It is customary
in many countries of the world to play practical but harmless jokes on one's
friends on the 1st of April. Our
neighbour Nyerere chose the 25th of April for his gigantic hoax on Zanzibar.
On the fateful
day Abedi Amani Karume, of Zanzibar and Julius Nyerere, of Tanganyika signed a
piece of paper - Article of Union -
(appendixed below) which sold away for good the freedom and sovereignty
of our ancient country and people. That was a tragic event not only for
Zanzibar, but also for Tanganyika as well as for the whole region of East and
Central Africa. Freedom, like Peace, is
indivisible. When freedom is destroyed in the farthest corner of the world the
freedom of the whole world is threatened.
How much so when catastrophe of un-imaginable magnitude; for Nyerere it
was a fulfillment of a dream.
GOVERNMENT NOTICE NO. 243 PUBLISHED ON
1/5/64. THE ACTS OF UNION OF TANGANYIKA AND ZANZIBAR.
NOTICE: It is hereby
notified that the following law was made by the Revolution Council of Zanzibar
in conjunction with the Cabinet of Ministers thereof, on twenty-fifth day of
April 1964.
THE SCHEDULE: ARTICLE OF UNION BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF TANGANYIKA AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ZANZIBAR
WHEREAS the
Government of the Republic of Tanganyika and of the People's Republic of Zanzibar, being mindful of the
long association of the peoples of these
lands and of their ties of kinship and amity, and being desirous of furthering that association and strengthening
these ties and of furthering the unity
of African peoples, have met and considered the union of the Republic of Tanganyika with the People's
Republic of Zanzibar.
AND WHEREAS the
Government of the Republic of Tanganyika and of the People's Republic of Zanzibar are desirous that the
two Republics shall be united in one
sovereign Republic in accordance with the Articles hereinafter contained: -
It is therefore,
AGREED between the Government of the Republic of Tanganyika and of the People's
Republic of Zanzibar as follows: -
(i) The Republic
of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar shall be united in one
Sovereign Republic.
(ii) During the
period from the commencement of the union until the Constitution for the United
Republic (hereafter referred to as the interim period) the united Republic
shall be governed in accordance with the provisions of Articles (iii) and (iv).
(iii) During the
interim period the Constitution of the United Republic shall be the Constitution of Tanganyika so
modified as to provide for: -
a. a separate
legislature and executive in and for Zanzibar as from time to time constituted in accordance with the
existing law of Zanzibar and having
exclusive authority within Zanzibar for matters other than those
reserved to the Parliament and Executive
of the United Republic;
b. the offices
of two Vice-Presidents one of whom (being a person normally resident in Zanzibar) shall be the head of
the aforesaid executive in and for Zanzibar and shall be the principal
assistant of the President of the United
Republic in the discharge of his executive functions in relation to Zanzibar;
c. the
representation of Zanzibar in the Parliament of the United Republic;
d. such other
matters as may be expedient or desirable to give effect to the United Republic
and to these Articles.
(iv) There shall
be reserved to the Parliament and Executive of the United Republic the
following matters:
a. The
Constitution and Government of the United Republic;
b. External
Affairs;
c. Defence;
d. Police;
e. Emergency
Powers;
f. Citizenship;
g. Immigration;
h. External
trade and borrowing;
i. The Public
service of the United Republic;
j. Income tax,
corporation tax, customs and excise;
k. Harbours,
civil aviation, posts and telegraphs; and the said Parliament and Executive
shall have exclusive authority in such matters throughout and for the purposes
of the United Republic and in addition exclusive authority in respect of all
other matters in and for Tanganyika.
(v) The existing
laws of Tanganyika and of Zanzibar shall remain in force in their respective
territories subject:-
a. to any
provision made hereafter by competent legislature;
b. to such
provision as may be made by order of the President of the United Republic for
the extension to Zanzibar of any law relating to any of the matters set out in
Article (iv), and the revocation of any corresponding law of Zanzibar;
c. to such
amendment as may be expedient or desirable to give effect to the union and to
these Articles.
(vi) a. The first President of the United Republic
shall be Mwalimu JULIUS K. NYERERE and he shall carry on the Government of the United Republic in
accordance with the provision of these Articles and with the assistance of the
Vice President aforesaid and of such other ministers and officers as he may
appoint from Tanganyika and Zanzibar and their respective public services.
b. The first
Vice President from Zanzibar to be appointed in accordance with the
modifications provided for in Article (iii) shall be Sheikh ABEID KARUME.
(vii) The
President of the United Republic in agreement with the Vice-President who
is head of the Executive in Zanzibar
shall:-
a. Appoint a
Commission to make proposals for a Constitution for the United Republic.
b. Summon a
Constituent Assembly composed of Representatives from Tanganyika and from
Zanzibar in such members as they may determine to meet within one year of the
commencement of the union for the purpose of considering the proposals of the
Commission aforesaid and to adopt a Constitution for the United Republic.
(viii) These
Articles shall be subject to the enactment of laws by the Parliament of
Tanganyika and by the Revolutionary Council of the People's Republic of
Zanzibar in conjunction with the Cabinet of Ministers thereof, ratifying the
same and providing for the Government of the United Republic and of Zanzibar in
accordance therewith.
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF Julius K. Nyerere, the President of Republic of Tanganyika, and Abeid
Karume, the President of the People's Republic of Zanzibar, have signed these
Articles, in duplicate, at Zanzibar, on this twenty-second day of April
1964. (Unquote).
The above
document was the beginning to an end of the State of Zanzibar. In 1956 Nyerere
with the convenience of the British administration in Tanganyika and Zanzibar
and under its full blessings came to Zanzibar to complete his establishing of
the Afro-Shirazi. Eight years later
-1964 - the evil seeds that Nyerere planted bore its monstrous fruit. Zanzibar
was swallowed and digested to become part and percale of a new-fanged nation
called Tanzania. At that moment the State of Zanzibar ceased to exist, it has
even been wipped out from the world map.
Nothing but Tanzania.
Hoax Turned Sour
The hoax that
Nyerere played on Zanzibar has turned sour, not only in respect of the delude
islanders, but also in respect of Tanganyikans. The annexation called union has
become a millstone round the neck of all Tanzanians. It has become a tremendous liability.
Poverty, disease, ignorance, humiliation and contempt have become the hallmark
of the so called union since its inauguration on 25th April, 1964. The
international press has at times caricatured Nyerere as a python who has
swallowed a goat but incapable of completely digesting it or vomiting it. Only
few years after the union Nyerere in obvious despair stated publicly, and his
speech was broadcast live: - "This union with Zanzibar has brought us
nothing but Balaa! Balaa!! Trouble! Trouble!!". It is known that his aides
would often privately advise him to dissolve the monstrous union, but having
crossed the Rubicon there could be no turning back with a man who fancied
himself a reincarnation of his Roman namesake, Julius Caesar, whose Shakespearean
play he has translated in Swahili. He had his pride to think about. How else would he leave his mark in history?
It is true that
Zanzibar has been dominated, conquered and subjugated. In this lop-sided union between a mouse and a
cat nothing is shared equally except backwardness, squalor and the impoverished
Tanzania shilling, which on free market is worth 1/20 on its next door
counterpart if anything so dramatically demonstrates the deterioration of the
Tanzania union since its inception twenty years ago Nyerere's currency does it
remarkably well.
However, history
or not, truth cannot be distorted forever, and one cannot deceive all the
people all the time. Tyrants, stooges, renegades, hypocrites and cowards may
flourish for a time, but sooner or later, the truth be unveiled and culprits
will see themselves in their complete nudity.
This is not the
first time that Zanzibar has undergone the painful experience of being
subjected to foreign rule. Just as we
were able to shake off the oppressive Portuguese rule, and the imperialism of
Britain we should not shirk our duty in ridding the country from any tyranny. No physical pleasure can well and truly allay
the pangs of conscience for duty not done. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe
it to our fathers and mothers that begot us, and our children and the children
of our children yet unborn, to liberate the land of our ancestors from
oppression and from alien domination. Above it we owe to our Maker to fulfill
the mission for which He created us and fashioned us to fit the task to which
we were assigned.
Grand-child".
But we say: It is not too late. And it is better late than never. Instead of
leaving your beloveds and live abroad as a refugee, it is a high time now that
we unite as one Umma for the liberation of our mother-land and save our people
from being completely wiped out by hunger, disease, ignorance and the
imposition of foreign cultures and values which are calculated to destroy the
very bases on which our nation is built.
Muhimu, sisi Wazanzibari
umoja na ujirani ndio azimio letu tangu kale.
Vile vile, tunaamini katika nyoyo zetu kuwa binadamu amezaliwa huru na
anatakiwa aishi huru, kwa hivyo basi, haturidhii kuona yoyote yule ananyimwa
uhuru wake na kutawaliwa kwa njia yoyote ile.
Kutokana na imani hii ndio tunaposema
kwa sauti kuu kuwa tunataka Udola wa Zanzibar urejee na tuishi na ndugu zetu
Tanganyika kwa ujirani na mafahamiano kama hapo zamani. Tunamuomba Mwenyezi
Mungu Mtukufu atupe kila la kheri na atuepushe na kila la shari – Amin.
Wa Billah Tawfiq
Farouk
Abdulla Amour
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