In his presentation to mark Nyerere Day in Tanzania, Lt-Gen Sanyatwe highlighted the need for regional solidarity which was the vision of President Nyerere who pushed for the liberation of most African states from colonial bondage.
Mwalimu Nyerere Day is a public holiday in Tanzania that is celebrated annually on October 14th to commemorate the death of President Nyerere, “the father of the nation”, and the day is significant in Tanzania as it honors the life and legacy of a leader who played a crucial role in shaping the country’s cultural identity across Africa.
The people of Tanzania displayed a true spirit of brotherhood by hosting liberation movements, including, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan African Congress (PAC) of South Africa; FRELIMO of Mozambique; MPLA of Angola; ZANU and ZAPU of Zimbabwe and SWAPO of Namibia.
Nyerere was one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.
“It is with great humility and honor that I stand before you to talk about a luminary and one of the greatest sons of Africa, the late but still living, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere,” said Lt-Gen Sanyatwe.
“I remain hopeful that by standing together in the spirit of Mwalimu Nyerere, we can overcome any challenge. His vision of an independent, united Africa through solidarity, cooperation and empowering our people remains our light and beacon,” he said.
“Though colonialism’s shadows linger and foreign and local forces push their agendas, our strength is in our shared history and Pan-African identity. By deepening economic and social ties across this region through our own solutions and values, and defending each other’s sovereignty as stated, we can curb interference and forge our own prosperous destiny,” he said.
Lt-Gen Sanyatwe said the late President Nyerere left an indelible legacy which has survived for more than six decades.
“Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, more than six decades after Tanzania’s liberation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s indelible vision lives on. His vision of an independent, united Africa remains as vital today as it was when he first articulated it.”
“His vision was immortalized through the Ujamaa concept, which underscored the importance of familyhood or togetherness. Hence, the essential components of Ujamaa were freedom, unity, equality, respect for human dignity and human rights,” he said.
He said the late President Nyerere’s vision was cross-cutting in diverse spheres of life ranging from politics, defense and security as well as social and economic clusters.
“The late Nyerere was a visionary, internationalist as well as a force behind the modern Pan-African movement. Mwalimu was an ardent believer in the idea that people of African descent have common interests and challenges and should be united to confront these challenges,” he said.
“Mwalimu Nyerere was a strong advocate for non-alignment and independence in both domestic and foreign policy. This helped establish a culture of mutual respect between nations in the region. It created space for countries to chart their own political course free from domination by competing bigger powers,” he said.
“This respect for sovereignty also motivated him to support the armed struggles against colonial regimes. He was the leader of the Frontline States for the liberation struggle against colonialism and apartheid in Southern Africa,” said Lt-Gen Sanyatwe.
