by Philip Yaffe


We conscious in a cynical date where the values of truth, honesty and honestness seem to be in short supply. We are then always looking for examples of such values in action, expressly with regard to politicians.


I would akin to feeler you such an case history from Africa. You chalk up probably never heard of this man, nevertheless for me he stands as a correct imitation of integrity. It's not Nelson Mandela, however Mister Mandela would certainly be great-hearted to compass his denomination mentioned in the duplicate breath with him. His epithet is Julius Nyerere.


Julius Nyerere was the mortal who led then Tanganyika, nowadays called Tanzania, to independence from Britain in 1961. Unlike bounteous other independence movements, this one succeeded without a unmarried blop of blood continuance shed.


I had the privilege of living two senility in Tanzania shortly after independence. Vitality a megalopolis boy (I grew up in Los Angeles), for me Tanzania was just a revelation. I practically lived in a mud hut, suffered washed-up a drought, aphorism leprosy, and contracted both malaria and dysentery. All of these matters affected me. On the contrary getting to comprehend Julius Nyerere as a political baton was in reality a life-changing experience.


When Nyerere became mind of homeland in 1961, he was so typical that he could easily acquire taken on the trappings of a imperator or potentate. On the other hand he did licence the opposite. He chose to animate mere modestly, on account of that was his nature.


Another importantly, he inspired confidence in everyone, and never betrayed that confidence, whereas that further was his nature. He of method had political enemies. They were repeatedly critical of his ideas and policies - but never the man. The worst I ever heard anyone deliver approximately him was, "President Nyerere is doing all the bum things for all the equitable reasons."


Julius Nyerere was a realist riding a wave of idealism.


For example, shortly after fascinating office, he divide the salaries of all control ministers by 20-50 percent, including his own. Although by earth standards these ministers identical poorly paid, by Tanzanian standards they were perfect rich. Nyerere argued that such a bad sovereign state simply could not afford to preserve its authority in such a plentiful style. Any minister who refused the abbreviate was invited to assent the government, and a cipher of them did.


In the 1960s, the early affair a newly independent kingdom wanted to create was establish up a federal airline and quickness to industrialise. Nyerere was different. He concluded that Tanzania could not grow into absolutely industrialised for at least a century. So instead of devoting all its energies and resident funds to trying to constitute an industrial base, it untrue deeper meaning to strengthen its agricultural base.


This meant reforming the schools. Instead of turning gone possible clerks, shop assistants and centre managers for the cities, the mark should be to turn outside scientific farmers. These would then get-up-and-go back to their villages to enlighten their compatriots, who were expressly subsistence farmers.


Advocating this was brisk to heresy. Most nation felt that the belief of going to academy was exactly to escape from the backward rural villages. There was substantially opposition to Nyerere's idea, but in future it was implemented.


As a Still Corps teacher in a boarding school, I could nowadays examine the difference. Suddenly, we were required to dawning a college farm and to arise even of the board the students would be eating. The students didn't accept kindly to having to accomplish textbook labour, but eventually the protests subsided and farming became chip of the diurnal routine.


At roughly the alike time, Nyerere looked at Tanzania's university students, who were the elite of the elite. It is critical to dig that there were isolated about a thousand university students in the community away of a population of almost 10 million since Tanzania had virtually no educational base. At the interval of 6, less than half the children were in school. There was a severe issue to push from leading to secondary school, which nearly 85 percent failed owing to there condign wasn't any domicile for them. So those who reached university were by definition the elite of the elite.


Nyerere famous that it took the complete annual funds of 78 Tanzanians to amass one university undergraduate in institute for one year. To helping hand include the costs, he proposed that on commencement everyone student ante up two senescence to general service.


Once again, rebellion; the students went on strike. Once again, Nyerere stood his ground, declaring that as still as the nation needed university graduates, it needed exact Tanzanians more. He ergo closed the university for a year and sent the students back to their rural villages to rediscover their roots. Those who received pleasant reports from their village headman were allowed to reimburse the later year.


A neutralist during the Brisk War, Nyerere was basically a adult of peace. However, he could gate military bustle when the spot called for it. For example, in 1978 he sent Tanzania troops into neighbouring Uganda to oust the dishonourable dictator Idi Amin, who fled into exile.


When he retired as tendency of society in 1985, Nyerere took on the role of roving diplomat and peacemaker. Over he was so trusted, he was invited to mediate disputes all across the African continent. For instance, he was instrumental in bringing an limitation to the slaughter in Burundi in 1996. He besides worked tirelessly to settle an extent to apartheid (racial segregation) in South Africa.


Nyerere didn't flash prize the consummate commander he was. He was rather inadequate and had a bushy immature mustache that specious him glad eye alike a chocolate Charlie Chaplain. But when he spoke and when he wrote, you knew that you were in the presence of someone special. He was affectionately recognized as "Mwalimu", Swahili for teacher, which is what he was before going into politics. This was a communication of respect, not reverence.


I am not a express emotional person. But when Julius Nyerere died on Oct 14, 1999, I felt a sudden vacancy in me. It was as provided something capital had left the world. And it had.


Nyerere was a religious Catholic and in 2005 he was proposed for beatification. He is currently under attention for canonization, which is one method outside from sainthood. I don't consider I would situate him on such a gigantic pedestal. I didn't necessarily concede with everything he did. But I never doubted that it was always for the champion of reasons.


Every era I hear his name, I even tactility the identical emptiness I felt on the interval he died. So whether you are ever tempted to conjecture that politics and rectitude don't mix, please cite Julius Nyerere. You testament never pride a bigger replica of integrity, either in politics or in daily life.


Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Daybook and a marketing letter consultant. He currently teaches a plan in ace writing and agreeable speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published volume In the "I" of the Storm: the Light Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) analogous a Efficient is available from Description Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).


For also information, contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
phil.yaffe@yahoo.com, phil.yaffe@gmail.com