JF Search: Where is Godfrey Mwakikagile?

Kuna Haja ya serikali kuanzisha Back home agreement kwa ajili ya kuona michango ya watu kama hawa wanathamiwa katikaTanzania na maendeleo ya Tanzania

Ni kweli kwamba hahitaji kupata shahada hiyo (PhD). Ameishaipata kutokana na maandishi yake.

Lakini pia ni kweli kwamba serikali ilikuwa na uwezo wa kumsaidia miaka ile angetaka kutimiza lengo hilo.

Nobody knows what Godfrey Mwakikagile would have become had he returned to Tanzania back then after earning a doctorate had our government helped him finish his studies at that level. But I know this: he would have been among the first few Tanzanians during those years to earn a doctorate. And he would have served his country well.

Nakumbuka tulikuwa na wachache tu, Watanzania wenzetu, pale Mlimani wenye PhDs. That was in the early seventies, and we had won independence only a few years earlier, not more than 15.

Pia nina hakika angelitumikia taifa letu vizuri kama wananchi wengi wengine because of the type of person he is. I know him.

He likes helping people. Kuna watu wangapi serikalini pamoja na viongozi wetu who really care about people?

Pia hana ubaguzi wa aina yoyote.

Mimi si Mnyakyusa kama yeye. Yet, he didn't mind helping me even when he was just a student himself, also new in the United States, and didn't have a lot of money. He could very easily have told me I don't have the money to buy such an expensive book ("Economics" by Paul Samuelson) for you and mail it to you in Tanzania. It's a hefty book, hardcover edition. And he bought me a brand new one. He didn't have to do that. He could have said "No."

Mwakikagile could also very easily have said "No" to a request by his fellow countryman from Mwanza who asked him to help him get a scholarship from the organization which sponsored him to attend school in the United States.

He could have decided to help a fellow Nyakyusa get the scholarship instead of a Sukuma from Mwanza. But Mwakikagile does not think in terms of tribes. I knew him at Tambaza High School and how firm he was against tribalism in our country and elsewhere in Africa.

I have also learned from reliable sources, close to the Tanzanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., in the early seventies, that he helped another Tanzanian - who was then already in the United States - get a scholarship from the same organization. This other student came from Tanga and was also not a Nyakyusa like him, and Godfrey Mwakikagile could very easliy have said, "No, the organization is not sponsoring anymore students."

He was asked to request such assistance from the organization for another Tanzanian, and he did so. Godfrey Mwakikagile is the one who found out about the organization, the Pan-African Congress-USA, and he was the first Tanzanian student to be sponsored. And he has written about the organization and about his contacts with our embassy in Washington D.C., in his book "Relations Between Africans and African Americans: Misconceptions, Myths and Realities" which I have read just as I have "Nyerere and Africa: End of Era." In fact, he has written about this organization in both books.

He's not selfish, and he is not a tribalist.

In fact, he used to say one of the reasons he admired and respected Nyerere so much - besides being an intellectual - was that Mwalimu was building a strong nation and had done an excellent job integrating people of different tribes in school, at work and in other areas of national life.

There are other Tanzanians like that. Mwakikagile is not the only one. But he's a good example of such people, and I happen to know him. Unfortunately, many of them are ignored, and our government, which has the power to harness such potential, is not doing much to achieve this goal.

Swali la mwanzoni lilimhusu Godfrey Mwakikagile. Lakini ni swali ambalo linawahusu Watanzania wengine.

Na ni kweli ni mwandishi anayestahili kukumbukwa na taifa letu. Ukisoma vitabu vyake, utaona kwamba hajaisahau nchi yake au bara lote la Afrika ingawa ameishi ng'ambo kwa miaka mingi.

Nilipokuwa Mlimani in the early and mid-seventies, the university administration pamoja na serikali yetu did not even make good use of the highly talented people we had there; for example, Dr. Kassim Guruli in my department of economics, and Dr. Arnold Temu in the political science department.

And look at where they ended up. They could have taught at UDSM for a much longer period than they did, and they could have been much more productive had they been provided with an environment that would have enabled them to use their full talents.

Dr. Isario Kimambo stands out as a luminary in historical research and analysis. But did we, as nation, make full use of his talent and those of others?

There was a tendency to politicise scholarship. There was also a tendency not to reward success accordingly. And we ended up losing some of the best our nation has ever produced.

And we have not outgrown that culture. It's a culture that has robbed us of talent.

Having read some of Godfrey Mwakikagile's books, and having read a number of reviews of his works including the reviews posted here, it's very clear that he's very honest and very outspoken. And his patriotism is beyond question.

But it's very difficult for outspoken and honest people like him to survive in an environment where the standard of judgement, and which determines one's success in society as defined by those who wield power, is political correctness and some other twisted yardstick.

A society that does not nurture intellectual freedom, and which refuses to level the playing field in all areas including politics, is bound to fail. It's doomed.

When I left UDSM, it was with both a sense of optimism and pessimism about the future of that renowned academic institution and of our nation as a whole. I'm a afraid to say I may have been overly optimistic in quite a few cases. And it's clear to me that we still have a long way to go as a nation with regard to making full use of the wide range of talents our people have across the nation, including those who live in other countries even in Africa itself, not just outside the continent.

So, this is both a plea and a warning. Something must be done to correct that. Our nation's future is at stake. And it's never too late.

It's also an answer to the original question which led to this discussion which is really not just about our fellow countryman, Godfrey Mwakikagile, but also about other Tanzanians in a similar situation scattered round the globe.

The only difference is that his case has brought attention to this whole question because of his status as a renowned writer; and one of the most well-known from Tanzania.

Mimi pamoja na kuwa siyo mtu wa political science na economics ambazo ndizo nyanja kubwa ambazo Mwakikagile anazimudu sana. Lakini nilisoma kitabu chake kimoja nikapata njaa ya kusoma kingine na kingine tena. Ninavyo vitabu vyake kadhaa na kweli ni vitabu vizuri sana kwa mtu anayetaka kutatua matatizo ya Afrika. Ndiyo maana nilimwalika aje chuoni kwetu kutoa mhadhara kuhusu Afrika lakini alikataa kichinichini. Nadhani kuwa hataki kujitokeza hadharani, yaani anajitokeza kwa maandishi tu lakini siyo majukwaani.

Kuna mtu aliwahi kuweka post kama mbili tatu humu jamvini kuhusiana na marehemu Brigadier Nyirenda ambaye nilidhani kuwa alikuwa ameongea na Mwakikagile kabla ya kuweka post zile kutokana na analysis aliyotumia kuonyesha kwa nini Brigadier Nyirenda hakuendelea hadi kuwa mkuu wa majeshi ya Tanzania ukizingatia elimu yake wakati ule. Kwa bahati mbaya mtu yule hakudumu sana hapa jamvini hadi akajitoa na mpaka leo sijaona post zake na wala sikumbuki tena alias yake.

Ukweli ni kuwa kuna watanzania wengi wenye uwezo kuona mambo kwa kina lakini wanazamia kusikojulikana, badala yake nchi inabaki ikiendesha na watu ambao macho yao yana tongotongo hawawezi kuona zaidi ya walipo.

Kuna Tatizo kubwa sana katika kujua michango ambao watu kama hawa wanaweza kuleta katika academia ya Tanzania, na pengine mawazo yao leo yangetumika tusingekuwa na mawazo ya kuwa ombaomba kama vile leo katika Taifa letu, Hivyo kuna haja ya kuona kuwa vyuo vinahusika kurudisha watu hawa nyumbani na kupewa hadhi kubwa sana na kuliko hata hawa wanasiasa wa leo. Kuna haja gani taifa kubai na kuwa ombaomba na misaada ya udhia kama leo?? Refer kitabu cha Ndambisa Moyo anavyosema na kutoa michango yake katika Africa

Wewe mara nyingi sana napenda sana uandishi wako makini na pia itakuwa vizuri hata humo JF wakatusaidia kujua alipo maana sisi wote hatujui kabisa kama yupo wapi au Jimbo gani Marekani au Ulaya na kuandika Vitabu vyake

Ni hatari kubwa kuona kuwa Mwandishi wa habari kama Jenerali Ulimwengu hawamjui hata kidogo mwandishi huyu na pia hata mawasiliano yake hata kidogo. Ni hatari sana kwa taifa letu na pia mtu kama huyu anaweza kuwa ni msaada wa Taifa letu

Jenerali Ulimwengu na Godfrey Mwakikagile wanafahamiana sana. Walikuwa pamoja "Daily News" in the early seventies. Mwakikagile amemzungumzia Ulimwengu katika kitabu chake "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era."

Na alipokuwa anaandika kitabu hicho, alimwambia Ulimwengu amtafutie picha za Mwalimu ambazo anaweza kuzitumia katika kitabu hicho, kutokana na taarifa ya Andrew Nyerere niliyekuwa naye Dar nyakati hizo kwa muda mrefu . Mwakikagile alimwambia Andrew aende kumwona Jenerali Ulimwengu ili amtumie picha hizo na Andrew alikwenda kumwona.

Nimeangalia majina mengine katika chapter hiyo where Mwakikagile has written about Jenerali Ulimwengu. Mwakikaigle ameandika kuhusu editorial staff members wengine aliokuwa nao pale "Daily News" miaka ile - Costa Kumalija, Philip Ochieng' kutoka Kenya, Francis Kasoma (later professor and head of communications department, University of Zambia, now deceased); Tommy Sithole kutoka Zimbabwe, later editor of the "Zimbabwe Herald" appointed by President Robert Mugabe - he later went on to become the highest-ranking African on the International Olympic Committee (IOC); Emmanuel Bulugu, Tonny Barros, Nsubisi Mwakipunda, Kassim Mpenda, Charles Kizigha, Ulli Mwambulukutu, Hadji Konde, Clement Ndulute (now a professor at Tuskegee University in Alabama, USA), Abdallah Ngororo, Juma Penza, Michael Masakilija, Reginald Mhango na wengineo.

Sija copy majina yote. Kuna mengine.

Ukipata nafasi ya kusoma kitabu hicho, utaona kwamba Mwakikagile amewataja wote hao na wengine aliokuwa nao on the editorial staff of the "Standard" and then the "Daily News."

Pia ni muhimu kujua kwamba si Godfrey Mwakikagile tu kati ya waandishi pale "Standard" na "Daily News" aliyeandika vitabu ingawa labda anajulikana kuliko wenzake wote aliokuwa nao pale gazetini.

Wengine walioandika vitabu ni Hadji Konde (marehemu), Clement Ndulute, Philip Ochieng, Francis Kasoma (marehemu), na Karim Essack ambaye pia ni marehemu.

Hata mimi, kama wengine, sikujua waandishi gani kutoka "Daily News" wameandika vitabu mpaka niliposoma kitabu cha Mwakikagile, "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era."

Amewataja hao wote katika kitabu hicho, na amemzungumzia Philip Ochieng' kwa kirefu (together with the little debate he had with Ochieng' at the Daily News"). He has also written at length about Karim Essack and Francis Kasoma and about their books as well as other things.

Interesting to read.

And I'm reading Mwakikagile's book again, the fourth edition, 740 pages (small print; normal print would be more than 1,000 pages).

Nitajaribu kuwasiliana na Kassimu Mpemba then baba yangu kwa wakati ule walikuwa wanafanya kazi Idara ya Vieelezo ya taifa hivyo naomba ujaribu kuwasiliana na jinsi gani ya kuona huyu jamaa anapatikani, maana anaweza kutoa mawazo mazuri sana katika tifa letu kipindi hiki maana Taifa linakabiliwa na matatizo kibao , tunataka watu kama hawa ili tujue mawazo huru sana. Asante sana tena kwa mchango wako.

Jaribu kuwaza kwa uandishi wake make aje aandike kuhus contemporay politics za Tanzania na kutoa msukumo mkubwa sana katika Taifa na kuona hata vyuo vyetu huko Tanzania na sehemu zote katika Tanzania wanapata msaada mkubwa katika kujenga waandishi makini sana.kuliko kupata **makanjanja*** kwa neno la Tanzania,

Kama tunaweza kutambua michango yao katika Siasa za Kimataifa basi huna budi kusema michango yao

Bulesi said:

Huyu bwana hana haja ya kushift base yake kuja kuishi bongo kwani akija hapa environment haiwezi kumruhusu kuwa productive kama alivyo huko aliko. Akirudi bongo wanamtandao na serikali yao wataanza kumhusisha na siasa zao za chuki simply because ni kabila moja na mahasimu wao Mwakyembe na Mwandosya!! Unfortunately, hawa wana mtandao sio analytical and objective enough kujua kuwa sio kila mtu wa kabila la wanyakyusa ni victim wa Tribal baronism!!

Click to expand...

Najua kwamba Mark Mwandosya na Godfrey Mwakikagile wamefahamiana kwa muda mrefu tangu walipokuwa vijana shuleni Dar es Salaam - Mwandosya alipokuwa Dar es Salaam Technical College na Mwakikagile alipokuwa Tambaza High School. Pia, and this is just a coincidence, umri wao ni sawa; tofauti kati yao ni miezi miwili tu, according to their biographies available on the Internet, with Mwakikagile, born in October 1949, being two months older than Mwandosya who was born in December 1949.

Na walikuwa wanawasiliana Mwandosya alipokuwa shuleni UK na Mwakikagile alipokuwa bado gazetini "Daily News" kabla ya kuondoka kwenda USA. Nawafahamu ndugu zao wachache Dar es Salaam.

Kwahiyo wamefahamiana kwa miaka mingi sana.

Sijui kuhusu Harrison Mwakyembe na Mwakikagile. Ninachojua, kutokana na watu wanaowafahamu hao wote watatu ni kwamba Godfrey Mwakikagile alisoma shule pamoja na Daimon Mwakyembe - former Director of the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) - Mpuguso Middle School, Rungwe District, in the early sixties. Daimon Mwakyembe is a little older than Mwakikagile and was three years ahead of Mwakikagile at Mpuguso. But they were together at Mpuguso and knew each other at that boarding school when both were just young boys like all the other students there in middle school.

And that's the only connection I know of between Godfrey Mwakikagile and somebody who is a Mwakyembe. Lakini sijui kama Daimon Mwakyembe ni ndugu ya Harrison Mwakyembe. Some say he is; others say he is not.

Lakini, whatever the case, siamini hata kidogo kwamba Mwakikagile akiwa Tanzania atamuunga mkono Mwandosya akigombea uraisi kwa sababu ni Mnyakyusa mwenzake au kwa sababu wanafahamiana. He's just not that type of person. In his book "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era," Mwakikagile says it would have been good for the country if Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim became president of Tanzania and explains why he says so.

Dr. Salim ni Mnyakyusa kama Mwakikagile na ndiyo maana Mwakikagile alisema ingekuwa vizuri kwa taifa letu Salim angekuwa raisi wa Tanzania? Dr. Salim ni Mkristo kama Mwakikagile? Na anatoka bara kama Mwakikagile?

Msimamo wa Mwakikagile against tribalism and racism ni mkali sana kuliko ule wa watu wengi ninaowafahamu ambao pia wanapinga ukabila na ubaguzi wa rangi. Kwahiyo asingemuunga mkono Mwandosya kwa sababu ni Mnyakyusa mwenzake. Angemuunga mkono, kungekuwa na sababu nyingine, na sina hakika angefanya hivyo.

Sijasoma vitabu vyote alivyoandika lakini katika vitabu vyake nilivyovisoma kuhusu Tanzania na bara la Afrika kwa ujumla, na ambamo ameandika mengi kuhusu ukabila na ubaguzi wa kila aina, pamoja na ufisadi katika nchi zetu, anaandika kama statesman who is above party politics or partisan and divisive politics. His commitment is to the country, not to any political party. He does not put party politics above national interest. To him, Tanzania as a country comes first, not CCM or CUF or Chadema or whatever other party there is. Just read his books to find that out.

Na ndiyo maana angekuwa Tanzania, ni kweli kuna watu serikalini na katika siasa ambao wangependa sana kumtumia kwa maslahi yao. But he is not the type to nuckle under. Kwahiyo, ni kweli some of them would probably have tried to make his life very difficult, making it impossible for him to be productive.

Na kuna wengine watafanya hivyo kwa sababu za ukabila.

Ndiyo maana nimesema tuwe a more open society, not only in terms of freedom of expression but also in terms of using all talents, of all of our people, for the advancement of our nation.

People like Mwakikagile who live outside Tanzania would have been perfect for brainstorming sessions with our leaders at home - exchanging ideas even if in a heated way - in order to come up with the best solutions to our nation's problems.

Brainstorming sessions involve not just sitting down with people who agree with you or only with those who are members of your political party or of a particular constituency; it involves everybody including people who differ with you on almost everything. Even some of the things your fiercest opponents say to you if you are a national leader is part of the national dialogue. And their views, proposals and solutions must be taken into account to come up with the best solutions.

But that is not the case in most African countries. Ndiyo maana tumepoteza watu wengi. And we continue to lose them every year, with most of those who leave ending up in Europe and North America.

Akiwa Tanzania, Mwakikagile atalitumikia taifa lake, lakini hatakuwa mtumishi wa wana siasa to protect and promote their own interests. And he has very little confidence in politicians. Just look at his book "Africa is in A Mess" and how it has been praised by fellow Africans from all over the continent - except the leaders, of course!

Others say the same thing about him; for example, Professor Claude Welch at the State University of New York, Buffalo, who reviewed one of Mwakikagile's books said Mwakikagile has no mercy in his condemnation of corrupt and despotic Africa leaders. He condemns them ruthlessly - without any mercy at all on them.

And he didn't just start to feel that way.

Anyone who was in our class at Tambaza High School remembers how critical he was of politicians. Young as he was, he was very perceptive na ninakumbuka sana headmaster wetu marehemu Bori Lilla who conducted civics classes quite often asked Mwakikagile to comment on a variety of subjects of national importance and had lively exchanges with him. He was only 18 or 19 years old then. And many of us were not surprised when he started in June 1969 working as a junior reporter at the "Standard" - later renamed "Daily News" - when he was still in school with us at Tambaza. Alipewa kazi wakati wa likizo.

Mwakikagile had great respect and admiration for Nyerere as a committed and selfless leader regardless of whatever mistakes Mwalimu made but made it clear that almost all the people around Nyerere were hypocrites and were just paying lip service and were not as committed as Nyerere was to the nation's well-being. I remember our headmaster Lilla used to smile a lot whenever Mwakikagile made that comment. And almost 40 years later, he has not changed.

So, he would be a thorn in the side of politicians.

It's also very much possible kuna political heavyweights ambao ni Wanyakyusa who would be tempted to use him if he was in Tanzania. Lakini hawatafanikiwa. Kama nilivyosema mapema, Mwakikagile is known to be a strong anti-tribalist tangu alipokuwa kijana na sisi pale Tambaza High School na bila shaka kabla ya hapo. He was friendly with everybody. Alikuwa ni rafiki ya wanafunzi wenzake wote pale shuleni. And two of his closest friends were not fellow Nyakyusas like him, or fellow Christians like him. One of his two closest friends was a Nyamwezi from Tabora. And he was a Muslim. The other one was a Zaramo from Dar es Salaam. He was also a Muslim.

He does not choose friends on the basis of race, tribe or religion. I also remember one Arab student who was very close to him.

Hana ubaguzi, hana upendeleo, and he's not arrogant but very humble. If Mwalimu was alive today and knew Mwakikagile as a grown up, he would say these are the kind of people our country and our continent needs to set a good example for others to follow.

And there are many Tanzanians like Mwakikagile from all parts of Tanzania and from all tribes and races. But I can guarantee you one thing: There are very few of them, if any at all, in positions of leadership. Many of them live abroad because they are too outspoken and refuse to compromise on matters of principle. And those who live at home have been pushed aside or are simply ignored by those in power.

For that reason, yes, nakubaliana na wewe kwamba wanaoishi nchi za nje are more productive where they are than they would be at home in Tanzania or anywhere else in Africa.

Uliyeuliza swali mwanzoni kuhusu Godfrey Mwakikagile, sijui kama umepata nafasi ya kusoma vitabu alivyoandika kuhusu Tanzania. Kama bado hujavisoma, nitaandika kwa kifupi anayosema katika vitabu nilivyovisoma.

He has said quite a few things in his books which may rattle nerves on both sides of the political divide. These are just a few examples from his book "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era" and at least a couple of others I have read:

He says racism played a major role in undermining the presidential candidacy of Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim.

How many political heavyweights in Tanzania will admit or want to hear that? They probably say it's a lie in spite of all the evidence against what they say.

Professor Haroub Othman said basically the same thing in his lecture at the University of Cape Town in 2005 when he said racism is rearing its ugly in Tanzania as never before, in pointed reference to the 2005 elections and other events.

These are fair-minded people saying that. And many Tanzanians know it's true. But how many leaders want to hear that? Even many ordinary Tanzanians may not want to hear that.

Mwakikagile also says we need to have a national conference with representatives of all interest groups and from all parts of the country to hammer out proposals for a new constitution so that the people should decided how they want to be governed, not ruled.

Representatives should come from all regions, from all political parties, labour unions, religious organizations, student groups, women's organizations, lawyers' associations, groups representing the disabled, farmers and others to work on those proposals and then form a constituent assembly which should work on a new constitution. The new constitution should not be written by parliament dominated by one party, excluding other groups across the nation.

Will the ruling party agree to that? Of course not.

He also says the country needs one strong opposition party to challenge CCM at the polls. Otherwise CCM is going to rule indefinitely or forever.

It's a waste of time, energy and resources to try to dislodge CCM from power at the national level when the opposition is so divided into so many parties. The parties are busy competing not only against CCM; they are also busy competing among themselves and against one another, and against each other, even when they claim they are united by a common goal to end CCM's hegemonic control of the country the ruling party has enjoyed for decades.

Opposition parties should unite to form one party, or - if the law does not allow them to merge - they should disband and their members should join one of the existing parties which should be given a new name; instead of having so many parties, many of them regionally entrenched and identified with certain regions and tribes. One opposition party will also broaden support across the nation embracing members of all tribes and regions, thus helping to defuse tribalism and regionalism in the country.

How many leaders of these political parties are willing to sacrifice their positions of leadership for that? And will CCM agree to that, just stand by and watch a single powerful opposition party emerge to challenge it? No.

He also says we should have an independent electoral commission composed of members of all political parties and other independent bodies including lawyers' associations and not just of the ruling party. An electoral commission dominated by CCM is not going to be fair to the opposition parties.

He also says we should have term limits for members of parliament and for the president. I think he says MPs should be limited to two 3-year terms. But I remember he says the president should be limited to one term of six years only. After that, he should be out, never to be allowed to run again just like the MPs who have ended their terms.

Will the ruling party agree to that? I don't believe it will.

He also says Zanzibar should be given more autonomy to neutralize secessionist sentiments and promote peace and stability in the union.

But he also says there should be an internationally supervised plebiscite or referendum to ask the people of Zanzibar if they really want to remain part of the union. This is also necessary for political stability. If they don't want to be part of the union, let them go.

Will CCM agree to that? No.

He also does not believe CCM has won any elections, fairly, in Zanzibar since multiparty politics was introduced in Tanzania in the early nineties.

Those are just a few examples, in fact very few, of what he says in his books. There is a lot more than that.

Many Tanzanians have said the same things he says. The only difference is that he has written them in his books. He is blunt about it, and it's permanent record which will, of course, haunt him for the rest of his life! Or help him, although I don't know in what ways.

From what he says, it's clear he has no political ambitions. If he did, he would not be saying the things he says in his books, and he would have returned to Tanzania a long time ago to seek political office.

It's also clear he does not take sides, of the government or of the opposition, when it comes to matters of principle. He puts principle above politics and partisan interests.

There are many Tanzanians like him. But who is listening to them? Theirs is a voice in the wilderness.

Shwari said:

Uliyeuliza swali mwanzoni kuhusu Godfrey Mwakikagile, sijui kama umepata nafasi ya kusoma vitabu alivyoandika kuhusu Tanzania. Kama bado hujavisoma, nitaandika kwa kifupi anayosema katika vitabu nilivyovisoma.

He has said quite a few things in his books which may rattle nerves on both sides of the political divide. These are just a few examples from his book "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era" and at least a couple of others I have read:

He says racism played a major role in undermining the presidential candidacy of Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim.

How many political heavyweights in Tanzania want to hear that? They probably say it's a lie in spite of all the evidence against what they say.

Professor Haroub Othman said basically the same thing in his lecture at the University of Cape Town in 2005 when he said racism is rearing its ugly in Tanzania as never before, in pointed reference to the 2005 elections and other events.

These are fair-minded people saying that. And many Tanzanians know it's true. But how many leaders want to hear that? Even many ordinary Tanzanians may not want to hear that.

Mwakikagile also says we need to have a national conference with representatives of all interest groups and from all parts of the country to hammer out proposals for a new constitution so that the people should decided how they want to be governed, not ruled.

Representatives should come from all regions, from all political parties, labour unions, religious organizations, student groups, women's organizations, groups representing the disabled and others to work on those proposals and then form a constituent assembly which should work on a new constitution. The new constitution should not be written by parliament dominated by one party, excluding other groups across the nation.

Will the ruling party agree to that? Of course not.

He also says the country needs one strong opposition party to challenge CCM at the polls. Otherwise CCM is going to rule indefinitely. Opposition parties should unite to form one party, or should disband and their members should join one of the existing parties which should be given a new name; instead of having so many parties, many of them regionally entrenched and identified with certain regions and tribes. One opposition party will also broaden support across the nation embracing members of all tribes and regions, thus helping to defuse tribalism and regionalism in the country.

How many leaders of these political parties are willing to sacrifice their positions of leadership for that? And will CCM agree to that, just stand by and watch a single powerful opposition party emerge to challenge it? No.

He also says we should have an independent electoral commission composed of members of all political parties and other independent bodies including lawyers' associations and not just of the ruling party. An electoral commission dominated by CCM is not going to be fair to the opposition parties.

He also says we should have term limits for members of parliament and for the president. I think he says MPs should be limited to two 3-year terms. But I remember he says the president should be limited to one term of six years only. After that, he should be out, never to be allowed to run again just like the MPs who have ended their terms.

Will the ruling party agree to that? I don't believe it will.

He also says Zanzibar should be given more autonomy to neutralize secessionist sentiments and promote peace and stability in the union. But he also says there should be an internationally supervised referendum to ask the people of Zanzibar if they really want to remain part of the union. This is also necessary for political stability. If they don't want to be part of the union, let them go.

Will CCM agree to that? No.

He also does not believe CCM won elections fairly in Zanzibar since multiparty politics was introduced.

Those are just a few examples, in fact very few, of what he says in his books. There is a lot more.

Many Tanzanians have said the same things he says. The only difference is that he has written them in his books. He is blunt about it, and it's permanent record which will, of course, haunt him for the rest of his life! Or help him, although I don't know in what ways.

From what he says, it's clear he has no political ambitions. If he did, he would not be saying the things he says in his books, and he would have returned to Tanzania a long time ago to seek political office.

It's also clear he does not take sides, of the government or of the opposition, when it comes to matters of principle. He puts principle above politics and partisan interests.

There are many Tanzanians like him. But who is listening to them? Theirs is a voice in the wilderness.

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You are really intelligent man, Nimependa sana kwa kuandika mengu kuhusu Godfrey na pia inaonyesha jinsi gani ulivyo karibu sana na masuala ya Tanzania na pia watu kama nyinyi ni mfano mkubwa sana katika Taifa letu na pia tunaomba hazina zenu zitumike katika taifa letu kwa msaada wa kizazi hiki na mambo yote

Kuna haja ya kujua hata kama Serikali yetu inajua watu kama hawa wapo wapi ili waje kufanya kazi Tanzania, Sasa ndio tunawahitaji kuliko Kipindi chochote kile, Kuna uhaba wa Walimu katika vyuo vyetu vikuu Tanzania

Wakuu, kwanza naomba nimpongeze huyu ndugu yetu Godfrey Mwakikagile. HAKIKA ni msomi aliyetukuka. Maana shule haiongopi. Ushahidi upo.

Lakini mimi naomba niliangalie swala la huyu bwana from another angle. Kwa wale wanaoona kwamba serikali ina jukumu la kumtafuta mtu kama huyu. Mimi nasema, lazima watanzania tuwe proactive. Tuache hii longo longo ya kuona kwamba Serikali itafanya kila kitu. Hebu niambieni Serikali itawatafuta wangapi? kuna watanzania wengi ambao wako accomplished in their own right. Sasa jamani mnategemea hiyo serikali iende kila mahali kuwatafuta? Kwa nini wao wasije nyumbani?

Hata hapa wengi wetu huyu jamaa hatumjui. Inaonekana ni mtu asiyejichanganya na wenzake. Ndo maana mpaka hapa thread ilipofikia hakuna anayekuja na authoritative info kumuhusu huyu bwana..zaidi ya story za miaka hiyooo...amenaza kuandika 1999....amezaliwa 1949...miaka 50! katikati hapo..... Sasa kama ni mtu wa namna hiyo...hamuoni kwamba yeye ndo anajificha? Hafanyi interaction na wengine. Thats is my guess. I might be wrong though.

Jamani ni ukweli usiopingika kwamba nchi yetu ina matatizo makubwa sana ya kiuongozi. Lakini siyo sahihi watu tukae..tutegemee kwamba serikali itatutafuta huku/huko tuliko. Lazima na sisi tujue kwamba tunawajibu wa kuisaidia nchi yetu. Huwezi kukaa nje ukategemea kwamba wengine wanawajibu wa kuifanya Tanzania iwe nzuri..harafu wewe kwa sababu ni genius uitwe! No way. Its your responsibility too! Njoo tuhangaike wote...tuliinue taifa!

Na ndilo tatizo ambalo naliona kwa watanzania wengi..especially wakubwa zetu..wametimulia marekani...na ulaya....wao ni kulalamika tuu..ohh..hali/mazingira ya Tanzania ni magumu hayako supportive..sasa wewe unataka nani ayarekebishe hayo mazingira? Please watanzania wenzangu. Tuache hizi arguments. Ni kweli TZ ni ngumu..lakini ni jukumu letu sote tupambane na hii hali. Sasa kama wewe umeamua kwamba US au Canada is better than TZ..basi usilaumu..tuache sisi tulio hapa tuhangaike na hawa wanaotuharibia system. Otherwise its completely unfair kuilaumu hiyo hiyo serikali eti ikwatafute akina Mwakikagile...itawatafuta wangapi???.

Kwa mtu kama huyu Mwakikagile..much as he has accomplished alot (which I faithfully salute him) lakini naona yeye ndo amekuwa mtu asiye na msaada kwa nchi yake. Tumeona maprofesa wangapi hata pale UD..wanaandika vitabu kila kukicha..ingawa wanapewa vihela kiduchu? Yes its painful..lakini we have to start from somewhere..you cant be a professor in Michigan or Manitoba harafu uje hapa na criticism ya system ya NCHI YAKO wakati umeshindwa kuihimili. Hata akina Mazrui na Ngugi wanarudi home kuchangia kuliinua taifa! Mazrui sasa ni Chancellor wa one of the Universities Kenya....

Again, Iam not undermining anybody..najua kila mtanzania alipo popote pale anachangia kadri ya uwezo wake....lakini hata sisi kama raia wa Tanzania tuna wajibu wa kujishughulisha na politics za nchi yetu..... nadhani tunakuwa na unrelistic expectations na serikali yetu.

Mfano next year ni uchaguzi..wasomi wetu wengi wako kwenye comfort zones huko Europa na USA..hata kupiga kura hawapigi...wanatokea wenye tongotongo (if I may quote my friend Kichuguu).wanagombea..kesho wakiboronga tunaanza kuwa-criticize..yet we could have done something albeit marginally..but we couldnt.

Ushauri wangu kwa akina MWAKIKAGILE`S OF THIS WORLD....Your contribution is crucial. TZ needs you. TZ is poor and will continue being so..unles na wewe uje uchangie..usitegemee wengine waifanye TZ iwe njema na huru...wewe uje tuu baadaye..Its unfair! Serikali haina hata huo mda wa kuwatafuta wasomi akina nyinyi..Kikwete yuko busy anaomba vyandarua vya kuzuia mbu kuwasaidia akina mama wajawazito..atawakumbuka wasomi kama nyinyi saa ngapi? njooni huku home....siyo mpaka muingie kwenye siasa...kuna mengi ya kufanya.

Masanja,

Siandiki mara nyingi hapa kwa sababu sina mengi ya kusema. Changio langu la kwanza lilihusu mwanafunzi mwenzangu, marehemu George Mazula, aliyeombolezwa sana hapa Jamii Forums na mahali popote pale walipo ndugu zake na rafiki zake.

Lakini hata kabla ya mjadala huo na maombolezo hayo, na kabla ya kujiunga na wananchi wenzangu hapa Jamii Forums (kuna Wakenya pia), nilikuwa natembelea hapa mara kwa mara na kwa muda mrefu. Na nimeona kuna majadiliano mengi kuhusu viongozi wetu na ahadi zao na za serikali ambazo hazijatimizwa.

Nimefwatilia majadiliano hayo kwa makini. Lakini kitu muhimu ambacho kinakosekana, au ambacho hatuna, katika nchi yetu hii ya Tanzania ni chama imara cha upinzani. Hata ndugu zetu wanaoishi nchi za nje wanajua huo ni ukweli.

Tunaweza kujadili kila aina ya uovu au adhaifu wa viongozi wetu. Tunaweza kuendelea kusema kwamba viongozi wetu hawajatimiza ahadi zao, kwa makusudi, na kwamba ni mafisadi na hawajali matatizo yanayowakabili mamilioni ya wananchi ambao ni maskini. Tunaweza kuendelea kuyasema hayo yote kila siku. Lakini ikiwa wananchi wanaowapinga viongozi hao hawajaungana katika upinzani wao, ndani ya chama kimoja, hakutakuwa na mabadiliko yoyote nchini.

Mtanzania mmoja anayejua kuhusu jambo hilo, kama Watanzania wengi wanaoishi ng'ambo kama yeye na wengine hapa nchini Tanzania wanavyojua, ni Godfrey Mwakikagile ambaye ameandika sana kuhusu siasa za Tanzania tangu tulipopata uhuru hadi leo na kuhusu mambo mengi mengine; kwa mfano, kwamba there is not enough legislation to guarantee a level playing field; pia kuhusu weaknesses in the judiciary and in the police, na kadhalika. Na nimefurahi sana umeuliza yuko wapi na anafaya nini siku hizi. Kama nilivyojibu mwanzoni, na kama wengine walivyojibu, anaendelea kuandika vitabu huko ng'ambo anakoishi.

Katika kitabu chake cha "Nyerere and Africa: End of an Era," na katika kitabu chake kingine, "Tanzania under Mwalimu Nyerere: Reflections on an African Statesman," ameandika kuhusu udhaifu wa vyama vya upinzani nchini Tanzania ambavyo tunavihitaji ili visaidie kurekebisha makosa ya viongozi wetu na ya serikali yetu.

Amezungumzia jambo moja muhimu sana kuhusu vyama hivyo. Na nitatumia lugha ya Kiingereza hapa, na Kiswanglish, to capture the essence of what he says, or the gist of his argument, kuhusu vyama vya siasa because he has written all that in English.

He contends that in the absence of one strong opposition party, and which has supporters across the nation or from all parts of the country, the parties which we have in Tanzania today are like third parties. And third parties hardly win elections. Most of the time they don't. When was the last time the Liberal Party, once led by Lloyd George from Wales who became British prime minister, win a general election in the UK? It remained a third party in British politics until the late 1980s when it united with the Social Democratic Party to form the Liberal Democrats.

It won the general election only when it was one of the two major political parties in the UK; the other one being the Conservative Party. But when it lost that status and became a third party after the Labour Party emerged as the main opposition party against the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party never won a general election until it virtually died in 1988. And its successor, the Liberal Democrats, hasn't either. It's no more than a third party, and weak, and has never won a general election in the UK against the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.

No, third parties don't win elections. That's what we have in Tanzania. The opposition parties in Tanzania are no more than third parties in the absence of a major opposition party.

That's Mwakikagile's argument.

Nakumbuka ameuliza swali hilo katika kitabu kimoja kati ya hivyo viwili nilivyovitaja hapo juu: When was the last time the third party in the UK won a general election?

And he goes on state in one of those books that in any country that has "robust democracy," as he calls it, there are usually only two major political parties, not even three. Just look around. And that includes right here in Africa - for example Ghana where they have functional democracy under two major political parties, with the smaller parties being a mere nuisance and never a threat in a general election against the two main political parties; in Nigeria where they also have two major political parties although their electoral system is rotten; and recently in neighbouring Kenya where opposition parties formed a coalition although the coalition is fragile at best because of competing interest groups within the coalition.

Na ninakubaliana na analysis yote hiyo by Mwakikagile. Hata hapa Tanzania, a coalition of opposition parties is not going to work because a coalition is not a single, solid, united party. You still have competing interest groups within the coalition.

Ndiyo maana ni muhimu tuwe na chama kimoja tu, cha upinzani, kinachoweza kuwa na wafwasi wengi sana nchi nzima badala la kuwa na vyama vingi, ambavyo ni vidhoofu, na kati yao ambamo kuna vyama vinavyoungwa mkono na watu wa makabila machache, na katika mkoa mmoja au mikoa miwili, what Mwakikagile calls parties which "are regionally entrenched" instead of having nationwide appeal and supporters across the nation.

Without having one strong opposition party, and which can mobilise support across the nation transcending ethnic and regional loyalties, forget it. CCM will rule forever. That's Mwakikagile's analysis in the two books I have read and which I have mentioned above. Na ninakubaliana naye 100 per cent.

Pia ameandika mengi zaidi kuhusu jambo hilo na siasa zote nchini Tanzania.

It does not mean he is against CCM leadership just because it's CCM; he wants what he calls "robust democracy" in our country just as all of us do. If CCM wins against a strong opposition party, that's fine. If there is a strong opposition party and it wins the general election, that's also fine. The main thing is that we should have a clear choice between two major political parties, presenting clear alternative policies to the electorate.

Sahau uchaguzi wa mwaka ujao, 2010. Ni Kikwete tena. Kama jirani zetu nchini Kenya walivyosema: "Kibaki tena."

Na kwa nini Kikwete asichaguliwe ikiwa vyama vya upinzani havijawapa wananchi an alternative to CCM interms of policy and leadership?

Ni kosa la nani?

Ni kosa la vyama vya upinzani. Viongozi wa vyama hivyo wajilaumu wenyewe. Wasilaumu CCM. CCM is only taking advantage of their weakness.

Na ikiwa vyama vya upinzani nchini Tanzania haviungani na kuunda chama kimoja, nchi yetu itaongozwa, na itatawaliwa, milele na Chama Cha Mapinduzi - hata wapinzani wakiendelea kukiita Chama Cha Mafisadi.

Ninakubaliana na mengi uliyoandika hapo juu, Masanja, lakini pia tuangalie kwa nini Watanzania wengi na Wafrika wengine wameamua kuishi na kufanya kazi nchi za nje.

Kuna sababu nyingi na mbali mbali. Kila mtu ana sababu zake; kwa mfano kuwasaidia ndugu zao kwa sababu mishahara nchini Tanzania haitoshi kuwasaidia ndugu wengi. Kuna wengi ambao wanashindwa kupata kazi nchini Tanzania ambazo zinalingana na elimu au na ujuzi wao au wanashindwa kupata kazi kabisa. Halafu kuna sababu za mazingira, mazingira ambayo hayawawezeshi wasomi mbali mbali kufanya kazi nchini. Kwa mfano, watu wengi wenye ujuzi katika science wanashindwa kutumia ujuzi wao nchini kwa sababu hakuna facilities - well-equipped laboratories, research institutes, na kadhalika. Wengine ni kwa sababu za kisiasa, tofauti kubwa kimawazo kati yao na viongozi fulani au watu wenye madaraka kuliko wao, na kwa sababu zingine.

Kwahiyo wanapohamia ng'ambo, haimanishi kwamba hawataki kulitumikia taifa lao. Imewalazimu wafanye hivyo kwa sababu mbali mbali. Hata waliobaki nchini Tanzania au mahali pengine katika bara letu wanasema, na wanajua, kuna sababu kwa nini Wafrika wenzetu wanakwenda kuishi nchi za nje. Mmoja wao ni Philip Ochieng' kutoka Kenya - coincidentally, alifanya kazi pamoja na Mwakikagile pale "Daily News" in the early seventies - aliyesema katika gazeti la "East African," 13 March 2000:

"Between 1985 and 1990, Africa lost 60,000 scientists, doctors, engineers, technicians and other experts to Western Europe, North America and other countries of the geopolitical North. I obtained this dismaying figure from a workshop which took place in Addis Ababa recently.

Organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), it sought to find ways of turning "...the net loss of skilled professionals into a net gain if we are not to be even further marginalised...." Those words were spoken by Joseph Ngu, an ECA economic analyst, at the start of the workshop.

The problem is well known. It is called the "brain drain." The causes are also well known. As long as we are either unable or unwilling to pay our professionals properly, as long as we, in our individualistic and tribal interests, persist in misplacing them and ignoring their advice, as long as the econo-political circumstances remain volatile as a consequence - so long will the brain drain and the refugee problem overwhelm us."

Mwakikagile has quoted Philip Ochieng' in his book "Africa is A Mess: What Went Wrong and What Should Be Done."

The article by Philip Ochieng' in the "East African" was appropriately entitled "How Africa Can Utilise its Intellectuals in 'Exile'."


Coincidentally, Philip Ochieng' was also a close friend of Barack Obama's father and is writing a book about his friend who died in 1982.

Pia Ochieng' ameandika sana kuhusu matatizo ya nchi zetu ambayo serikali zetu hazifanyi chochote au kidogo tu kuyatatua, ingawa zina uwezo kufanya hivyo, forcing many of our people to flee abroad.

So, everything should be put in its proper perspective. Tuwapongeze waliobaki na wanaorudi nyumbani kwa sababu wanaona watakuwa na uwezo na nafasi ya kulisaidia taifa letu. Pia tuelewe kwa nini ndugu zetu wengine wanakwenda kuishi nchi za nje.

Hata Professor Ali Mazrui uliyemtaja hapo juu anaishi Amerika ambako amefundisha kwa miaka mingi sana. Alikuwa chancellor wa Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology kwa miaka sita baada ya kualikwa na rafiki yake Rais Mwai Kibaki kurudi Kenya mwaka wa 20003. Mazrui na Kibaki walifundisha pamoja Makerere University College (it was not a full-fledged university back then but a college affiliated with Durham University, UK) in the early sixties.

Mazrui alitimiza miaka sita mwezi uliopita (August 2009) na alirudi Amerika ambako amefundisha tangu early 1974 alipokwenda University of Michigan. Alihamia State University of New York, Binghamton, kutoka University of Michigan mwaka wa 1989 ambako yuko hadi sasa. Kwa nini hayuko Kenya? Au jirani Tanzania au Uganda? Yuko mbali sana, zaidi ya maili elfu sita, kule Merikani.

Umemtaja pia Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Unajua aliondoka lini Kenya? Zaidi ya miaka ishirini. Naye pia anafundisha Amerika. Alifundisha New York University, Yale University, na sasa yuko University of California, Irvine. Amekuja kutembelea mara chache tu, pamoja na hivi karibuni alipokuwa University of Dar es Salaam kama miezi miwili iliyopita. Lakini alirudi mara moja USA kwenye chuo anakofundisha.

Kwahiyo hao uliowataja hawaishi nchini kwako Kenya au mahali pengine Afrika. Na hao ni mfano tu, wa Wafrika wengi wanaoishi, na ambao wanafanya kazi, nchi za nje kwa sababu zilizotajwa hapo juu.

Ni kweli, Ndugu Masanja, kama ulivyosema kwamba watu wengi hapa Jamii Forums - pamoja na nchini Tanzania - hawajui chochote kuhusu Godfrey Mwakikagile. Na angebaki hivyo, bila kujulikana, ikiwa mmoja wetu hapa hakuuliza swali: Yupo wapi Godfrey Mwakikagile na anafanya nini sasa?

Kwahiyo amezungumziwa hapa kwa sababu swali hilo limeulizwa. Pia kwa sababu mimi ni mmoja wa watu ambao wamemfahamu kwa miaka mingi sana, karibu ya miaka arobani, tangu tulipokuwa pamoja shuleni Tambaza High School (1969 - 1970).

Swali lingine ambalo linaweza kuulizwa ni hili: Kuna watanzania wangapi huko nchi za nje ambao wana elimu na ujuzi katika sehemu mbali mbali? Na kwa nini hawajarudi Tanzania?

Ni wengi sana lakini nitakupa mfano wa majina machache tu.

Kwanza, inanibidi nisisitize kwamba kuna Watanzania wengi huko nga'mbo ambao wana elimu zaidi kuliko Godfrey Mwakikagile. Na kuna ambao wameandika vitabu kabla Mwakikagile hajaandika vyake ingawa ni mwandishi kwa muda mrefu tangu alipokuwa news reporter wa "Standard" halafu "Daily News" in the late sixties na early seventies alipukwa kijana tu. Mwakikagile anajulikana huko ng'ambo, na kwa watu wachache nchini Tanzania, kwa sababu ya vitabu alivyoandika. Bila hivyo, tusingewahi kumsikia. Ndiyo maana, kwa sababu ya vitabu alivyoandika, swali liliuzwa - yuko wapi Mwakikagile?

Kwahiyo ni kweli Watanzania wengi hawamjui au hawajawahi kumsikia.

Lakini ni Watanzania wangapi ambao wanamjua au ambao wamewahi kumsikia Julius Nyang'oro? Ni mfano mmoja tu ambao natoa hapa kuhusu Mtanzania mwenzetu huyu anayeishi ng'ambo, USA, na ambako amefundisha kwa miaka mingi. Pia, Watanzania wangapi wanajua kwamba Julius Nyang'oro ni professor anayeheshimika sana kwa ujuzi wake na vitabu alivyoandika? Ni professor, University of Carolina, Chapel Hill. Ukimpata, utasoma haya:

"Title:
Professor and Chair, African and Afro-American Studies; Adjunct Professor, Political Science

Education:
B.A., Political Science, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; M.A., Ph.D., Political Science, Miami University; J.D., Duke University

Teaching Interests:
At a general level, I teach courses that deal with the Comparative Political Economy of Development; Africa in the Global System, and the role of Law in National Development. In terms of sub-regional interest in Africa, I teach courses on Eastern and Southern Africa.

Current Research:
In the past two decades my primary research interest has been on Africa's comparative political economy, particularly the role of the State in national development. This interest has resulted in a number of books including "The State and Capitalist Development in Africa" (1989). In the last decade my work has focused on the role of civil society in Africa's democratization. This interest has resulted in collaborative work with colleagues in Africa. The results of this collaborative work include an edited volume: "Civil Society and Democratic Development in Africa" (1999). Currently my research is on governance issues in Africa in light of globalization and the discourse on democracy."

Watanzania wangapi mumemsikia Julius Nyang'oro? Ni swali ambalo ni sawa na swali la: Yuko wapi Godfrey Mwakikagile na anafanya nini sasa au siku hizi? Sijui kama hawa wawili wanafahamiana.

Pia, wangapi mnajua kuhusu Professor Joseph Mbele? Najua anatoka nyanda za juu kusini kama Godfrey Mwakikagile. Pia anatoka mkoa wa Ruvuma ambako Mwakikagile alisoma shule, Songea Secondary School, ingawa sijui kama wanafahamiana.

Lakini zaidi ya hayo, hata mimi sijui mengi kuhusu mzalendo huyo ingawa nilisikia alikuwa University of Dar es Salaam hivi majuzi, mwanzoni mwa mwezi huu (September 2009), kuhudhuria mkutano wa utamadumi. Baada ya hapo alitegemewa kurudi USA ambako anafundisha katika chuo kimoja kule Minnesota. Jina la chuo hicho ni St. Olaf College.

Na wangapi mnajua yeye pia ni mwandishi wa vitabu? Ukienda kwenye homepage yake, utasoma yafwatayo:

"I am Joseph L. Mbele, a citizen of Tanzania. I studied at the universities of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Wisconsin-Madison in the USA. I am a professor in the English Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, USA, teaching such courses as "Post-Colonial and Third World Literature," "Introduction to Literature," "Folklore," and "The Hero and the Trickster." I also teach an inter-cultural course, "Africa and the Americas." To understand a little more about my life and work, you can view my resume.


I am also a folklorist. I do much folkore fieldwork. View some photos from my fieldwork in northern Tanzania. I have researched traditions about epic heroes in East Africa and elsewhere, and also tricksters and outlaws such as Jesse James. My book, "Matengo Folktales," presents folktales from my culture, with my commentaries. Take a look at my Sukuma/Nyamwezi bibliography.

I enjoy teaching outside the classroom also, through speaking engagements and study guides. I participate in e-mail discussion lists particularly on politics and literature. I am committed to international education and have been an advisor on the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania (LCCT), GLCA Global Partners Program, and the ACM Tanzania program.

I've been a consultant for the South Dakota Humanities Council and the Minnesota Humanities Commission on African Literature & Folklore. I also founded my own consulting organization, Africonexion.

I am also getting interested in cultural tourism in East Africa, following the direction of TourismConcern. I like the idea of tourism that promotes mutual understanding between people of different cultures, rather than the conventional kind that reproduces and sustains neo-colonial relationships and stereotypes."

Kuna wengine: Professor Frank Chiteji anayefundisha Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania, na kabla ya hapo, alifundisha Ohio State University na ambaye amefahamiana na Mwakikagile tangu alipokuwa PhD student, Michigan State University, na walipokuwa pamoja kule Michigan zaidi ya miaka thelathini iliyopita. Yeye pia ni mwandishi wa vitabu.

Watanzania wengine na ambao pia ni waandishi ni Professor Alwiya Omar, University of Pennsylvania; Professor Clemement Ndulute, Tuskegee University, Alabama; Professor Penina Mhando, nadhani University of Pennyslvania, ambaye pia ni mwandishi wa vitabu; Professor Lioba Moshi, Director of African Studies, na Professor Gabriel Ruhumbika, ambao wako chuo kimoja, University of Georgia, USA, ambao pia ni waandishi wa vitabu; pia kuna professor mmoja Mtanzania, University of Alabama, USA, ambaye sikumbuki jina lake, na wengi wengine.

Watanzania hao na wananchi wengine wako nchi za nje kwa sababu mbali mbali. Na kama nilivyosema hapo juu, haimanishi kwamba hawaipendi nchi yao au kwamba hawataki kulitumikia taifa lao. Na kuna sababu kwa nini hawajarudi kuishi nyumbani na kwa nini hawafanyi kazi nchini Tanzania. Pia wana haki kutoa maoni yao kuhusu matatizo ya taifa letu. Ni nchi yao. Si yetu, sisi tu, tunaoishi nchini Tanzania.