Julius Nyerere

**Julius Kambarage Nyerere** (Swahili pronunciation: [ˈdʒulius kɑᵐbɑˈɾɑɠɛ ɲɛˈɾɛɾɛ]; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) na he be a Tanzanian politician, anti-colonial activist, den political theorist. Na he govern Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 den then as presido from 1962 to 1964, after wich na he lead ein successor state, Tanzania, as presido from 1964 to 1985. Na he be a founding member den chair of de Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) party den of ein successor, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, from 1954 to 1990. Ideologically an African nationalist den African socialist, na he promote a political philosophy dem know as Ujamaa.

Na dem born am insyd Butiama, Mara, then insyd de British colony of Tanganyika, na Nyerere be de son of a Zanaki chief. After he plete ein schooling, na he study for Makerere College insyd Uganda den then Edinburgh University insyd Scotland. Insyd 1952 na he return to Tanganyika, wey he marry, den work as a school teacher. Insyd 1954, na he help form TANU, thru wich na he campaign give Tanganyikan independence from de British Empire. Influenced by de Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, na Nyerere preach non-violent protest make he achieve dis aim. Na dem elect am to de Legislative Council insyd de 1958–1959 elections, na Nyerere then lead TANU to victory for de 1960 general election, wey he cam turn prime minister. Na negotiations plus de British authorities result in Tanganyikan independence insyd 1961. Insyd 1962, na Tanganyika cam turn a republic, plus dem elect Nyerere as ein first presido. Na ein administration pursue decolonisation den de "Africanisation" of de civil service while e dey promote unity between indigenous Africans den de country ein Asian den European minorities. Na he encourage de formation of a one-party state wey he unsuccessfully pursue de Pan-Africanist formation of an East African Federation plus Uganda den Kenya. Na dem suppress a 1963 mutiny within de army plus British assistance.

Dey follow de Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, na dem unify de island of Zanzibar plus Tanganyika make dem form Tanzania. After dis, na Nyerere place a growing emphasis on national self-reliance den socialism. Although na ein socialism differ from dat wey Marxism–Leninism promote, na Tanzania develop close links plus Mao Zedong ein China. Insyd 1967, na Nyerere issue de Arusha Declaration wich outline ein vision of ujamaa. Na dem nationalize banks den oda major industries den companies; na dem significantly expand education and healthcare. Na dem place renewed emphasis on agricultural development thru de formation of communal farms, although na dese reforms hamper food production wey e lef areas dependent on food aid. Na ein government provide training den aid to anti-colonialist groups wey dey fight white-minority rule thru out southern Africa wey na he oversee Tanzania ein 1978–1979 war plus Uganda wich na e result insyd de overthrow of Ugandan Presido Idi Amin. Insyd 1985, na Nyerere stand down wey na Ali Hassan Mwinyi succeed am, wey he reverse chaw of Nyerere ein policies. Na he remain chair of Chama Cha Mapinduzi til 1990, wey dey support a transition to a multi-party system, wey he later serve as mediator in attempts make he end de Burundian Civil War.

Na Nyerere be a controversial figure. Across Africa na he gain widespread respect as an anti-colonialist wey in power he receive praise for ensuring say, unlike chaw of ein neighbours, Tanzania remain stable den unified insyd de decades dey follow independence. Na ein construction of de one-party state den use of detention widout trial lead to accusations of dictatorial governance, while na dem sanso blame am for economic mismanagement. Dem dey hold am in deep respect within Tanzania, wer he often be referred to by de Swahili honorific  ("teacher") wey he be described as de "Father of de Nation".

## Early life

### Kiddie time: 1922–1934

Na dem born Julius Kambarage Nyerere on 13 April 1922 insyd Mwitongo, an area of de village of Butiama insyd Tanganyika ein Mara Region.Na he be one of 25 surviving kiddies of Nyerere Burito, de chief of de Zanaki people. Na dem born Burito insyd 1860 wey na dem give am de name "Nyerere" ("caterpillar" insyd Zanaki) after na a plague of worm caterpillars infest de local area at de time of ein birth. Na dem appoint Burito chief insyd 1915, wey dem install am insyd dat position by de German imperial administrators of wat na be then German East Africa; na dem sanso endorse ein position by de incoming British imperial administration. Na Burito get 22 wifeys, of whom na Julius ein mommie, Mugaya Nyang'ombe, be de fifth. Na dem born am insyd 1892 wey na she marry de chief insyd 1907, wen na she dey fifteen. Na Mugaya bear Burito four sons den four daughters, of wich na Nyerere be de second kiddie; na two of ein siblings die insyd infancy.

### Schooling: 1934–1942

Na de British colonial administration encourage de education of chiefs dema sons, wey dem dey believe say dis go help to perpetuate de chieftain system den prevent de development of a separate educated indigenous elite wey fi challenge colonial governance. For ein poppie ein prompting, na Nyerere begin ein education for de Native Administration School insyd Mwisenge, Musoma insyd February 1934, about 35&nbsp;km from ein home. Na dis place am insyd a privileged position; na chaw of ein contemporaries at Butiama no fi afford a primary education. Na ein education dey insyd Swahili, a language wey na he for learn while der. Na Nyerere excel at de school, den after six months na ein exam results be such dat na dem allow am make he skip a grade. Na he avoid sporting activities wey na he prefer make he read insyd ein dormitory during ein free time.

### Makerere College, Uganda: 1943–1947

Insyd October 1941, na Nyerere plete ein secondary education wey he decide make he study at Makerere College insyd de Ugandan city of Kampala. Na he secure a bursary make dem fund a teacher training course der, wey he arrive insyd Uganda insyd January 1943. At Makerere, na he study alongsyd chaw of East Africa ein most talented students, although he spend little time dey socialise plus odas, instead he focus on ein reading. Na he take courses insyd chemistry, biology, Latin, den Greek. Dey deepen ein Catholicism, na he study de Papal Encyclicals wey he read de work of Catholic philosophers like Jacques Maritain; na most influential however be de writings of de liberal British philosopher John Stuart Mill. Na he win a literary competition plus an essay on de subjugation of women, for wich na he apply Mill ein ideas to Zanaki society. Na Nyyerere sanso be an active member of de Makere Debating Society, wey na he establish a branch of Catholic Action at de university.

### Early teaching: 1947–1949

On leaving Makerere, na Nyerere return home to Zanaki territory make he build a house give ein widowed mommie, before he spend ein time reading den farming insyd Butiama. Na dem offer am teaching positions at both de state-run Tabora Boys' School den de mission-run St Mary's, buh na he choose de latter despite e dey offer a lower wage. 

### Edinburgh University: 1949–1952

Insyd April 1949, na Nyerere fly from Dar es Salaam to Southampton, England. Na he then travel, by train, from London to Edinburgh. Insyd de city, na Nyerere take lodgings insyd a building give "colonial persons" insyd The Grange suburb. Dey start ein studies for de University of Edinburgh, na he begin plus a short course insyd chemistry den physics wey he sanso pass Higher English insyd de Scottish Universities Preliminary Examination. Insyd October 1949 na dem accept am for entry make he study for a Master of Arts degree at de University of Edinburgh ein Faculty of Arts; na ein own be an Ordinary Degree of Master of Arts, wich na dem consider an undergraduate degree, de equivalent of a Bachelor of Arts insyd chaw English universities.

## Political activism

### Dey found de Tanganyika African National Union: 1952–1955

Na he sail aboard de SS ''Kenya Castle'', Nyerere arrive back insyd Dar es Salaam insyd October 1952. Na he take de train to Mwanza den then a lake steamer to Musoma before he reach Zanaki lands. Der, na he build a mud-brick house give einself den ein fiancé, Maria; na dem marry at Musoma mission on 24 January 1953. Na dem soon move go Pugu, closer to Dar es Salaam, wen na dem hire Nyerere make he teach history at St Francis' College, one of de leading schools for indigenous Africans insyd Tanganyika. Insyd 1953 na de couple get dema first kiddie, Andrew. Na Nyerere cam be increasingly involved insyd politics; insyd April 1953, na dem elect am presido of de Tanganyika African Association (TAA). 

On 7 July 1954 Nyerere, wey be assisted by Oscar Kambona, transform de TAA into a new political party, de Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). 

### Touring Tanganyika: 1955–1959

Na Nyerere return to Dar es Salaam insyd October 1955. From then til na Tanzania secure independence, na he tour de country almost continuously, often insyd TANU ein Land Rover. Na de British colonial Governor of Tanganyika, Edward Twining, dislike Nyerere, wey he dey regard am as a racialist wey na he want to impose indigenous domination over de European den South Asian minorities. Insyd December 1955, na Twining establish de "multi-racial" United Tanganyika Party (UTP) make he combat TANU ein African nationalist message. Na Nyerere nevertheless stipulate say "we dey fight against colonialism, no be against de whites". Na he befriend members of de white minority, such as Lady Marion Chesham, a U.S.-born widow of a British farmer, wey serve as a liaison between TANU den Twining ein government. A 1958 editorial insyd de TANU newsletter *Sauti ya Tanu* (Voice of TANU) wey na e be written by Nyerere call on de party ein members make dem avoid participating insyd violence. Na e sanso criticise two of de country ein district commissioners, wey dey accuse one of trying make e undermine TANU den anoda of putting a chief on trial for "cooked-up reasons". In response, na de government file three counts of criminal libel. Na de trial take almost three months. Na dem find Nyerere guilty, wey de judge dey stipulate dat he either fi bia a £150 fine anaa go to prison for six months; na he choose de former.

### TANU insyd government: 1959–1961

Insyd March 1959, na de new British Governor of Tanganyika, Richard Turnbull, give TANU five of de twelve ministerial posts available insyd de colony ein government. Na Turnbull be prepared make he work for a peaceful transition to independence. Insys 1959, Nyerere visit Edinburgh. Insyd 1960, na he attend a conference of independent African states insyd Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at wich na he present a paper wey dey call for de formation of an East African Federation. Na he suggest say Tanganyika fi delay ein attainment of independence from de British Empire til na neighbouring Kenya den Uganda fi able to do de same. Insyd ein view, na e go be much easier for de three countries make dem unite at de same point as independence dan after am, for beyond dat point na dema respective governments fi feel say na dem dey lose sovereignty thru unification. Na chaw senior TANU members oppose de idea of delaying Tanganyikan independence; na de party dey grow, den as of 1960 e get over a million members.

## Premiership den Presidency of Tanganyika

### Premiership of Tanganyika: 1961–1962

On 9 December 1961, na Tanganyika gain independence, an event dem mark by a ceremony at National Stadium. Na dem present alaw was soon to de Assembly wey go restrict citizenship to indigenous Africans; na Nyerere speak out against de bill, dey compare ein racialism to de ideas of Adolf Hitler den Hendrik Verwoerd, wey na he threaten he go resign if dem pass am. Six weeks after independence, insyd January 1962 Nyerere resign as prime minister, intent on make he dey focus on restructuring TANU den make he try to "work out wona own pattern of democracy". Na he retreat to make he cam turn a parliamentary back bencher, na he appoint close political ally Rashidi Kawawa as de new prime minister. Na he tour de country, dey give speeches insyd towns den villages insyd wich na he emphasise de need for self-reliance den hard work. Insyd 1962, na ein *alma mater* at Edinburgh award Nyerere plus a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.

### Presidency of Tanganyika: 1962–1964
On 9 December 1962, a year after independence, na Tanganyika cam be a republic. Na Nyerere move into de State House insyd Dar es Salaam, de former official residence of British governors. Na Nyerere dislike life insyd de building, buh na he remain der til 1966. Na Nyerere appoint Kawawa ein vice pee. Insyd 1963, na he put ein name forward make he be Rector of Edinburgh University, wey he vow to travel go Scotland wenever dem need am; na position instead go to de actor James Robertson Justice. Na he male official visits to West Germany, de United States, Canada, Algeria, Scandinavia, Guinea, den Nigeria. Insyd de U.S. na he meet Presido John F. Kennedy wey although na dem personally like each oda, he fail make he convince Kennedy to toughen ein stance on apartheid South Africa.

#### Facing mutiny

Insys January 1964, na Nyerere end affirmative action hiring for de civil service. He dey believe na dem redress de colonial imbalance, he state: "e go be wrong for we make we continue to distinguish between Tanganyikan citizens on any grounds oda dan those of character den ability to do specific tasks". Na chaw trade unionists denounce de discontinuation of de policy wey na e prove de catalyst give an army mutiny. On 20 January, na a small group of soldiers insyd de First Battalion wey dey call demaselves de Army Night Freedom Fighters launch an uprising, wey dey demand de dismissal of dema white officers den a pay rise. Na de mutineers lef de Colito Barracks wey na dem enter Dar es Salaam, wer dem seize de State House. Na Nyerere narrowly escape, wey he hide insyd a Roman Catholic mission for two days. Na de mutineers capture senior government figure Oscar Kambona, wey dem force am make he dismiss all white officers den appoint de indigenous Elisha Kavana as head of de Tanganyika Rifles. De Second Battalion, base insyd Tabora, sanso mutineed, wey Kambona accede to dema demands make dem appoint de indigenous Mrisho Sarakikya as dema battalion leader. Na he agree to chaw of dema demands, Kambona convince de First Battalion mutineers make dem return to dema barracks. Na similar yet smaller mutinies break out insyd Kenya den Uganda, wey de governments of both call for British military assistance in make dem suppress de uprisings.

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## External links

*SouthCentre Nyerere Memorial Site
**Mwalimu Neyerere Speeches
*Nyerere Obituary from the African National Congress
*Julius Nyerere Fellowship