MWINYI: Why I resigned in 1974

 Daily News reporter

TANZANIA: Former Tanzanian President, Alhaji Ali Hassan Mwinyi, passed away on Thursday evening, and preparations for his burial ceremony are underway. While the final chapter of his life has closed, his legacies will ensure his name remains immortal in the minds of Tanzanians and anyone who knew or worked with him.

One of the memorable events in his political career is when he decided to resign as the

Minister for Home Affairs in the mid-1974s. In a book titled ’38 Reflections on Mwalimu Nyerere’ by Professor Mark Mwandosya and Juma Mwapachu, Mwinyi narrates that he was appointed as the Minister for Health in 1972 when then Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere reshuffled the cabinet. In 1973, he was shifted to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Sadly, I also did not last long as Minister for Home Affairs. In mid-1974, as I said before, I voluntarily resigned after the police in Bariadi District mistreated the people. They were arrested and incarcerated in poor conditions for the brutal killings of old women who they thought were ‘witches’ because they had very red eyes. Mwalimu respected my decision to resign.

“I did not want Mwalimu to bear the burden of national shame. I did not wait for Mwalimu to sack me. I wrote a letter of resignation. Of course, he later summoned me, but by then, I had resigned. I went to his home in Msasani. He saw me coming and came to meet me. He helped me get out of my car and welcomed me kindly. He took my hand and asked me, ‘How are you?’ We walked to his sitting area to talk. Mzee Rashidi Kawawa was there. He thanked me for resigning. I did not find him annoyed or angry,” he was quoted as saying.

Explaining then President Nyerere’s reaction regarding his resignation decision, he said Mwalimu was blessed with the ability to recognize or visualize human conduct, the kindness, and goodness of the people he met.

“He was a good teacher; he clearly studied psychology as a teacher. What comes quickly to mind in my relationship with Mwalimu is when I resigned as Minister for Home Affairs in 1974,” he said.