by Ben Taylor

David Brewin, former editor of Tanzanian Affairs, died at The Chiswick Nursing Centre on 11 December 2024 at the age of 97.

Born in Whitby in 1927 to a bank clerk father and deaf “socialite” mother, Brewin spent his childhood moving around Yorkshire and the north-east before joining Newcastle University to study agriculture.

After just a year, however, he decided to interrupt his studies and join the army; the second world war was still underway. The army was tough, he says, but had the positive effect of “beating the shyness out of me.” Posted to Palestine in the last days of the British Mandate, David was put in charge of half of all the army stores in Palestine in several huge warehouses.

Having the opportunity to see how agriculture was practiced in Cyprus, David found his calling. He returned to finish his agriculture degree and then applied to join the colonial service as an agriculture officer, resulting in a posting to Tanganyika.

David worked in the country for 15 years, from 1952 to 1967, spanning the transition from colonial rule to independent nation. He served first as the Agricultural Officer for the Lake Victoria districts of Musoma, North Mara and Ukerewe on the eastern side of Lake Victoria, supervising a team of 20 staff managing agricultural laws and marketing procedures. For two years he was Principal of Ukiriguru Agricultural Training Centre. And from 1962 he took responsibility for training programmes of the Ministry of Agriculture, founded (and edited) the magazine Ukulima wa Kisasa (Modern Agriculture) and played a key role producing an agricultural radio drama in Swahili based on The Archers, about the every-day life of a typical farmer, in this case featuring Mzee Simba.

His career then took David beyond Tanzania – to Swaziland and then to the World Bank for five years in Washington DC followed by five covering West Africa from Abidjan in Côte D’Ivoire. Head of the Bank at the time was Robert MacNamara, a fierce task master, such that David “was made to feel as if I was in the army again”. He worked 12-15 hour days, often seven days a week. “It was the hardest work I ever had to do in my life, but my most valuable experience ever,” he said. Then David joined the British Council, working as an education and training specialist, a role that took him all across Africa and beyond.

By the time David retired from the British Council at the age of sixty-five, he had already been editing Tanzanian Affairs for the best part of a decade, and he continued to do so until 2016 – producing a total of 97 issues over 32 years. In doing so, he created a highly respected and invaluable record of Tanzania’s progress and challenges under five different Presidents.

His first issue – no.19, July 1984 – comprised 20 pages produced on a typewriter with hand-written headings. It included excerpts from two speeches from the then President Julius Nyerere as well as news of the death of Prime Minister Edward Sokoine in a road traffic collision. The same issue reports that the country’s population had just passed 20 million, that infant mortality had fallen substantially, that the economy was struggling with growth below the rate of population growth, and that discussion was ongoing about the need for constitutional reforms (including a new bill of rights while preserving the President’s power of “preventive detention”.) Forty years on, a similar range of topics remain prominent in our coverage.

Personally, in working alongside David to produce Tanzanian Affairs, I found him to be enthusiastic, hardworking and principled. I greatly looked forward to our opportunities to meet and talk, and always went away from such conversations with a sense of having learned something new and interesting. He will be greatly missed.

Paul Harrison, chair of the Britain-Tanzania Society paid tribute. “David Brewin opened up a wider world of understanding about Tanzania for me. He generously shared his deep knowledge and passion for the country, introducing me to key figures of the time when I was a student in the 1990s, providing a platform to engage in meaningful discussions. His dedication to documenting Tanzania’s history and development through Tanzanian Affairs has been invaluable in comprehending the country’s trajectory. I am deeply grateful for his mentorship and the connections he provided. He will be fondly remembered by me and many BTS members.”
(Many thanks to the South-East Bayswater Residents Association – SEBRA – for their permission to draw on their 2017 profile of David Brewin for this obituary)

The incoming director for Africa of the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO), Tanzania’s Dr Faustine Ndugulile, has died at the age of 55, just three months after he was elected to the position (see photo in TA 139). He was undergoing treatment in India at the time.

Before his appointment to the WHO position, Dr Ndugulile had a distinguished career in politics and public health within Tanzania. He represented the Kigamboni constituency in Dar es Salaam as an MP since 2010 and held several governmental positions, including deputy minister for health and communications minister.

He was appointed to the health ministry position in 2017 and stayed there until President Magufuli sacked him in May 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, amid reports of a disagreement over how the country should respond to the situation. Ndugulile was often photographed wearing a mask when hardly any Tanzanians were doing so, while the President was a Covid sceptic and refused to adopt the kind of measures that the rest of the world had taken to control the spread of the virus.

Before joining politics in 2010, Ndugulile had served as a director in the health ministry overseeing diagnostic services. He played a key role in establishing the National Blood Transfusion Services in 2006, where he served as the founding programme manager.

The former Registrar of Political Parties (RPP), John Tendwa, died in December, aged 75. He died at Muhimbili National Hospital after battling a prolonged illness.

Tendwa served as RPP from 2001 to 2013, a pivotal period during which Tanzania’s political system underwent significant reforms. His tenure was marked by efforts to ensure fair party registration, foster transparency in political processes, and advocate for political pluralism. His commitment to a free and fair political environment helped solidify the country’s multiparty system.

In an interview with Mwananchi newspaper, Tendwa once responded to accusations of bias toward opposition parties, saying, “My goal was to understand their challenges and ensure no party was left behind in the democratic process.”

Tendwa’s passing prompted tributes from political leaders across all major parties. CCM secretary-general Emmanuel Nchimbi described him as a man of integrity who played a crucial role in shaping Tanzania’s democratic development.

Chadema secretary-general John Mnyika said Tendwa will be remembered as a symbol of fairness and inclusivity. “His efforts to ensure that political parties had a fair chance to engage in the democratic process were invaluable. His willingness to engage with opposition parties and address their concerns set him apart as a true champion of democracy.”

Political activist Buberwa Kaiza also praised Tendwa for his impartiality, saying his legacy would be remembered for generations. “He tried his best to be fair compared to other registrars. His legacy as a champion of democracy and fair political processes will remain with us for years to come.”

Retired Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) General and former Chief of Defence Forces, David Musuguri, died on October 29, 2024 at the age of 104.

Born in Butiama on January 4, 1920, Musuguri—nicknamed General Mutukula—was credited with expelling Dictator Idi Amin from the Kagera region of Tanzania to the west of Lake Victoria, and later from Uganda, in the 1978-89 war.

As the Tanzanian forces mobilized in 1978, General Musuguri devised a strategy that combined bold offensive tactics with a deep understanding of the Ugandan terrain. The plan aimed for a swift assault on Amin’s forces while minimising civilian casualties. His leadership galvanized the troops; they were not merely fighting for a cause, but for the oppressed and for justice. He successfully commanded his forces during key battles, including those at Simba Hills, Masaka, and Lukaya.

Many years later, in a rare interview the General expressed his desire to capture Idi Amin with his own bare hands and hold him accountable for his atrocities. The two had met in Kenya while serving in the King’s African Rifles, a British colonial army in East Africa. “Idi Amin was disrespectful because I taught him at Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi in 1947. At that time, I was already a sergeant in the King’s African Rifles,” the retired General recounted.

Musuguri was enlisted in the King’s African Rifles (KAR) in 1942, serving with them in Madagascar during World War II. When Tanganyika attained self-rule on December 9, 1961, several KAR units were transferred to the newly formed Tanganyika Rifles.

During the Tanganyika Rifles mutiny in January 1964, Musuguri was stationed in Tabora, where rebellious troops declared him a major. He eventually rose to the rank of brigadier and was promoted to Major General in 1979, commanding the TPDF’s 20th Division during the Uganda-Tanzania War.

After the war, in 1980, Musuguri was appointed Chief of Defence Forces, and on December 30, President Julius Nyerere promoted him to Lieutenant General.

On February 7, 1981, Ugandan President Milton Obote honoured Musuguri with two spears for his gallant actions in the Battle of Lukaya. He retired from the army on August 31, 1988, after nearly 50 years of distinguished service in the King’s African Rifles, Tanganyika African Rifles, and the TPDF.

The executive secretary of Tanzania’s Planning Commission, Lawrence Mafuru, died on November 9, 2024 at Apollo Hospital in India.

Mafuru was known for his experience in the banking industry before his appointment to the government. He began his journey in 1998 at Standard Chartered Bank, specialising in international trade finance. He went on to hold various leadership positions within the Tanzanian financial sector, including head of treasury at the National Bank of Commerce (NBC), chief executive officer of NBC, and chairman of the Tanzanian Bankers Association (TBA).

“Mafuru will be remembered for his exemplary service, diligence, and creative approach in his various roles within the government,” said President Samia Suluhu Hassan in a post on X, formerly Twitter.