jana. Basi tunazo sababu zote hizo za kutufanya tuungane na kuwa kitu kimoja”.
The desire for unity among the peoples of Africa.
The need to strengthen the ties of kinship and amity.
It may be remembered, that the need “to maintain the long association of the peoples of these lands, and to strengthen the ties of kinship” arising there from; was one of the major goals of this Union; as was confirmed by President Nyerere himself, in his speech to the National Assembly on 25th April, 1964; wherein he said the following:-“Tanganyika na Zanzibar ni nchi ndugu. Tunashiikiana kwa historia, lugha, mila na desturi, na siasa. Na udugu wa Viongozi wa vyama vyetu vya siasa, haukuanza jana. Basi tunazo sababu zote hizo za kutufanya tuungane na kuwa kitu kimoja”.
The desire for unity among the peoples of Africa.
This goal of “the desire for unity among the peoples of Africa”, was another of the major goals of this Union; as it would constitute a significant step towards the achievement of that noble goal. This was also confirmed by President Nyerere in the same speech that is quoted above; when he said the following:-“Leo hii kuna tamaa kubwa sana ya umoja katika Afrika. Mioyo ya Waafrika ina shauku kubwa ajabu, ya kuungana tuwe kitu kimoja. Lakini pamoja na kujivunia shauku hii, yafaa tukumbuke kwamba umoja hautakuja kwa sababu ya shauku tu, au maneno matupu. Hatua lazima zichukliwe za kuonesha kwamba shauku hii, na matumaini haya, si ndoto tu isiyowezekana, bali ni jambo linalotekelezeka. Hivyo basi, Muungano wetu huu utakuwa ni uthibitisho wa vitendo, kwamba ni kweli kabisa kwamba umoja huo unaweza kupatikana”.
The political iron will, of our founder fathers of the Union.
A strong ‘political will’ , I venture to submit, is an important component of the leadership ethics. Thus, in view of the real and genuine fear that their efforts might be frustrated by the presumed enemies referred to above; had it not been for their political ‘iron will’ to soldier on; our founder fathers could probably have chickened out of this noble project, whose benefits we are happily enjoying today, and for the last 58 long years.
3. Our Union’s protection against premature demise.
Our top leaders’ ‘political will’ has been the basic protector of our Union; and, indeed, the ‘magic’ of a strong political will on the part of all our successive Union Presidents, has been the basic protector of our Union against such premature demise.
The political iron will, of our founder fathers of the Union.
A strong ‘political will’ , I venture to submit, is an important component of the leadership ethics. Thus, in view of the real and genuine fear that their efforts might be frustrated by the presumed enemies referred to above; had it not been for their political ‘iron will’ to soldier on; our founder fathers could probably have chickened out of this noble project, whose benefits we are happily enjoying today, and for the last 58 long years.
3. Our Union’s protection against premature demise.
Our top leaders’ ‘political will’ has been the basic protector of our Union; and, indeed, the ‘magic’ of a strong political will on the part of all our successive Union Presidents, has been the basic protector of our Union against such premature demise.
For it is an established fact, that the lack of genuine political will on the part of one or other of the Union partners, has been the main cause of the frustration that eventually led to the breakup of those Unions that failed to survive.
Examples of such failures include the United Arab union (UAR), which was established in February 1958, but managed to survive for only four years, and broke up in September 1961. There was also the ‘Senegambia Union’ between the countries of Gambia and Senegal, which was established on 1st February, 1982, but survived for no more than seven years, when it broke up on September 30th, 1989. And there was also the Federation of Malaysia, which initially included the State of Singapore. This Union also failed to remain intact, when, in 1965, Singapore decided to withdraw its membership there from.
The legal protection provided by the constitution, and other relevant laws.
In crafting the Articles of Union, our Union founding fathers, in their abundant wisdom, introduced a most significant clause, which made provision for a separate government for Zanzibar. This provision was subsequently incorporated in the constitution of the United Republic.
The legal protection provided by the constitution, and other relevant laws.
In crafting the Articles of Union, our Union founding fathers, in their abundant wisdom, introduced a most significant clause, which made provision for a separate government for Zanzibar. This provision was subsequently incorporated in the constitution of the United Republic.
It might, perhaps, be unknown to many of our younger generation readers, that this particular provision has been the strongest ‘pillar’, for the stability of our Union. For it ensured the continued identity of Zanzibar within this Union of equal partner States. Failure to recognize this fact (of the partner States being equal); I dare say, was what led to the demise of many of the other Unions, that we referred to above.
In addition, there is also the law which ratified the Union Agreement, whose section 4 provides as follows:-“The Republic of Tanganyika and the Peoples’ Republic of Zanzibar shall, upon Union Day and ever after, be united into one sovereign Republic”. The words “and ever after” are clearly and obviously intended to mean that this Union will last ‘forever’
In relation to marriages, the Holy Bible says that “what God has united, let no man put asunder”. It is therefore my humble submission, that “what the law has prescribed, let no man dare to disregard”. Thus, all our future generations are hereby urged, to dedicate themselves to this noble objective of maintain our Union, so that it may continue to last ad infinitum.piomsekwa@gmai.com /0754767576.
In addition, there is also the law which ratified the Union Agreement, whose section 4 provides as follows:-“The Republic of Tanganyika and the Peoples’ Republic of Zanzibar shall, upon Union Day and ever after, be united into one sovereign Republic”. The words “and ever after” are clearly and obviously intended to mean that this Union will last ‘forever’
In relation to marriages, the Holy Bible says that “what God has united, let no man put asunder”. It is therefore my humble submission, that “what the law has prescribed, let no man dare to disregard”. Thus, all our future generations are hereby urged, to dedicate themselves to this noble objective of maintain our Union, so that it may continue to last ad infinitum.piomsekwa@gmai.com /0754767576.
Source: Daily News today.