GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, AT TRIBUTE HONOURING JULIUS NYERERE, PRAISES HIM AS LIBERATOR, THINKER, TEACHER AND MENTOR

Press Release
GA/SM/114

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, AT TRIBUTE HONOURING JULIUS NYERERE, PRAISES HIM AS LIBERATOR, THINKER, TEACHER AND MENTOR

Following is the statement of the President of the General Assembly, Theo Ben-Gurirab (Namibia) at a tribute honouring the founder and first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Julius K. Nyerere, who died on 14 October, delivered in New York on 25 October:

This is yet another solemn occasion where we are gathered to honour the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and to remember his sterling deeds and eloquent words in the interest of Africa’ s liberation, human dignity and cooperation for the common good of humankind everywhere.

In my capacity as the President of the United Nations General Assembly, I made a statement on 14 October 1999, together with the statement also delivered on that day of Louise Frechette, Deputy Secretary-General, expressing the overwhelming shock and sadness that we all felt, as well as conveying the heartfelt sympathy and condolences of the United Nations family to the Government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania and especially to the bereaved family, relatives and friends of the late former President of their great country.

Our Secretary-General had also echoed those sentiments and will, once again, have another opportunity here.

I went to Dar es Salaam for the funeral of Mwalimu and to sit down with my Tanzanian brothers, sisters and friends for reflecting and reminiscing. I had to go personally. I did so for that familial reason which is what our tradition expects of us. But I did go also for a strictly personal reason to see off, so to speak, my own teacher and mentor.

Thirty-six years ago, I arrived in the then Tanganyika, as a young lad, driven into exile by the irresistible spirit of "Uhuru" and fired on from inside by a powerful force of Pan-Africanism. It was in Dar es Salaam, then the mecca of every African freedom-fighter and nationalist, where my political consciousness was turned right side up and given a compelling focus.

The Mwalimu I met was the liberator, thinker, strategist, organizer and our kinder and gentler teacher on the politics of

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liberation, African unity, nation-building and internationalist solidarity of the peoples of the third world, working in active solidarity with the peace-loving and progressive sections of the world - - a united front against the forces of colonialism, apartheid, oppression, exploitation, hegemony and divide-and-rule.

It was Mwalimu who, together with the great Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, strengthened decisively my own commitment for Namibia’s liberation and national independence. The South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) cause thus became even more clearer for me, and our leader, Sam Nujoma, linked up intimately with Mwalimu as his inspiration and guide. Any dangers than may have faced us were tempered by the confidence and the excitement we felt, fortified in the knowledge that Africa shall be free and that patriotic Namibians in exile would return home triumphantly as liberators and future leaders of an independent Namibia. That did, of course, happen later rather than sooner, contrary to what we had thought then.

When I eventually left the soon-to-be United Republic of Tanzania in June 1963 for the United States, as a United Nations Fellow, I did so walking tall and filled with an unswerving reassurance that all ahead would be easy and comfortable. Well, the latter part of this statement, as history would record, turned out not quite that way. The struggle became long, bitter and demanding in every possible way. My own studies and diplomatic career abroad also extended in new directions. But that’s another story.

In Dar es Salaam, last week, I was reunited in a dramatic way with my footprints, memories and lasting experiences. I also met many of my erstwhile collaborators and a few benefactors, without whose help my initial plans would have been fruitless. The programme prepared for the state funeral ceremony for Mwalimu Nyerere was most befitting and memorable for all times. I was deeply moved and highly honoured by the kind gesture of according me a place of consideration on the programme.

As we would say, in the world of African spirituality, even from the place where he had ascended to, Mwalimu was able to have summoned so many of his children, followers and admirers from virtually all corners of the world. They were there from Africa, led by heads of State and government, ministers, parliamentarians and other most eminent fellow mourners. Europe, Asia, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean were represented by statesmen, royalty, senior ministers and officials, as well as numerous worthy friends, respectively. The diplomatic corps was represented in abundance, both the resident and the non-resident envoys of many countries. Not only the United Nations, but also other major international and inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the world media were there as well. Then, I must make mention a collectivity of individual friends and internationalist workers and business partners of Tanzanians in different walks of life. They were

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all there to pay a final homage to the departed unique icon among world leaders.

Mwalimu’s greatness was really summarized in the salient points in the official eulogy, statements of a selected group of special guests and particularly in President Benjamin Mkapa’s major address to the nation. He spoke of Mwalimu’s disarming humility, warmth of personality, quick mind, powerful eloquence, strategic vision, steadfast will and determination, open-mindedness, binding faith in human fellowship, but steeled will to oppose oppression, injustice and domination of the poor by the rich.

Mwalimu lived to see Africa’s total liberation and died knowing that his followers will ensure the restoration of its strong heritage and the unification of all its peoples, those on the continent and those in the diaspora.

President Mkapa concluded his address thus: "Let us not forget, my dear brothers and sisters, that the presence among us of so many leaders from our subregion and the African continent, from Europe and the Americas and from Asia is testimony to the stature in the world that Mwalimu earned for his pursuit of the legacy he has left us. Their presence here, therefore, is not only in honour of Mwalimu but also an exhortation to us to be worthy inheritors of Mwalimu’s legacy. We must stay the course."

My infinite admiration of Mwalimu is best encapsulated, again, in what President Mkapa said of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere: "Our world is composed of givers and takers. The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better. In death, as in life, Mwalimu sleeps better. For his entire life was a life of giving, not taking."

Finally, I felt exceedingly blessed that Mwalimu touched me and allowed me to have walked with him, while I was listening to his genius and seeing ahead of me an expanse of his vision for Africa’s better and bright future.

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