By Desmond Nleya, Daily Times Reporter
Every year, on October 14th, Tanzanians and many across Africa pause to remember and celebrate the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of Julius Kambarage Nyerere — fondly called Mwalimu or “teacher” and universally respected as the “Father of the Nation”. As we mark Julius Nyerere Day, it is fitting to reflect on how deeply his influence reaches: in Tanzania’s domestic transformation, across the continent’s liberation struggles and unity, and through the current government’s efforts to uphold his ideals in service of the people.
Julius Nyerere was born in March 1922 in Butiama in what was then Tanganyika. After independence, he became prime minister (1961), and from 1964 to 1985 he served as the first President of Tanzania. His domestic policies were grounded in his belief in equality, self-reliance, and social justice. Two of the most famous articulations of his vision are:
The Arusha Declaration (1967), which laid out Tanzania’s policy of Ujamaa (“familyhood” or socialism), self-reliance, and collective development and ,
Massive efforts in education and literacy: under his leadership, primary school enrollment rose dramatically; adult literacy saw huge improvements.
He also emphasized conservation and care for the environment, establishing and preserving national parks and game reserves, not merely for tourism, but in acknowledgement that Tanzania’s natural heritage is a global treasure and that local communities should participate in and benefit from conservation.
Nyerere National Park Tanzania.
While his contributions to Tanzania are immense, Nyerere’s influence stretched far beyond its borders. He was one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 — the precursor to today’s African Union (AU). He supported liberation movements across southern Africa — including those fighting apartheid in South Africa, and movements in Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere. Tanzania under Nyerere provided refuge, moral support, diplomatic backing.
He was a respected voice of African unity, reconciliation, and ethical leadership. His stand against colonialism and racial discrimination made him a moral compass for many African leaders and peoples.
Tanzania came to be seen as a stable, principled country in a continent often marked by upheaval. Its peaceful transition of power (when he stepped down in 1985) was rare among postcolonial states. Through his policies of non-alignment and cooperation with liberation movements, Tanzania gained moral standing in global institutions. He advocated for a development path rooted in Tanzanian values, not simply models imported from abroad.
Today, Tanzania remembers Nyerere not just with ceremony, but with ongoing projects and policies that try to embody his vision:
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project is being built — a fulfillment of one of Nyerere’s long-held aspirations.
Water supply projects such as the Same–Mwanga water project, Kidunda Dam, and Mkomazi Dam are underway or progressing, intended to address basic needs.
Africa Press Arabic
Relocation of the government to Dodoma remains a project tied to enhancing governance and decentralization, something consistent with Nyerere’s vision of unity of the Union and equitable national development.
Education, Culture, and Leadership
Institutions named in his honour, such as the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Kibaha, exist to train leaders, especially in public service and for local government.
Daily News
The government is promoting creative writing through the Tuzo ya Taifa ya Mwalimu Nyerere ya Uandishi Bunjuwa (National Prize for Creative Writers), giving a platform to writers in genres like poetry, fiction, children’s stories, plays — reinforcing the cultural dimension of Nyerere’s heritage.
The Chanzo Inititative
The Twende Butiama caravan (a cycling tour) is an annual event passing through many regions; it includes community health camps, donations to schools (desks, latrines), support to children with special needs, environmental awareness, etc. It is a concrete way to propagate Nyerere’s values like self-reliance, community service and unity.
The “Torch of Freedom” initiative, lit in various regions culminating on October 14, used to spread messages of unity, hope, patriotism, aligning with Nyerere’s ideals.
The ruling party (CCM) under current leadership often declares that it is guided by ideals once championed by Nyerere: peace, unity, inclusivity, good governance.
Work toward a new constitution, as referenced in the 2025–2030 CCM manifesto, is presented as part of renewing governance in line with Nyerere’s principles.
While many of Nyerere’s ideals remain guiding stars, translating them into the realities of the 21st century — including globalization, climate change, rapid urbanization, technological shifts — involves challenges. There are debates about how much of Ujamaa remains viable, how to balance growth with equity, and how to ensure institutions remain strong and serve citizens.
Still, the government’s current efforts show a clear desire not just to remember Nyerere for what he was, but to put into practice what he stood for. Julius Nyerere Day thus serves as both a remembrance and a recommitment: to freedom, unity, equality, service, and the dignity of all Tanzanians.
On this Julius Nyerere Day, we celebrate a man whose dreams reshaped a nation and whose moral clarity helped shape a continent. Mwalimu envisioned a Tanzania that was literate, self-reliant, united; an Africa that was free, cooperative, and respected. Though his era has passed, many institutions, policies, and values he planted continue to bloom.
His legacy is not static. It lives in schools and writers, in dams and hydropower, in forests and national parks, in unity among Tanzania’s many peoples, in peace with neighbours, and in pan-African hopes. As Tanzania forges ahead, meeting the challenges of development, environment, and global change, the ideals Nyerere championed remain an essential compass.
May his life continue to inspire, and may the people of Tanzania, and indeed Africa, find in his legacy both strength and direction.
