Julius Nyerere

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Lore & Background

Nyerere was born in Butiama, then in the British colony of Tanganyika, the son of a Zanaki chief. He studied at Makerere College in Uganda and Edinburgh University in Scotland. In 1952 he returned to Tanganyika, married, and worked as a school teacher. In 1954, he helped form TANU, through which he campaigned for Tanganyikan independence. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Nyerere preached non-violent protest. Elected to the Legislative Council in the 1958–1959 elections, he led TANU to victory at the 1960 general election, becoming prime minister. Negotiations with British authorities resulted in independence in 1961. In 1962, Tanganyika became a republic, with Nyerere elected as its first president. His administration pursued decolonisation and the 'Africanisation' of the civil service while promoting unity between indigenous Africans and the country's Asian and European minorities. He encouraged the formation of a one-party state and unsuccessfully pursued the Pan-Africanist formation of an East African Federation with Uganda and Kenya. A 1963 mutiny within the army was suppressed with British assistance.

Reader's Guide

Nyerere was a controversial figure. Across Africa he gained widespread respect as an anti-colonialist and in power received praise for ensuring that, unlike many of its neighbours, Tanzania remained stable and unified in the decades following independence. His construction of the one-party state and use of detention without trial led to accusations of dictatorial governance, while he has also been blamed for economic mismanagement. He is held in deep respect within Tanzania, where he is described as the 'Father of the Nation'. Following the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, Zanzibar was unified with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Nyerere placed a growing emphasis on national self-reliance and socialism, developing close links with Mao Zedong's China. In 1967, he issued the Arusha Declaration which outlined his vision of Ujamaa. Banks and other major industries and companies were nationalized; education and healthcare were significantly expanded. Renewed emphasis was placed on agricultural development through the formation of communal farms, although these reforms hampered food production and left areas dependent on food aid. His government provided training and aid to anti-colonialist groups fighting white-minority rule throughout southern Africa and oversaw Tanzania's 1978–1979 war with Uganda which resulted in the overthrow of Ugandan President Idi Amin. In 1985, Nyerere stood down and was succeeded by Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who reversed many of Nyerere's policies. He remained chair of Chama Cha Mapinduzi until 1990, supporting a transition to a multi-party system, and later served as mediator in attempts to end the Burundian Civil War.

Did You Know?

• Nyerere was one of 25 surviving children of his father, Chief Nyerere Burito, who had 22 wives.
• At birth he was named 'Mugendi' but was soon renamed 'Kambarage' after a female rain spirit on the advice of a diviner.
• He was baptised as a Roman Catholic and took the name 'Julius', though he later said it was 'silly' that Catholics should take a name other than a tribal name on baptism.
• In July 1943, while a student at Makerere College, he wrote a letter to the Tanganyika Standard arguing that capitalism was alien to Africa and that the continent should turn to 'African socialism'.
• Nyerere's father died in March 1942, but the school refused his request to return home for the funeral.

Roots in the Compound

Born on 13 April 1922 in Mwitongo, an area of the village of Butiama in Tanganyika's Mara Region, Nyerere was one of 25 surviving children of Nyerere Burito, the chief of the Zanaki people. His mother, Mugaya Nyang'ombe, was Burito's fifth wife; she bore Burito four sons and four daughters, of which Nyerere was the second child. The family lived in various huts around Burito's cattle corral, in the centre of which was his roundhouse. At birth, Nyerere was given the personal name 'Mugendi' but this was soon changed to 'Kambarage', the name of a female rain spirit, at the advice of a omugabhu diviner. He was raised into the polytheistic belief system of the Zanaki, assisting in the farming of millet, maize and cassava, and herding goats and cattle. As the son of a chief he was exposed to African-administered power and authority, and living in the compound gave him an appreciation for communal living that would influence his later political ideas.

The Road to Sovereignty

After studying at Makerere College in Uganda and Edinburgh University in Scotland, Nyerere returned to Tanganyika in 1952, where he married and worked as a school teacher. In 1954, he helped form the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), through which he campaigned for Tanganyikan independence. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Nyerere preached non-violent protest. Elected to the Legislative Council in the 1958–1959 elections, Nyerere then led TANU to victory at the 1960 general election, becoming prime minister. Negotiations with the British authorities resulted in independence in 1961. In 1962, Tanganyika became a republic, with Nyerere elected as its first president. His administration pursued decolonisation and the 'Africanisation' of the civil service while promoting unity between indigenous Africans and the country's Asian and European minorities. He encouraged the formation of a one-party state and unsuccessfully pursued the Pan-Africanist formation of an East African Federation with Uganda and Kenya. A 1963 mutiny within the army was suppressed with British assistance.

Ujamaa and the Socialist Experiment

In 1967, Nyerere issued the Arusha Declaration which outlined his vision of Ujamaa. Banks and other major industries and companies were nationalized; education and healthcare were significantly expanded. Renewed emphasis was placed on agricultural development through the formation of communal farms, although these reforms hampered food production and left areas dependent on food aid. Nyerere placed a growing emphasis on national self-reliance and socialism, developing close links with Mao Zedong's China. His government provided training and aid to anti-colonialist groups fighting white-minority rule throughout southern Africa. Following the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, Zanzibar was unified with Tanganyika to form Tanzania.

A Complicated Inheritance

Nyerere was a controversial figure. Across Africa he gained widespread respect as an anti-colonialist and in power received praise for ensuring that, unlike many of its neighbours, Tanzania remained stable and unified in the decades following independence. His construction of the one-party state and use of detention without trial led to accusations of dictatorial governance, while he has also been blamed for economic mismanagement. He is held in deep respect within Tanzania, where he is described as the 'Father of the Nation'. His government oversaw Tanzania's 1978–1979 war with Uganda which resulted in the overthrow of Ugandan President Idi Amin. In 1985, Nyerere stood down and was succeeded by Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who reversed many of Nyerere's policies. He remained chair of Chama Cha Mapinduzi until 1990, supporting a transition to a multi-party system, and later served as mediator in attempts to end the Burundian Civil War. He died on 14 October 1999.