Nyerere, Mwinyi media role recognised
TANZANIA’S founding father, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and the late former President, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, are set to be posthumously honoured tomorrow for their profound contributions to the nation’s media industry and broader development.
The awards are part of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT)’s 30th-anniversary commemoration at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).
MCT’s statement, released over the weekend, highlighted Mwalimu Nyerere’s pivotal role in laying the foundations for the strategic use of media in the liberation of Southern African countries.
These solid foundations empowered freedom fighters to communicate effectively and ultimately achieve their struggle for independence.
“Nyerere vigorously championed the establishment of national broadcasting stations in various African countries, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, the statement reads in part.
ALSO READ: Govt, media align to ensure credible, peaceful election
“His vision ensured media served as a vital instrument for education, national unity and safeguarding African values, enabling Africans to reclaim their narratives, history, heritage and destiny.”
“The award therefore honours his outstanding use of media in Africa’s liberation struggle, building continental peace and unity and promoting democracy.” According to the statement, the tribute to Mwalimu Nyerere is realised through a partnership between Azam Group and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA).
This collaboration acknowledges Nyerere’s 1961 Arusha Manifesto on Conservation, which underscored the critical importance of wildlife preservation for Africa’s future.
Nyerere famously stated, “The survival of wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all people in Africa. We will do everything in our power to make sure that our children’s grandchildren will be able to enjoy this rich and precious inheritance.” Under his leadership, over 28 per cent of Tanzania’s land was designated for conservation, including 13 national parks and numerous game and forest reserves, fostering peaceful coexistence between wildlife and Maasai communities.
MCT rightfully regards him as Tanzania’s “First Conservationist.” The MCT proposes that this award be institutionalized as the Mwalimu Nyerere Pan-African Wildlife Conservation Awards, serving as an ongoing inspiration for wildlife conservation across Africa and globally.
The second award will posthumously honor the late Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania’s second President. MCT’s statement noted that President Mwinyi “did not hesitate to permit major reforms that enabled re-introduction of multiparty democracy.
Under his leadership, the government permitted establishment and ownership of private media by Tanzanians,” reads the statement. “More significantly, the creation of an independent Media Council through which media practitioners could oversee their own professionalism and ethics rather than being regulated by government.” In that regard, the award echoes Mr Mwinyi’s exemplary leadership in fostering media pluralism and self-regulation in Tanzania.
According to the statement, the award has been presented through the generous partnership of Azam Group and the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism.
MCT further proposed this award be institutionalised as the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Conservation and Sustainable Tourism Awards, to promote sustainable and conservation tourism in Zanzibar, across Africa, and globally. Historically, MCT was started by the media fraternity as an independent, voluntary, non-statutory regulatory body on June 30, 1995.
