PEOPLE to break-up the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar which today we celebrate its 50th anniversary are not yet born.
Tanzanians today stand tall as they witness the Union of the two East African states established on 26th April, 1964 is half-a-century old and continues to weather the stormy way. At fifty's we still have some people with us who question about the legality of the Union that the architects left with us.
Worse still, some of them have gone an extra mile questioning about the Union document to justify its legality. That drama happened during the ongoing hot debate of the Constituent Assembly (CA) in Dodoma when deliberating on the format of the Union to be established under the new Constitution being charted.
This is not surprising because since the time of Jesus Christ, there have been some doubting Thomas in various societies. Thanks to the government for a firm stand and for tabling the necessary document before the Constituent Assembly members and proving beyond doubts about its availability.
What is happening now is actually creating awareness that there are still some enemies of the Union living within the society whom Tanzanians should be prepared to weed them out before they cause any harm to it. The destiny of the Union rests in our own hands and nobody else other than Tanzanians themselves.
Mistreating the Union is abusing our great leaders, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, the architects of the Union. In order to glorify the two leaders, Tanzanians have to protect and sustain the Union that remains the great legacy the two leaders left with us.
The union didn't come in a silver plate as some people think, it was only possible after the bloody revolution of January 12, 1964 led by Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume using clubs and other weak weapons. This means some people died in that process including local Zanzibaris who had sacrificed their lives.
We should know that what the two leaders did to us was not a simple thing, it needed devotion and sacrifices. The two leaders saw the importance of the Union between the two nations after Zanzibar revolted out the Sultanate regime from Oman.
In 1954, Julius Nyerere, a school teacher who was then one of only two Tanganyikans educated to university level, organised a political party--the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). On December 9, 1961, Tanganyika became an independent Commonwealth realm and Nyerere became Prime Minister, under a new constitution.
On December 9, 1962, a republican constitution was implemented with Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere as Tanganyika's first president. Zanzibar received its independence from the United Kingdom on December 10, 1963, as a constitutional monarchy under the Sultan.
On January 12, 1964, the African majority revolted against the sultan and a new government was formed with the ASP leader, Abeid Karume, as President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. After toppling the Sultanate regime, Sheikh Karume and Mwalimu Nyerere brainstormed about the concept of uniting the two nations for the prosperity of the people of the East African nations.
On April 26, 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania on October 29 of that year. The name Tanzania is a blend of Tanganyika and Zanzibar and previously had no significance.
Under the terms of this union, the Zanzibar Government retains considerable local autonomy. Most mainlanders and Zanzibaris have stated categorically that they need the Union, but there are few culprits who want to destroy it for their own interests.
Tanzanians are reluctant to have neither a three-tier government union nor a single government union. Apart from being too expensive, the three-tier government automatically weaken or disintegrate the Union between the sister nations. They need a two-tier government.
They argue that three-tier government union would increase expenses to Tanzanians and it won't be of any profit to Tanzanians. They say that the two-tier government has been very effective and palatable. The idea of continuing with the current two-tier union system has also been supported by scholars and students of higher learning institutions.
Even the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) advocates and is in favour of the two-tier government union system. Those who are against the two-tier government and advocating the three-tier government and federation are mainly from the opposition camp, mainly Civic United Front which is in favour of the Federation and Chama cha Maendeleo na Demokrasia (CHADEMA) is in favour of the three-tier government union. Ultimately, the general public will have the final decision on which system the Union should be.
No Comment to " Tanzania: Two-Tier Government Union Sounds Sweet, Favourable to Most Tanzanians "