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Revolution at 44: Forward ever...
2008-01-13 10:16:22
By Editor
It is not a far-fetched conclusion that if it were not for the revolution in Zanzibar on January 12, 1964, we wouldn`t have been speaking of the union between the Isles and the then Tanganyika, which gave birth to Tanzania three months later.
Tanzania as an entity embracing the two sides of the Indian Ocean channel may have materialized even minus the revolution, but at a much later date and probably not in so strong a form.
For the revolution, in which precious blood was spilled, injected into the entity, elements like a strong sense of sovereignty, assertiveness, a look-forward spirit and refusal to be subjugated.
By rejecting and ejecting oppressive Arab rulers, the people of Zanzibar demonstrated that they could manage their own affairs, lives and economy.
Minus the revolution, it is likely that they wouldn`t move forward without the assistance of, or partnership with dictatorial foreigners. For the dependency syndrome, which colonialism and other forms of subjugation fostered, should not be under-estimated.
The revolution lent to the broader masses, the culture of saying NO to foreign rule, malpractices engineered by foreigners; but above all, readiness to defend our sovereignty as well as charting our destiny independently, co-opting other members of the global family only as well-intentioned partners.
Within Zanzibar itself, ample evidence and records show that appreciable strides have been registered in economic and social spheres, and that much goodwill exists to resolve political misunderstandings.
The economy is a sector deserving keener attention, the thrust being to relax over-dependency on cloves and turning tourism into a bigger revenue earner.
On balance, however, we salute our Isles brethren for consolidating and living up to the ideals of the Union, whose 44th anniversary we marked yesterday.
For the Isles and Mainland alike, the motto must remain: “Forward ever; backward never”.
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