In African for example, we had such leaders as Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Nelson Mandela and of course our Founding Father Julius Nyerere, the list could go on and on.
But that was in those old days during the post colonial period when such leaders were struggling to give their citizens better life.They inherited their countries from colonialists with very limited educational, health and infrastructural resources including primary, secondary and university schools, hospitals, roads and factories and all other things that would be deemed basic necessities.
Just few years after assuming office however, most of these great leaders had success stories to tell in education, health, agriculture and even in infrastructural development.
My father has been telling me stories of how our founding father built factories which were later privatized on his retirement because of poor management and lack of patriotism from the would-be overseers.
He tells me of the road pavements in Ilala Mchikichini and Magomeni quarters, the areas which have become more or less like squatters at the moment from the once clean and attractive areas.
But it was a credit to the work of the former founding father Julius Nyerere and his lieutenants, over shadowed by Prime Minister Edward Moringe Sokoine. No wonder we commemorate their Days in October and April every year.
This week I was pleased that at least every newspaper in the country carried a story in commemorating the death of the late Premier in the same way as that of the Father of the Nation, proving them notion that he’s survived by the best memory among Tanzanians, 32 years after he’s gone in a car carsh.
In programmes and headlines, the nation’s media landscape was awash with praises on the late premier for his commitment to executing his duties above everything else, to serving the nation and his people while ensuring there was a corrupt free society..
I was particularly impressed with stories about how strict, stiff and iron-handed he was on public servants who dared to go off the letter of his rules and decrees. Yes! I talk about the stories because it’s something I have known either from narration or from newspaper articles as I was only three when Sokopine passed away.
He was keen to ensure that people who earned big fortunes through economic were taken to hard task that rumors were rife it was this special crackdown on this ‘mafia underworld’ that might have conspired his ‘death.’ No wonder President John Magufuli who very much likened with Sokoine has relentlessly seeking protection by asking for prayers from the public.
Since assuming power last year, the president has shown his commitment to serving the public by ensuring there is no nonsense in the implementation of various projects in the country while at the same time instilling discipline in public service.
He has shown his stance of zero tolerance on corruption and irresponsibility, with Anna Kilango Malecela being fired from the prestigious Regional commissioner’s post for Shinyanga, being a case in point.
Oh yes, there are also media stories and public speculations that liken Magufuli with the late founder of the nation Julius Nyerere especially when it comes to his intolerance in corruption. They dub him ‘bulldozer’ almost in every piece they write about him.
A man is outlived by his good deeds, isn’t it? Shakespeare in ‘Julius Caesar’ was not absolutely right when he said the good is often interred with their bones.
I had guessed, his Shakespeare’s stance can only be applicable in a situation where the evil things supersedes the good ones by a very huge margin as we keep witnessing boil piercing to government officials.
It therefore gives me courage and respect that just as we used to read about colonialists and the western world leaders great leaders of the time, they too have something to read about our leaders who are proving to leave a lifetime legacy once out of office.
This is because since democratization process in the early 90’s, very little has been recorded about African leaders with the zeal to take their nations to the next level because of lack of political will and patriotism.
We hope leaders like Magufuli and Kagame can write the new chapter about African great statesmen in democratic Africans who took hard decisions while keeping their shoulders high even if it meant going through hell to attain the need success for their people.
The writer is revise editor, the Guardian on Sunday
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