TANZANIA celebrates her 61 years today. Sixty-one years, while at an individual level is a time to be thankful for life, reflect on a working career and adjust to life without regular work, at the national level is a time to reflect and reconsider on what could catapult the nation’s ambition to the next level.
In my view, for Tanzania in this digital economy age over whelmed by global geopolitical dynamics, a new journey has begun and given existing macroeconomic conditions Tanzania is posed to grapple with these challenges to take Tanzania to the promised land of milk and honey.
Given diverse assessments across Tanzanians on 61 years landmark of our independence, in my view, it is time to change our mindset from one of dependency to one of achieving our common destiny that will benefit our future generation as President Samia Suluhu Hassan continues to oversee Tanzanians affairs to make Tanzania truly economically independent, particularly at the face of the region and international community.
Economic independence when realized will give us the respect and dignity Tanzania deserves as a nation grounded not only on respect for each other but a nation that is aware that if we don’t appreciate our pride, we cannot truly be economically and politically independent.
We can’t continue to pay out money in other countries and expect our economy to be strong. We must understand that Tanzania can only be built by Tanzanians today and tomorrow.
Even though we are 61 years of independence from Britain, many young Tanzanians are still willing to spend lots of money to travel to Britain in search of greener pastures.
This mindset must change. 61 years of independence must make us love our country. Must make us love Tanzania. Loving our country must not be by word of mouth, Tanzania must demonstrate that being involved in economic, political and social activities that put Tanzania first is what all Tanzania need now more than ever before.
The more you travel around Tanzania, the more you will know Tanzania and appreciate how beautiful Tanzania and its people are thereby being exposed to the culture and history.
On 9th December 1961, Tanzania’s founding president, the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere declared at long last, Tanzania our beloved country is free forever to the eagerness of men and women and children when delivering his first speech to the independent nation.
Categorically 61 years on, Tanzania has lived up to her name as a relatively peaceful nation in Africa whose support to other nations to attain their independence will never be forgotten. Tanzania’s contribution to the struggle for the liberation of some current SADC member states will never be forgotten for the generation to come.
Relatively when compared to her neighbours, Tanzania has enjoyed flourishing democracy: The first 31 years of Tanzania’s independence have been characterized by oneparty philosophy-led governments interspersed that paved the way for the first multiparty election our nation experienced in 1995.
Under a multi-party system, the story of thriving democracy has been growing strong, witnessed by five years of the constitutional election that has been conducted under a multiparty election system.
Within 61 years, along with the existence of small defects that cannot be missed in the living society, the continued existence of peace and stability under the multi-party system has continued to be a sign of showing the maturity of politics in Tanzania.
This is something that as we celebrate 61 years of independence, we should be proud of our Tanzania as one nation. From 1995 to 2020, Tanzania organised general elections under a multiparty system in which power remained in the hands of the ruling party Chama cha Mapinduzi following as a winner in contested elections under a multiparty system.
For many, in the region and across global Tanzania apart from the minor quibbles, Tanzania is now a beacon of thriving democracy for the continent, where democratic institutions are consolidated, human rights are widely respected, and the media and civil society operate without superfluous state interference.
In sum, Tanzania’s credentials in organising elections and ensuring smooth transitions of power cannot be underestimated.
However, Tanzania’s democracy is not perfect, and challenges remain. Largely governance has been gaining ground in the past six decades in Tanzania. As far as the demographic bulge is concerned, Tanzania ended 1961 with a population of 10,346,695 people, which represents an increase of 294,544 people compared to 1960.
Six decades later, the population has almost quintupled to the current population of 63,792,910. With the current fertility and mortality rates, with Tanzanians living longer than before Tanzania’s population is projected to reach 100 million in 2035 and 200 million by the end of this century.
Currently, more than half of Tanzania’s population between the age of 15-64 is 54.04% as per Tanzania’s age structure from 2011 to 2021.
As we celebrate 61 years of independence there is a need to have in place national plans that will match an equal investment to transform it into a demographic dividend both in education and employment and overall welfare. In the last few national budgets, Tanzania implemented a policy to make public education at the secondary level free and accessible to all.
As a result, thousands of children who would have otherwise dropped out of school were enrolled on the program. The implementation and roll-out will take some time before the full effect and impact on the overall quality of education delivered are seen or felt.
As we celebrate these 61 years, there is no doubt Tanzania’s future is hinged on the opportunities that will be created for young people in the next few years.
The country stands at a tipping point and lack of ability to meet the growing demands of the youthful population may become a toxic brew whose consequences might be unbearable. What is needed is to start working with the young population to empower them to exploit legal economic opportunities brought about by the emerging digital economy.
Economically, Tanzania has been largely agrarian with heavy dependence on coffee, gold, gas and, more recently, avocado.
From 1961-1980, agriculture accounted significantly as a source of employment for the country’s labour force. But with global dynamics and external influences coupled with the climatic weather conditions, the contribution of the agriculture sector hasn’t been growing as compared to other nations with similar conditions.
Food and crop production, as we celebrate 61 years of independence, is an area that as a country, we need to think strategically on how to raise productivity and how through incentives within resources the country could make the sector attractive to the young population.
Internationally, ongoing World bank loans agreements such as 1.24tril/ and 13.92 bn/- signed last months and many more concessional loans agreements signed recently are proof testimony of how Tanzania is being accepted not only by international institutions but with development partners such as China and EU that continues to see Tanzania under 6th phase government led by President Samia as their true development partner.
After 61 years of independence, Tanzania’s economy has not seen enough structural transformation to propel it into an economic giant. In my view, more can be achieved if we have a common agenda as a nation.
This must be a call on policymakers to do more in transforming the structure of the economy especially as global geopolitics continues to be a threat to domestic national development plans.
Together with the pains that this country of Tanzania has gone through since we gained independence in 1961, the losses of our great leaders such as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Benjamin Mkapa and John Pombe Magufuli and many nationalistic leaders who fought day and night to ensure this nation remains peacefully, after 61 years of independence, important progress has been achieved, but there is potential for further reforms to strengthen Tanzania’s self-governing institutions.
Many Tanzanians are yet to experience the economic liberation that comes with independence; youth unemployment and continued informal sectors whose income doesn’t filter into the tax net to help government perform and maintain public good remain a threat to the security of the country, and many young people feel that their dreams can only be achieved elsewhere.
As we celebrate 61 years, if opportunities and enabling environments remain inadequate, the promises of independence will continue to be a vision for many Tanzanians.
I do believe, however, ultimately, Tanzania’s future will be determined and shaped by Tanzanians themselves but importantly by visionary and accountable leadership.
The onus and responsibility, however, lies on young people to demand that leadership deliver now and prepare the ground for the future to come to feel proud of being Tanzanians.
