Unselfishness, transparency key secrets to Union success

TANZANIA: A LONG-SERVING former Permanent Secretary and legislator, Mzee William Shelukindo , says the uniqueness in merging the two countries into one, which was guided by transparency and unselfish conduct, laid a strong foundation for the formation of the Union.

He said as the nation marks the 60th anniversary of the Tanganyika and Zanzibar Union, it is imperative for the younger generation to understand where this unique Union came from and why it has remained strong to date.

He said the Union serves as a good example in Africa and the world at large.

Speaking during a special interview with the ‘Daily News,’ Mzee Shelukindo said the founding fathers, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Abeid Amani Karume, decided to come up with something new without copying from anywhere.

He said the two formed the Union in a special and unique system without copying from other countries that had already united at that particular time.

“It is this exceptionality that makes this Union special in the world. Other unions collapsed a few years after they were formed, but ours, we thank God, is strong, and it is getting better as years go by,” he noted.

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He added that the two leaders were not guided by greed and selfishness when they decided to form the Union. Instead, they focused on the welfare of ‘wananchi’ on both sides of the Union.

“Our former leaders did not form the Union to accumulate wealth or enrich their relatives and friends. Their main focus was to see positive changes and ensure people live a good life. This has helped a lot to keep this union strong and unique in Africa and elsewhere,” he said.

Mzee Shelukindo said the 60-year Union stands on the strong foundation of unity, peace, and love among the citizens.

He noted that the Kiswahili language is another factor that helps to keep Tanzanians together. He said the language helped Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Karume bring people together and that it has continued to be used until today.

“I am proud of the Union since it has united us together. Today, MPs are just referred to as MPs in the House. You cannot hear anyone referring to those from the other side of the union as Zanzibaris MPs.

We see each other as one. Also, there are many people in various job positions who are from Zanzibar. This means job opportunities are offered equally. This is very healthy for the Union,” he said.

Mzee Shelukindo, who served as Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office and Prime Minister’s Office between 1978 and 1995, said among the goals of the Union was to ensure peace and security by considering the geographical position of Zanzibar, bringing people together, and focusing on development programmes.

“I was first employed in the colonial government in 1959 as a teacher. Two years later, we got independent, and in 1964 the Union was born. Therefore, I was there and I witnessed the process, and the reasons behind the formation of the Union were well understood,” he noted.

Moreover, Mzee Shelukindo, who is also a former MP of Bumbuli (CCM) from 1995 to 2010, said in strengthening the Union, there is a need for continuous review of challenges that face the Union.

According to Mr Shelukindo, there were some issues that need attention to keep things moving smoothly.

He said in 1992, the then President, Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi, formed a 10-people committee, which was later termed the Shelukindo committee.

The committee comprised five permanent secretaries from Zanzibar and their counterparts from the mainland. It was led by Mzee Shelukindo.

He said the team was tasked to find out and analyse Union vexes, and its report, which included recommendations, was presented in the National Assembly.

Among the major things recommended in the document was the formation of the commission to coordinate and oversee the allocation of resources under the Union.

He added that the recommendations were implemented during former President William Mkapa’s leadership when he also formed a seven-people team to deal with the matter.

He said three members came from Zanzibar, three from the mainland, and he was once again the chairman of the commission.

“We were given three years to deal with the matter. We did our job from 2003 to 2006. We visited 11 countries to acquire knowledge and experience on running matters under a union type of government or related kinds of systems,” he said.

He added: “We visited India, South Africa, Spain, Nigeria, Howland Island, and many others. Our aim was to learn how they divide and share resources.”

According to Mzee Shelukindo, a lot has been done to resolve the union vexes, and he is confident the remaining challenges will be resolved from time to time.

“Challenges will always be there, but since this union was situated on a strong foundation and built on strong pillars, it is becoming stronger year after year,” he said.