Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has paid tribute to Tanzania and its founding President Julius Nyerere for the critical role in training and accommodating Zimbabwean freedom fighters during the southern African nation’s struggle for the country’s independence in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mugabe eulogized Nyerere at a book launch in Harare to commemorate the late President who ruled Tanzania from independence and voluntarily gave up power to Ali Hassan Mwinyi in 1985.
Mugabe said that in addition to accommodating Zimbabwean freedom fighters who stayed in various bases in their country, Tanzania also carried the burdens of liberation fighters from Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau.
The Zimbabwean president who is the out-going chair of the African Union (AU) expressed his joy that the continental body will be honouring Nyerere by naming one of its buildings after him.
“I was overjoyed that the building under construction to house the African Union Peace and Security Council will be named after Mwalimu Julius Nyerere,” said Mugabe.
“Mwalimu contributed immensely to the establishment of Pan African Freedom Movement of East and Central Africa, a precursor to the Organisation of African Unity. Mwalimu’s belief was that freedom and independence would only be achieved if people worked together.”
The front cover of the new book
Describing Nyerere as a “an eminent symbol of unity and freedom,” Mugabe also revealed that many liberation movements in Africa used Mwalimu Nyerere’s links with China to also establish relationships with Beijing.
“The west will pretend, demand and punish but Look East, you have a friend prepared to share your struggle with you. We followed Mwalimu’s tracks to the east. Today our relations with China are solid. The book is a befitting tribute to a great statesman, liberator and pan African par excellence,” gushed Mugabe at the ceremony that was attended by several government officials, academics as well the Tanzania ambassador to Zimbabwe Mwanananga Mwanapanga.
The back cover
The book titled “Julius Nyerere -Asante Sana, Thank You Mwalimu” is dedicated to the life and works of Nyerere. The book is a compilation of speeches by Cde Nyerere and articles by scholars. It was published by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, House of Books, African Publishing Group and Mkuki Na Nyota of Tanzania.
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