By Noor Shija
Dar es Salaam —
"Without unity, there is no future for Africa." This is one of the
famous quotes by Tanzania's founding President, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage
Nyerere, that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has
lived up to since its establishment in 1992.
And, as the heads
of state and government of the 16-member bloc are expected to meet in
Dar es Salaam for the 39th summit, the role that Tanzania, and Mwalimu
Nyerere in particular, played in the
formation of the body becomes even
critical and clearer.
The formation of
Sadc, was proceeded by the Southern African Development Coordination
Conference (Sadcc), which was formed in Lusaka, Zambia on April 1, 1980
with the adoption of the Lusaka Declaration (Southern Africa: Towards
Economic Liberation).
The idea of forming
Sadcc, a tool of the Frontline States that struggled against racism and
dictatorship in the southern African states, was born in Tanzania.
In 1979, Mwalimu
Nyerere hosted the leaders of the Frontline States in Arusha, who at the
end of their talks, came up with a statement on the birth of a new
organisation, Sadcc.
Tanzania's former
permanent secretary, who served in different ministries, Mr Uledi Mussa,
said during a training seminar for journalists about Sadc that without
the participation and contribution of Tanzania to the liberation
struggle of the Southern African Region, Sadc may have not existed.
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Uledi says many
countries that formed the Frontline States would not have economically
and militarily withstood the provocations of the apartheid and the
brutality of the government of South Africa without the sincere
participation of Tanzania.
According to Mr
Uledi, the Frontline States later became well-prepared after the
establishment of Sadcc, particularly by being economically independent.
He says the
formation of Sadc was not easy. The Frontline States had gone through
years of great pain and loses as they fought against apartheid and
segregation during the liberation struggle.
The beginning
The regional
cooperation began in 1980 as a bloc of the frontline states in Lusaka,
Zambia, where leaders of six states including Mwalimu Julius Nyerere,
Samora Machel (Mozambique), Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) and their host,
Kenneth Kaunda, met.
After Namibia
attained independence, the leaders met in Windhoek on August 17, 1992,
where they decided to change the name of Sadcc to Sadc with some
development goals of the region.
Sadc, whose
headquarters are located in Gaborone, Botswana, has the goals of
developing economic cooperation, integration, politics, defence and
security.
Kikwete on Tanzania's role
The role of
Tanzania in Sadc was amplified by former President Jakaya Kikwete during
the burial of retired President of South Africa and freedom fighter, Mr
Nelson Mandela.
Mr Kikwete was
accorded a stunning ovation when he made a speech at Mandela's funneral
as he detailed about how Tanzania contributed immensely to the
liberation struggle of the southern African states.
Mr Kikwete told
mourners, for instance, that in January, 1962, Mandela sneaked into
Tanganyika without a passport and held talks with Mwalimu Nyerere about
the struggle for the liberation of South Africa.
Following the
talks, Nyerere decided to allocate pieces of land for the liberation
fighters of South Africa to set up camps for military activities in the
areas of Kongwa (Dodoma), Mgagao (Iringa), Mazimbu and Dakawa
(Morogoro).
Through the
influence of Nyerere, residents of Kihesa Village, Iringa Region,
offered the Mgagao area for the accommodation of the South African
freedom fighters.
Among the freedom
fighters, who happened to have lived with the late president of South
Africa, Nelson Mandela, and his wife, Winnie, is the incumbent President
of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, who led the liberation struggle from
Kihesa Mgagao.
Kikwete said apart
from helping the freedom fighters securing passports, Tanzania was
forced to brand them with fake names so that they could carry out their
activities without a problem.
Samora trained in Tanzania
Tanzania's efforts
in supporting the freedom fighters did not end in South Africa as the
efforts also immeasurably involved the liberation of Mozambique until it
gained independence on June 25, 1975 from the Portuguese rulers through
war led by Samora Machel.
Mr Machel attended
voluntary military training in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and later was
among the fighters of the Frelimo Party, who were sent to Algeria for
further military training.
When he returned to
Tanzania from Algeria, Machel was chosen to lead the military camp of
the Frelimo freedom fighters in Kongwa.
Mr Machel and his
soldiers, who fought for independence, set up camp in Tanzania. Nyerere
visited them regularly to lay down strategies of attaining independence,
Dr Ayoub Rioba, who
was a facilitator in the training for the journalists, says the leaders
of the nine states, who met in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1980 had vital
philosophies in forming Sadcc.
He mentioned the philosophies as freedom, equality, justice, unity, being independent and that of better social lives.
He says the other
importance of the integration is to protect the cultures of the Sadc
member states, which, to a large extent, he adds, are likened to stiff
porridge eaten by almost all nations, with the difference of names.
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