Kanga on sale in Dar-es-Salaam

‘We share America’s excitement in Obama’ wrote the Tanzanian Guardian’s editor, the morning after the historic American election results came out. The paper went on: ‘Americans have spoken – and spoken well. The world is genuinely excited for the United States, whose election has made history by producing a black president, and for the world as a whole….Indeed President-elect Barack Obama’s victory is not only an inspiration to millions of people all over the world but also has special resonance with the people of Africa, where his Kenyan father originated.

Another significant fact is that Americans have taken us through a major lesson in democracy – and this is that, despite the intensity of the contest and the stakes for the contestants, they have come out of it gracefully and truly tested.

One lesson that African politicians must take note of comes from the telephone call made to President-elect Obama by his main rival, Republican Party candidate John McCain. In that call, McCain acknowledged defeat with dignity and went on to concede the historic significance of Obama’s victory to the American people and their country`s politics. “I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him (Obama) but offering our next president our goodwill, `” McCain stated.

That is how politicians in Africa should conduct themselves if our democracy is to grow to maturity and stabilise the continent……We wish the new US president and the American people well.

A contribution by Lawrence Cockcroft with the assistance of Gerald Belkin, and Ralph Ibbott.

In responding to a call from the late Julius Nyerere in 1960 to people to work hard and work together on farming in the interest of the country’s development, a small group of the TANU Party Youth League (TYL) led by Ntimbanjayo John Millinga (see obituary below) established, in the Litowa valley in Songea District, what became known later as the Ruvuma Development Association (RDA). Millinga had a vision of developing a village where its families, by working together, would improve their lives and provide a better future for their children.

From this small start in 1961 other groups came for advice and as a result the RDA was formed. All members had agreed that a large part of the work would be carried out communally. In 1966 Griff Cunningham, the Principal of Kivukoni College wrote, “An unique set of circumstances prevailed in the RDA, for the founder and chief sustaining drive behind the settlements is undoubtedly Ntimbanjayo Millinga…(who) has provided a genuinely charismatic leadership from the beginning and has, by his messianic zeal, created a small group of disciples.”

The RDA type villages came to be known as ujamaa villages which soon attracted considerable attention. President Nyerere became very interested. He began to see it as a pattern for the rural development of Tanzania. In the villages and the association there was always much practical discussion, which often led to new enterprises. From past experience, the people knew that if their children went far enough in the school system, they generally went off to work in the big city. This led to them setting up a school at Litowa for the children from all the RDA villages. Millinga’s position had enabled him to select a fine person to be head of this school and to get the authority from Nyerere for them to develop their own curriculum suitable for the needs of the villages.

Discussions also led to the questioning of the law which only allowed the sale of people’s excess maize to the local inefficient co-operative which sold maize flour at more than three times the price at which it purchased the grain. A better price for them would mean earning more development capital. This led to them buying out the Songea grain mill. President Nyerere helped with this purchase by donating Tsh 90,000/- Later the association also purchased the timber mill. Continue reading →

There was a sharp debate in parliament when MP’s and others were invited to comment on the new ‘Wildlife Act 2008.’

“This Bill favours wildlife protection more than human beings” according to one participant.” “If you MP’s let it pass and become law, you must recruit wildebeests to vote for you come 2010” a village chairman said. The Bill would undermine indigenous Maasai people residing adjacent to the controlled areas in the vast districts of Simanjiro, Monduli, Longido and Ngorongoro. Mbakule Laizer from Longido was concerned by a certain section on the Bill that directed investors within the Wildlife Management Areas to pay fees direct to the Wildlife Division contrary to the previous system where they used to pay the respective village authorities. “We have spent a considerable time in our life to conserve the wildlife believing that one day we will reap the benefits of our efforts, but now when the government wants to rob us of the fees, I fear the move will spark off a dispute” one participant said amid applause from the floor.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment said it was unfair for villagers to threaten to deny MP’s their votes in the forthcoming general elections. “We have brought the Bill before you so that you can suggest what is to be removed or added, and we are ready to take you views in order to come up with a fair Wildlife Act at the end of the day,” he said – Guardian.