When
African nationalists worked together for the benefit of all. That is
self-evident in this letter written by Julius Nyerere of Tanganyika to
Kanyama Chiume in 1960, when the latter was exiled in London during the
State of Emergency in Nyasaland. From the London office, Chiume had the
task of keeping NAC party alive at international stage, at a time when
it was banned from operating in Nyasaland
and some of its leaders chased out of the protectorate while others
were detained after Operation Sunrise (Kamuzu Banda along with Masauko
Chipembere, Dunduzu Chisiza and Yatuta Chisiza were languishing in jail
in Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia).
This letter, found at the British National Archives in London by Prof. Azaria Mbughuli, a historian at Spelman College, shows the extent of cooperation between African freedom fighters. Prof Mbughuni adds:
"The letter is yet another reminder of how Africans are interconnected. The artificial boundaries we hold on to so dearly are just that: artificial. We have come to accept them as a reality. Nyerere and Chiume worked closely through
This letter, found at the British National Archives in London by Prof. Azaria Mbughuli, a historian at Spelman College, shows the extent of cooperation between African freedom fighters. Prof Mbughuni adds:
"The letter is yet another reminder of how Africans are interconnected. The artificial boundaries we hold on to so dearly are just that: artificial. We have come to accept them as a reality. Nyerere and Chiume worked closely through
PAFMECA/PAFMECSA, both espoused Pan Africanism as an ideology of unity
and a tool for liberation. If one looks really closely at Chiume's
story, you realize the foolishness of the colonial boundaries. Born in
Nyasaland, Chiume lived in Tanganyika from age 8 with relatives, went to
school in Tanganyika, attended school inTabora with the likes of
Kambona, taught in Dodoma (resigned his position in 1955), collaborated
with TANU in the mid-1950s, 60s, basically throughout most of his
political carrier; and off course, eventually married a Tanzanian. TANU
provided regular support to Nyasaland African Congress in the late 1950s
through him. I came across a peculiar situation in early 1950s where
Nyerere is asking Odinga of Kenya to help him talk to the Luo in
Tanganyika because they did not want to join TANU! You have ethnic
groups split by artificial boundaries; it is no surprise that people
from different "territories" worked closely together to demand freedom
and independence."
0 comments:
Post a Comment