kensh
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- Jul 19, 2012
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tehe tehe tihi tihi ,kwi kwi kwi kwi kwiii! We jamaa mtundu sana bana!
Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar: Mchango wa John Okello (Che Guevara wa Afrika Mashariki) umefutwaje?
Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar: Mchango wa John Okello (Che Guevara wa Afrika Mashariki) umefutwaje?
- Thread starter Phillemon Mikael
- Start date
tehe tehe tihi tihi ,kwi kwi kwi kwi kwiii! We jamaa mtundu sana bana!
braina
Member
- Jan 10, 2014
- 28
- 5
Ukweli kuhusu muungano huu hapa... mapinduzi ya zanzibar ni harakat za ukombozi zilizoanza tangu miaka ya 1945 baada ya vita ya pili ya dunia (ww II) .
Zanzibar ilihitaji kuwa huru kisiasa, kiuchumi, kijamii na kiutamaduni lakini makucha ya waarabu yalikuwa yakilarua ndoto hizi za wazanzibar wengi waliodhaifu. Hapakuwepo na shujaa wa kuweza kupambana moja kwa moja na waarabu bali vikundi vya chinichini viliweza kuendesha harakati za ukombozi kimyakimya. Kila aliye na uwezo ama ujasili kidogo aliweza kuongoza kikundi cha harakati za mapinduzi .
Abeid karume hakuwa na uwezo wowote wa kusababisha mapinduzi maana alishaambukizwa siasa za upole na jilani yake mwl. J.k nyerere.karume aliamini uhuru wa zanzibar ungepatikana kwa amani kama tanganyika ilivyotokea lakini ilikuwa ndoto ya mchana isiyo na mashiko na hapa ndipo wakaibuka watu wengine akiwemo john okelo. Kihistoria john okelo ni raia wa uganda aliyekuwa akiishi zanzibar, alikuwa akijihusisha na masuala ya ujenzi lakini baada ya harakati za mapinduzi kuanza naye aliamuua kujikita katika vikundi vya kupigania mapinduzi na hapo ndio uhodari wake wa mapambano ulionekana.
John okelo alikuwa shujaa na alishinda katika kusababisha mapinduzi ya zanzibar na kuwafanya raia wa zanziba kuwa huru. Baada ya mapinduzi john okelo alihitaji kuwa raisi wa zanzibar ila karume naye alihitaji nafasi hiyo ya uraisi lakini je atamkabili vipi shujaa john okelo ndipo hapo alipopanda boti na kwenda Dar es salaam kuomba msaada kwa j.k nyerere ili amuondoe john okelo. Tanganyika ilishajiimalisha kiusalama hivyo ilikuwa ni kazi rahisi sana kwa nyerere kumtimua john okelo zanzibar. Baada ya kumtimua john okelo alikimbilia uganda ambako nako alienda kusaidia harakati za ukombozi.
Nyerere na karume walihofia sana kuwa john okelo anaweza kuja kulipiza kisasi na kuipindua serekali ya karume hivyo nyerere alimshawishi karume waungane ili amsaidie katika masuala ya usalama lakini hofu kuu ikiwa ni kwa john okelo. Wakati huo katibu wa bunge la tanganyika alikuwa ni pius msekwa......siku ya jumanne nyerere alimuita pius msekwa ili suala hilo lipelekwe bungeni lipitishwe ili iwe sheria ya kuwepo kwa jamhuri ya muungano.Zoezi hilo lilifanyika ndani ya siku tatu tu mjadala bungeni ukapita na jamhuri ya muungano ikaundwa.
Ila palikuwa na siri nzito sana juu ya muungano huu hasa hasa muundo wa serekali. Karume kutokana na hofu aliyokuwa nayo dhidi ya john okelo na maadui wengine alitamani serekali moja yaani nyerere awe raisi na yeye karume awe makamu wa raisi lakini kwa busara za j.k alikataa wazo hilo la karume kwa kuwa wazanzibar wataona kama nyerere anaihujumu zanzibar hivyo yeye akapendekeza serekali mbili .
Chokochoko za serekali tatu zilianzishwa na raisi wa zanziba abdu jumbe ambaye alipewa madaraka baada ya kifo cha abeid karume lakini nyerere hakuwa tayari kulikubali hili suala la serekali tatu. Je wewe mwananchi unahitaji muundo gani wa serekali?
▶serekali moja ▶serekali mbili ▶serekali tatu? Mambo ndio yalikuwa hivyo.......
Zanzibar ilihitaji kuwa huru kisiasa, kiuchumi, kijamii na kiutamaduni lakini makucha ya waarabu yalikuwa yakilarua ndoto hizi za wazanzibar wengi waliodhaifu. Hapakuwepo na shujaa wa kuweza kupambana moja kwa moja na waarabu bali vikundi vya chinichini viliweza kuendesha harakati za ukombozi kimyakimya. Kila aliye na uwezo ama ujasili kidogo aliweza kuongoza kikundi cha harakati za mapinduzi .
Abeid karume hakuwa na uwezo wowote wa kusababisha mapinduzi maana alishaambukizwa siasa za upole na jilani yake mwl. J.k nyerere.karume aliamini uhuru wa zanzibar ungepatikana kwa amani kama tanganyika ilivyotokea lakini ilikuwa ndoto ya mchana isiyo na mashiko na hapa ndipo wakaibuka watu wengine akiwemo john okelo. Kihistoria john okelo ni raia wa uganda aliyekuwa akiishi zanzibar, alikuwa akijihusisha na masuala ya ujenzi lakini baada ya harakati za mapinduzi kuanza naye aliamuua kujikita katika vikundi vya kupigania mapinduzi na hapo ndio uhodari wake wa mapambano ulionekana.
John okelo alikuwa shujaa na alishinda katika kusababisha mapinduzi ya zanzibar na kuwafanya raia wa zanziba kuwa huru. Baada ya mapinduzi john okelo alihitaji kuwa raisi wa zanzibar ila karume naye alihitaji nafasi hiyo ya uraisi lakini je atamkabili vipi shujaa john okelo ndipo hapo alipopanda boti na kwenda Dar es salaam kuomba msaada kwa j.k nyerere ili amuondoe john okelo. Tanganyika ilishajiimalisha kiusalama hivyo ilikuwa ni kazi rahisi sana kwa nyerere kumtimua john okelo zanzibar. Baada ya kumtimua john okelo alikimbilia uganda ambako nako alienda kusaidia harakati za ukombozi.
Nyerere na karume walihofia sana kuwa john okelo anaweza kuja kulipiza kisasi na kuipindua serekali ya karume hivyo nyerere alimshawishi karume waungane ili amsaidie katika masuala ya usalama lakini hofu kuu ikiwa ni kwa john okelo. Wakati huo katibu wa bunge la tanganyika alikuwa ni pius msekwa......siku ya jumanne nyerere alimuita pius msekwa ili suala hilo lipelekwe bungeni lipitishwe ili iwe sheria ya kuwepo kwa jamhuri ya muungano.Zoezi hilo lilifanyika ndani ya siku tatu tu mjadala bungeni ukapita na jamhuri ya muungano ikaundwa.
Ila palikuwa na siri nzito sana juu ya muungano huu hasa hasa muundo wa serekali. Karume kutokana na hofu aliyokuwa nayo dhidi ya john okelo na maadui wengine alitamani serekali moja yaani nyerere awe raisi na yeye karume awe makamu wa raisi lakini kwa busara za j.k alikataa wazo hilo la karume kwa kuwa wazanzibar wataona kama nyerere anaihujumu zanzibar hivyo yeye akapendekeza serekali mbili .
Chokochoko za serekali tatu zilianzishwa na raisi wa zanziba abdu jumbe ambaye alipewa madaraka baada ya kifo cha abeid karume lakini nyerere hakuwa tayari kulikubali hili suala la serekali tatu. Je wewe mwananchi unahitaji muundo gani wa serekali?
▶serekali moja ▶serekali mbili ▶serekali tatu? Mambo ndio yalikuwa hivyo.......
Governor of Bettors-GB
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- Jul 14, 2013
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Safari ya kuelekea siku ya Alkhamis
SOCIOLOGISTTZ
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mimi ningependa Serikali yoyote lakini muundo wake wa Muungano usiwe wa Kimagumashi
Yericko Nyerere
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http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7uPi3vh2hGE&feature=player_embedded
Usiku wa tarehe 12 Januari 1964 kundi la watu 300 walikitwaa kisiwa cha Unguja wakiongozwa na mtu asiyekuwa maarufu kipindi hicho, aliyekuwa akiitwa John Okello, John Okello alikuwa akiishi Pemba ambako alitokea Uganda miaka michache tu. Ndani ya Zanzibar Okello alipata umaarufu kwa vijana majabari, ambao wengi katika wao walikuwa ni makuli na wachukuzi w meli zilizoingia na kutoka bandarini Zanzibar, kundi lake hili John Okello lilikutana kwa siri. Okello aliwapa matumaini ya mabadiliko watu wake hawa, wafuasi, ambao wakifanya kazi pamoja kwa muda mrefu, mara nyingine katika mazingira ya hatari, na tayari kufuata amri za kiongozi yeyote ambaye ataweza kuwalipa. Wao walikuwa waasi wanaotafuta makaazi.
Mchafuko wa kisiasa ulikuwa ukiongezeka ndani ya Zanzibar na Pemba tangu kifo cha Sultani Khalifa katika mwaka 1960. Sultani Khalifa alitawala Zanzibar kwa karibu ya miaka 50, tangu mwaka 1911. Baada ya udanganyifu mkubwa kwa majimbo ya uchaguzi na mseto katika chaguzi kuu mbili za mwaka 1961 vyama vikuu vilishindwa kujipatia wingi wa kura kwa kila kimoja. Waingereza waliondosha majeshi yao kikiwemo kikosi maalumu cha Kiarishi ambacho kilikuwa kimewekwa karibu na uwanja wa gofu na mpaka wa mji mkongwe mapema mwaka 1963. Wakati mfalme mpya, Jemshid akipandisha bendera ya Taifa huru la Zanzibar tarehe 12 Disemba 1963, aliadhimisha uondokaji wa Gavana wa kiingereza Zanzibar na mwisho wa ukoloni Zanzibar.
Uchaguzi mwingine uliofanyika mwishoni mwa mwaka 1963 ukiipa ushindi mdogo wa kura Muungano wa vyama viwili ZNP na (chama cha kizalendo Zanzibar) na ZPPP (Chama cha watu wa Pemba na Unguja). A.S.P (Chama cha Afro shirazi) kilikuwa kiwe kipo katika Serikali iliyo na chini ya nusu ya wabunge kwa mtindo wa bunge la Kiingereza na Sultani, akiwa kama ni mtawala tu lakini sio mtawala mwenye maamuzi ya mwisho. Taifa hili la Zanzibar ambalo lilikuwa mwanchana kamili wa Jumuia ya madola na mwanachana mpya wa Umoja wa Mataifa lilidumu kwa siku 33 tu.
Majadiliano makali ya kisiasa na maandamano yalikuwa ni matukio ya kawaida siku hizo. Ahmed Bargash anasema, "nakumbuka nilikuwa naendesha baskeli kuelekea shuleni kupitia makundi ya watu yaliyokuwa yakiimba na kusifu majina mbalimbali ya viongozi wa kisiasa, huku yakivuka vizuizi vya barabara vilivyokuwa vikilindwa na askari wa kiingereza. Vikundi mbali bmali vilijadiliana juu ya mambo mbali mbali; mfano Haki dhini ya fursa, Wageni dhidi ya wenyeji wa zamani, Ubepari dhidi ya Ujamaa, Wafanyabiashara dhidi ya wamiliki ardhi, Waunguja dhidi ya Wapemba, Waasia dhidi ya pazia la nyuma la vita baridi na harakati za utaifa na kuondosha ukoloni ambazo zilikuwepo kipindi hiki ndani ya Afrika"
John Okello hakuwa na jawabu ya mambo haya nyeti, lakini alikuwa na kipawa cha kutambua kwamba vikundi hivi vinavyoshindana vinatoa nafasi nzuri kwa mtu wa harakati kama yeye Okello.
Hata hivyo, watu kama mia waliojizatiti wangaliwez kutwaa vituo muhimu vya kienyeji vya habari na kambi za Polisi. Mara tu baada ya vituo vya habari na Kambi za polisi pamoja na silaha kudhibitiwa na John Okelo, Ni nani katika visiwa angeweza kumshinda? Jee, wanasiasa wangeliungana na kumshutumu na kumpinga kwa vitendo vyake visivyo halali? Au kama alivyotaraji, wangeendelea kutoaminiana na kutuhumu kwamba kati yao ndio wanaomuunga mkono? Jee, wasingelitaka kukubaliana na yeye, haraka kabla mwengineo hajafanya hivyo? John Okello alichezesha dadu usiku huo wa mwezi wa Januari.
Viongozi wa A.S.P walifadhaishwa na matendo ya Okello (wengi wao, walikuwa hata hawapo visiwani wakati huo). Walikimbilia haraka kuwaunga mkono waasi. Mamia ya wafuasi wa vyama walipigwa na butwaa juu ya wale ambao walikuwa na shuku ya kukata fundo hilo gumu la majadaliano ya kidemokrasia na kukimbilia moja kwa moja kwenye utawala. Hawawalitafuta njia ya kuiandaa jamii kwenda sambamba na kanuni zao. Kanuni siku hizo zilikuwa ni ghali sana kama sarafu ya Marekani. Ubinadamu ulikuwa ni kitu adimu sana.
Baadhi ya viongozi wa ASP baada kuona kwamba serikali itakuwa haina udhibiti na uwezo kujilinda na kutokuwa na imani matokeo ya chaguzi huria zilizofanyika, viongozi hawalitafuta njia za haraka za kuhalalisha udhibiti yale ambayo yaliitwa sasa "Mapinduzi". Makundi ya watu wenye fujo yalikuwa huru. Sheria na amani zilikuwa hazipo katika mitaa ya Zanzibar.
Walimiliki ardhi na wafanya biashara waliburutwa kutoka majumbani na madukani mwao, uporaji na mauaji yalienea mji mkongwe mzima. Kwa kweli mji wenyewe uliporwa.
Waarabu na Waasia , waliokuwa wakiunga mkono vyama vyengine waliuliwa kwa makundi. Kwa usiku mmoja maisha ya watu yasiyovika yalipotea na siku nyengine baadae maelfu ya watu waliikimbia nchi pamoja na kila walichoweza kubeba.
John Okello mwenyewe alijipachika cheo cha Jemedari Mkuu akishirikiana na bataliani zake zenye fujo walianzisha utawala wa vitisho ndani ya visiwa vya Unguja na Pemba. John Okello alitangaza vitisho visivyo vya kawaida na ahadi ya kifo kwa wote watakaojaribu kumpinga yeye. John Okello aliamini alikuwa akipokea maelekezo /dokezo kutoka kwa Mungu na akionyesha uwezo usiokuwa wa kawaida kwa kutumia nambari, kwa mfano tarehe 13 Januari, 1964, alitangaza ujumbe ufuatao." Serikali sasa inaendeshwa na sisi ikiwa mtakuwa wakaidi na kukataa kutii amri, Nitachukua hatua kali mara 88 zaidi ya hatua ninazozichukua hivi sasa" na "Na ikiwa yeyote atashidnwa kutii amri ya kutotoka nje ya nyumba kama walivyofanya wengine.sitokuwa na njia nyengine lakini kutumia silaha nzito. Sisi, ni jeshi lenye nguvu ya 99,099,000".
Vitisho vyake na uwezo wake wa kuvitekeleza viliwatia hofu raia, hasa makundi mbali mbali ya jamii zilizo ndogo. Tarehe 14 Januari, 1964 alitangaza maneno haya ya kufadhaisha" Huyu hapa ni Jemedari Mkuu wa Unguja na PembaNafikiria kuelekea kijiji cha Mtendeni kukiangamiza ikiwa watu wa hapo hawatafuata amri. Baada ya dakika 40 nitawamaliza nyote hasa Wangazija", " na kwa vijana wote wa kiarabu wanaoishi Malindi; Nitapita Malindi nikiwa nimesheheni silaha ambazo mimi mwenyewe ndie nizijuazo. Nataka kuona kila mmoja abakie na chupi na kulala chini. Nataka kuwaona wao wanaimba... Baba wa Waafrika. Mungu Mbariki yeye na malengo yake na yale ya Jemedari Mkuu"
Wakati unyanyasaji uliposima jamii za tamaduni tofauti za Zanzibar zilikuwa zimeparaganyika. Taifa la chama kimoja lilitangazwa. Lakini bado jTaifa hili likihofia uwezekano wa kufufuka upinzani kutoka kwa wapinzani waliokimbia nchi. Wanamapinduzi hawa baadae walijihakikishia udhibiti zaidi baada ya kusaini mkataba wa muungano wa Tanganyika. Hii ingeruhusu maelfu ya marafiki wa kisiasa wa Tanganyika kuingilia kati upinzani wowote wa baadae katika visiwa hivi. Askari polisi wa Zanzibar walibadilishwa kwa askari polisi kutoka Tanganyika ambao ni watiifu kwa chama na pazia la siasa za utengano ziliwakumba wazanzibari ambazo zilitakiwa kudumu kwa zaidi ya miaka 20.
Leo hii siasa hizi za utengano hazipo tena, kumalizika kwa vita vya baridi na kuelekea kwa uchumi wa kisasa umeweza kuifungulia Zanzibar milango kwa ulimwengu wa nje. Uchaguzi wa vyama vingi ulifanyika mwaka 1995 na mwengine unatarajiwa kufanyika mwaka, 2000. Viongozi wa kweli na wenye kujali hali za watu wameibuka Tanzania na hii imewafanya wakimbizi waliokimbia wakati wa mapinduzi kurejea visiwani. Uvumilivu na amani wa watu wa aina tofauti, ambayo ni ya maisha ya wazanzibari, sasa hivi unajitahidi kurejea katika mitaa ya mji mkongwe.
"Kuna watu wasipokuelewa maneno na matendo yako, mshukuru Jah, wewe bado unafikra chanya, wakianza kukuelewa jichunguze ni wapi umeanguka maana umeanza kuwaza kama wao"
Usiku wa tarehe 12 Januari 1964 kundi la watu 300 walikitwaa kisiwa cha Unguja wakiongozwa na mtu asiyekuwa maarufu kipindi hicho, aliyekuwa akiitwa John Okello, John Okello alikuwa akiishi Pemba ambako alitokea Uganda miaka michache tu. Ndani ya Zanzibar Okello alipata umaarufu kwa vijana majabari, ambao wengi katika wao walikuwa ni makuli na wachukuzi w meli zilizoingia na kutoka bandarini Zanzibar, kundi lake hili John Okello lilikutana kwa siri. Okello aliwapa matumaini ya mabadiliko watu wake hawa, wafuasi, ambao wakifanya kazi pamoja kwa muda mrefu, mara nyingine katika mazingira ya hatari, na tayari kufuata amri za kiongozi yeyote ambaye ataweza kuwalipa. Wao walikuwa waasi wanaotafuta makaazi.
Mchafuko wa kisiasa ulikuwa ukiongezeka ndani ya Zanzibar na Pemba tangu kifo cha Sultani Khalifa katika mwaka 1960. Sultani Khalifa alitawala Zanzibar kwa karibu ya miaka 50, tangu mwaka 1911. Baada ya udanganyifu mkubwa kwa majimbo ya uchaguzi na mseto katika chaguzi kuu mbili za mwaka 1961 vyama vikuu vilishindwa kujipatia wingi wa kura kwa kila kimoja. Waingereza waliondosha majeshi yao kikiwemo kikosi maalumu cha Kiarishi ambacho kilikuwa kimewekwa karibu na uwanja wa gofu na mpaka wa mji mkongwe mapema mwaka 1963. Wakati mfalme mpya, Jemshid akipandisha bendera ya Taifa huru la Zanzibar tarehe 12 Disemba 1963, aliadhimisha uondokaji wa Gavana wa kiingereza Zanzibar na mwisho wa ukoloni Zanzibar.
Uchaguzi mwingine uliofanyika mwishoni mwa mwaka 1963 ukiipa ushindi mdogo wa kura Muungano wa vyama viwili ZNP na (chama cha kizalendo Zanzibar) na ZPPP (Chama cha watu wa Pemba na Unguja). A.S.P (Chama cha Afro shirazi) kilikuwa kiwe kipo katika Serikali iliyo na chini ya nusu ya wabunge kwa mtindo wa bunge la Kiingereza na Sultani, akiwa kama ni mtawala tu lakini sio mtawala mwenye maamuzi ya mwisho. Taifa hili la Zanzibar ambalo lilikuwa mwanchana kamili wa Jumuia ya madola na mwanachana mpya wa Umoja wa Mataifa lilidumu kwa siku 33 tu.
Majadiliano makali ya kisiasa na maandamano yalikuwa ni matukio ya kawaida siku hizo. Ahmed Bargash anasema, "nakumbuka nilikuwa naendesha baskeli kuelekea shuleni kupitia makundi ya watu yaliyokuwa yakiimba na kusifu majina mbalimbali ya viongozi wa kisiasa, huku yakivuka vizuizi vya barabara vilivyokuwa vikilindwa na askari wa kiingereza. Vikundi mbali bmali vilijadiliana juu ya mambo mbali mbali; mfano Haki dhini ya fursa, Wageni dhidi ya wenyeji wa zamani, Ubepari dhidi ya Ujamaa, Wafanyabiashara dhidi ya wamiliki ardhi, Waunguja dhidi ya Wapemba, Waasia dhidi ya pazia la nyuma la vita baridi na harakati za utaifa na kuondosha ukoloni ambazo zilikuwepo kipindi hiki ndani ya Afrika"
John Okello hakuwa na jawabu ya mambo haya nyeti, lakini alikuwa na kipawa cha kutambua kwamba vikundi hivi vinavyoshindana vinatoa nafasi nzuri kwa mtu wa harakati kama yeye Okello.
Hata hivyo, watu kama mia waliojizatiti wangaliwez kutwaa vituo muhimu vya kienyeji vya habari na kambi za Polisi. Mara tu baada ya vituo vya habari na Kambi za polisi pamoja na silaha kudhibitiwa na John Okelo, Ni nani katika visiwa angeweza kumshinda? Jee, wanasiasa wangeliungana na kumshutumu na kumpinga kwa vitendo vyake visivyo halali? Au kama alivyotaraji, wangeendelea kutoaminiana na kutuhumu kwamba kati yao ndio wanaomuunga mkono? Jee, wasingelitaka kukubaliana na yeye, haraka kabla mwengineo hajafanya hivyo? John Okello alichezesha dadu usiku huo wa mwezi wa Januari.
Viongozi wa A.S.P walifadhaishwa na matendo ya Okello (wengi wao, walikuwa hata hawapo visiwani wakati huo). Walikimbilia haraka kuwaunga mkono waasi. Mamia ya wafuasi wa vyama walipigwa na butwaa juu ya wale ambao walikuwa na shuku ya kukata fundo hilo gumu la majadaliano ya kidemokrasia na kukimbilia moja kwa moja kwenye utawala. Hawawalitafuta njia ya kuiandaa jamii kwenda sambamba na kanuni zao. Kanuni siku hizo zilikuwa ni ghali sana kama sarafu ya Marekani. Ubinadamu ulikuwa ni kitu adimu sana.
Baadhi ya viongozi wa ASP baada kuona kwamba serikali itakuwa haina udhibiti na uwezo kujilinda na kutokuwa na imani matokeo ya chaguzi huria zilizofanyika, viongozi hawalitafuta njia za haraka za kuhalalisha udhibiti yale ambayo yaliitwa sasa "Mapinduzi". Makundi ya watu wenye fujo yalikuwa huru. Sheria na amani zilikuwa hazipo katika mitaa ya Zanzibar.
Walimiliki ardhi na wafanya biashara waliburutwa kutoka majumbani na madukani mwao, uporaji na mauaji yalienea mji mkongwe mzima. Kwa kweli mji wenyewe uliporwa.
Waarabu na Waasia , waliokuwa wakiunga mkono vyama vyengine waliuliwa kwa makundi. Kwa usiku mmoja maisha ya watu yasiyovika yalipotea na siku nyengine baadae maelfu ya watu waliikimbia nchi pamoja na kila walichoweza kubeba.
John Okello mwenyewe alijipachika cheo cha Jemedari Mkuu akishirikiana na bataliani zake zenye fujo walianzisha utawala wa vitisho ndani ya visiwa vya Unguja na Pemba. John Okello alitangaza vitisho visivyo vya kawaida na ahadi ya kifo kwa wote watakaojaribu kumpinga yeye. John Okello aliamini alikuwa akipokea maelekezo /dokezo kutoka kwa Mungu na akionyesha uwezo usiokuwa wa kawaida kwa kutumia nambari, kwa mfano tarehe 13 Januari, 1964, alitangaza ujumbe ufuatao." Serikali sasa inaendeshwa na sisi ikiwa mtakuwa wakaidi na kukataa kutii amri, Nitachukua hatua kali mara 88 zaidi ya hatua ninazozichukua hivi sasa" na "Na ikiwa yeyote atashidnwa kutii amri ya kutotoka nje ya nyumba kama walivyofanya wengine.sitokuwa na njia nyengine lakini kutumia silaha nzito. Sisi, ni jeshi lenye nguvu ya 99,099,000".
Vitisho vyake na uwezo wake wa kuvitekeleza viliwatia hofu raia, hasa makundi mbali mbali ya jamii zilizo ndogo. Tarehe 14 Januari, 1964 alitangaza maneno haya ya kufadhaisha" Huyu hapa ni Jemedari Mkuu wa Unguja na PembaNafikiria kuelekea kijiji cha Mtendeni kukiangamiza ikiwa watu wa hapo hawatafuata amri. Baada ya dakika 40 nitawamaliza nyote hasa Wangazija", " na kwa vijana wote wa kiarabu wanaoishi Malindi; Nitapita Malindi nikiwa nimesheheni silaha ambazo mimi mwenyewe ndie nizijuazo. Nataka kuona kila mmoja abakie na chupi na kulala chini. Nataka kuwaona wao wanaimba... Baba wa Waafrika. Mungu Mbariki yeye na malengo yake na yale ya Jemedari Mkuu"
Wakati unyanyasaji uliposima jamii za tamaduni tofauti za Zanzibar zilikuwa zimeparaganyika. Taifa la chama kimoja lilitangazwa. Lakini bado jTaifa hili likihofia uwezekano wa kufufuka upinzani kutoka kwa wapinzani waliokimbia nchi. Wanamapinduzi hawa baadae walijihakikishia udhibiti zaidi baada ya kusaini mkataba wa muungano wa Tanganyika. Hii ingeruhusu maelfu ya marafiki wa kisiasa wa Tanganyika kuingilia kati upinzani wowote wa baadae katika visiwa hivi. Askari polisi wa Zanzibar walibadilishwa kwa askari polisi kutoka Tanganyika ambao ni watiifu kwa chama na pazia la siasa za utengano ziliwakumba wazanzibari ambazo zilitakiwa kudumu kwa zaidi ya miaka 20.
Leo hii siasa hizi za utengano hazipo tena, kumalizika kwa vita vya baridi na kuelekea kwa uchumi wa kisasa umeweza kuifungulia Zanzibar milango kwa ulimwengu wa nje. Uchaguzi wa vyama vingi ulifanyika mwaka 1995 na mwengine unatarajiwa kufanyika mwaka, 2000. Viongozi wa kweli na wenye kujali hali za watu wameibuka Tanzania na hii imewafanya wakimbizi waliokimbia wakati wa mapinduzi kurejea visiwani. Uvumilivu na amani wa watu wa aina tofauti, ambayo ni ya maisha ya wazanzibari, sasa hivi unajitahidi kurejea katika mitaa ya mji mkongwe.
"Kuna watu wasipokuelewa maneno na matendo yako, mshukuru Jah, wewe bado unafikra chanya, wakianza kukuelewa jichunguze ni wapi umeanguka maana umeanza kuwaza kama wao"
Yericko Nyerere
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- Dec 22, 2010
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Ondoa hofu tunashinda tu
shortlisted1
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Mbona huwaulizii wapigania uhuru wa ukweli wa Tanganyika TANU ilianzishwa mwaka )1929 nyerere naya alizaliwa mwaka 1922 iweje awe baba wa taifa, hushangai hapo na wakoloni wa kingereza walikuwa bega kwa bega na wakristo na walikuwa wanawapendelea sana wakristo hivyo wakristo hawakuhusika katika chimbuko la harakati za kupigania uhuru, Tafuta ukweli wa haya kwanza kabla kabla ya kina Okello.
crabat
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 28, 2012
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Kuna tofauti kati ya wanamaoinduzi na askari maharamia wa kukodi..mercinaries
Okello alikua askari wa kukodi kwa kazi maalum.
Kupindua serikali halali na kufanya mauaji makubwa kwa waislam hizo ndio zilikua hadidu rejea zake alizo pewa na walomwajiri na ndio walio muondoa baada ya kumaliza kazi yake ya kufanya massacre..
25% ya waislam wa zanzibar waliuliwa znz..very innocent people ...
Hivyo hawezi kuwa mwana mapinduzi...hata hao wenzake waliowekwa basi hawana ubavu wa kumsifu...juzi miaka 50 hata kutajwa hakutajwa.
Mapinduxi ya znz yalikua haramu lengo kuu ni kuwangamiza waislam. Hakukua na uhalali wa kuchinja waislam wakati hakujakua na resistance yoyote dhidi ya wavamizi..viongozi walisha ikubali serikali mpya kwa kutangaza kwenye radio..lakini okelo na wauaji wenzake waliendelea kuua ku rape wizi na aina ya uchafu dhidi ya waislam.
Hakika ulikua msiba mkubwa kuwafika watu wa znz...
Okello alikua askari wa kukodi kwa kazi maalum.
Kupindua serikali halali na kufanya mauaji makubwa kwa waislam hizo ndio zilikua hadidu rejea zake alizo pewa na walomwajiri na ndio walio muondoa baada ya kumaliza kazi yake ya kufanya massacre..
25% ya waislam wa zanzibar waliuliwa znz..very innocent people ...
Hivyo hawezi kuwa mwana mapinduzi...hata hao wenzake waliowekwa basi hawana ubavu wa kumsifu...juzi miaka 50 hata kutajwa hakutajwa.
Mapinduxi ya znz yalikua haramu lengo kuu ni kuwangamiza waislam. Hakukua na uhalali wa kuchinja waislam wakati hakujakua na resistance yoyote dhidi ya wavamizi..viongozi walisha ikubali serikali mpya kwa kutangaza kwenye radio..lakini okelo na wauaji wenzake waliendelea kuua ku rape wizi na aina ya uchafu dhidi ya waislam.
Hakika ulikua msiba mkubwa kuwafika watu wa znz...
Comi
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hivi zanzibar ilishawahi kuwa na wakristu asilimia 40? Ni swali tu
Phillemon Mikael
Platinum Member
- Nov 5, 2006
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Chama cha TAA ..KULIKUWA na nia ya kupigania Uhuru ..lakini tatizo kubwa Kilikuwa hakijitanui nje ya Mzizima..na hata ilipotokea kusambaa ilikuwa taratibu Sana ...hasa kwa kupitia watu waliokuwa wakitoka kwenda bara..,Hii ilisababisha Nchi kuwa na vyama vingine visivyoratibiwa..mfano ..kanda ya ziwa kupitia Ushirika....Kanda ya Kaskazini nao KULIKUWA na vyama hasa Meru kwa Kina Japhet Kiliro ..na Kilimanjaro ambayo tayari walikuwa na mfumo Rasmi wa serekali na demokrasia ,bunge etc .
Walichokuja kufanya Nyerere,Kambona ,Kawawa, na Bibi Titi ...tofauti ni kitendo cha kufanya ziara Nchi nzima kutangaza Tanu....,na pia kuunganisha makundi mbali mbali ya kanda zote ndani ya chombo kimoja yaani TANU....
ndugu wana jf hope mko mnaedelea vyema na mapuziko,
leo katika pita pita yangu nimekuta hii article cyo mbaya ukapitia na kutoa cmment yako
John Gideon Okello (1937, Lango District, Uganda – 1971?) was an East African revolutionary and the leader of the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964. This revolution overthrew Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah and led to the proclamation of Zanzibar as a republic.
Little is known of Okello's youth although he was baptized at age two and given the baptismal name of Gideon. He was orphaned at age eleven and grew up with other relatives. When he was fifteen, he left and set out on his own and found work in several places within East Africa. At various times, Okello was a clerk, manservant, gardener, and in odd-jobs. He later went through training to become a bricklayer. He was arrested in Nairobi, (Kenya) for unclear reasons and was incarcerated for two years, during which time he became interested in revolutionary ideas. There is some speculation that, at some point, Okello had a residence in Cuba and was taught Communism by Fidel Castro.
Police officer on Pemba
In 1959 Okello left for the island of Pemba, where he tried to find work on one of the farms, but became a police officer instead. Okello joined the Afro-Shirazi Party of sheik Abeid Karume. This party opposed the domineering position of the minority Arabs on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba
Revolutionary
Okello left for Zanzibar in 1963, where he contacted the leaders of the Afro-Shirazi Youth League, the youth organisation of the Afro-Shirazi Party. The Youth League strived for a revolution in order to break the power of the Arabs. On Zanzibar, Okello was also a member of the Painters Union, being a house painter. In his free time he built up a small army of determined African nationalists. This army was required to hold themselves to the strict rules of Okello: sexual abstinence, no raw meat and no alcohol.
The highly religious Okello was convinced he had been given orders in his dreams by God to break the powerful position of the Arabs and to found the revolutionary state on Zanzibar and Pemba. On the night before the "revolution", rumor has it that Okello gave his men the order to kill all Arabs between 18 and 25 years of age, to spare pregnant and elderly women, and not to rape virgins.
Uprising and Genocide
On January 12, 1964, with popular support from the island's oppressed native African majority, Okello and his men fought their way to the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, where the sultan lived. Even though they were poorly armed, Okello and his men surprised the police force of Zanzibar and they took power.
During a speech on radio, Okello dubbed himself the "field marshal of Zanzibar and Pemba". He gave the sultan an order to kill his family and to kill himself afterwards; otherwise, Okello would do so himself. However, the sultan had already brought himself to safety later to be harboured in Britain. The prime minister and other ministers did not escape and were imprisoned for many years.
The coup led to the poorly-known blood bath of between 5,000 and 20,000 ethnic Arabs, whose families had been living in Zanzibar for centuries, between January 18 and 20. Footage of the massacre can be seen in Gualtiero Jacopetti's film Africa Addio, a 1966 exemplar of the Mondo film genre.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Shoved to the side
Okello created a Revolutionary Council and named the leader of the Afro-Shirazi Party, Abeid Karume, as president and leader of the (Arabic) Umma-(Massa) Party, sheik Abdulrahman Muhammad Babu as prime minister (later: vice-president). Both Karume and Babu had not been informed of the coup. Both residing in Tanganyika, but returned to Zanzibar, where they were welcomed by Okello. However, neither Karume nor Babu wanted anything to do with him. Afterward, Okello appeared to be too unstable to play any role in government of the new country and was quietly sidelined from the political scene by Karume, who allowed him to retain his title of Field Marshal.[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP]
By 3 February Zanzibar was finally returning to normality and Karume had been accepted, almost unquestionably, as its president.[SUP][4][/SUP] Okello formed a paramilitary unit, known as the Freedom Military Force (FMF), from his own supporters which is known to have patrolled the streets and become involved with looting.[SUP][5][/SUP][SUP][6][/SUP] In addition Okello's violent rhetoric, his thick and dialectic English pronunciations and Acholi tribal English accent- typical of Acholi from Northern Uganda, and his Christian beliefs alienated many in the largely moderate, Zanzibari and Muslim ASP.[SUP][7][/SUP] By March many of his FMF had been disarmed by Karume's supporters and an Umma Party militia.[SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][7][/SUP] Okello was denied access to the country when he tried to return from a trip to the mainland and deported to Tanganyika and then to Kenya before returning, destitute, to his native Uganda.[SUP][7][/SUP] He was officially removed from his post as Field Marshal on 11 March.[SUP][8][/SUP]
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was formed by the government in April and completed the disarmament of Okello's remaining FMF troops.[SUP][7][/SUP] On 26 April Karume announced that he had negotiated to enter into a union with Tanganyika to form the new country of Tanzania.[SUP][9][/SUP] Karume's reason for doing so may have been to prevent the radicals in the Umma Party from taking over the country or to reduce the possibility of increasing communist influence in East Africa.[SUP][9][/SUP][SUP][10][/SUP] Despite this, many of the Umma Party's socialist policies on health, education and social welfare were adopted by the government.[SUP][11][/SUP]
Speculations concerning his death
Okello then stayed in Kenya, in Congo-Kinshasa and in Uganda. He was incarcerated multiple times and was last seen with the Ugandan president Idi Amin in 1971 and vanished afterwards. In the book "Revolution on Zanzibar", written by Don Petterson, it is more or less assumed that Idi Amin saw him as a threat (after Amin promoted himself Okello reportedly joked that "now Uganda has two field marshals"[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]) and had arranged his assassination. This remains speculative, however.
Cultural references to Okello
The black slave played by Edward Roland in Werner Herzog's 1972 film Aguirre, the Wrath of God is named "Okello". In his commentary to the DVD version of the film, Herzog also says that the character of Aguirre himself was partly modelled on John Okello, with whom the director had been in contact. (Okello had wanted Herzog to translate a book he had written.) Herzog explains: "I chose the name Okello because I owe his craze, his hysteria, his atrocious fantasies quite a bit for this film".[SUP][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uPi3vh2hGE[/SUP]
tempo_user1
Senior Member
- Sep 7, 2010
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Angalia kwa makini video hii na pia sikiliza kwa makini interview ya Karume, Okello na Babu kisha tafakari ni vipi Karume anaitwa kiongozi wa mapinduzi, inashangaza sana!
Last edited by a moderator:
activisty
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 1, 2012
- 315
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HII NDO HISTORIA YETU
Zanzibar Revolution: Who was John Okello and what did he announce on the radio in 1964?
Zanzibar and Tanzania mark 50 years since the bloody revolution of Zanzibar in 1964. I am currently researching on the Tanganyika- Zanzibar Union and the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964 has certainly shaped the history of Tanzania. I recently came across someone's tweet saying "Bila Mapinduzi, Muungano usingekuwepo..bila ya Muungano, Mapinduzi yasingedumu." The English translation is "Without the Revolution, the Union could not exist..without the Union, the Revolution could not have held." This is indicative enough of the crucial nature of the Zanzibar Revolution to the history of Tanzania.
Strange as it may seem, one author aptly notes that "the Zanzibar Revolution might not have occurred, and certainly not when it did, had it not been for the presence of a foreigner from Uganda who had grandiose illusions about his revolutionary calling and who happened to be in an ideal position to organise a coup. The man was John Okello, a Christian who had come to Pemba as a youth to make building blocks. He joined the Police Force and in 1961 became one of the leaders of the ASP party. In February 1963, he went over to Zanzibar island and began to work work for the realisation of his dream of becoming a great nationalist by overthrowing the Sultani. Okello was an eloquent young man with a deep harrowing voice. After periods of disillusionment he decided to join with the ASP Youth League. He styled himself as Field Marshal. In the early morning of 12 January 1964 sabotaged the police arsenal and together with his men defeated the Sultan's troops. At 7 a.m Okello went to the radio station and broadcast the following message to the people of Zanzibar:
I am Field Marshal Okello! Wake up, you imperialists, there's no longer an imperialist government on this Island; this is now the government of the Freedom Fighters. Wake up, you black men. Let everyone of you take a gun and ammunition and start to fight against any remnants of imperialism on this island.
Later that morning, Okello issued an ultimatum to the Sultan:You are allowed twenty minutes to kill your children and wives and then kill yourself. The Sultan escaped to Tanganyika then to England. Okello began to form a provisional government with Abeid Karume as Prime Minister. By the evening the Revolution was full circle and running.
Zanzibar Revolution: Who was John Okello and what did he announce on the radio in 1964?
Zanzibar and Tanzania mark 50 years since the bloody revolution of Zanzibar in 1964. I am currently researching on the Tanganyika- Zanzibar Union and the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964 has certainly shaped the history of Tanzania. I recently came across someone's tweet saying "Bila Mapinduzi, Muungano usingekuwepo..bila ya Muungano, Mapinduzi yasingedumu." The English translation is "Without the Revolution, the Union could not exist..without the Union, the Revolution could not have held." This is indicative enough of the crucial nature of the Zanzibar Revolution to the history of Tanzania.
Strange as it may seem, one author aptly notes that "the Zanzibar Revolution might not have occurred, and certainly not when it did, had it not been for the presence of a foreigner from Uganda who had grandiose illusions about his revolutionary calling and who happened to be in an ideal position to organise a coup. The man was John Okello, a Christian who had come to Pemba as a youth to make building blocks. He joined the Police Force and in 1961 became one of the leaders of the ASP party. In February 1963, he went over to Zanzibar island and began to work work for the realisation of his dream of becoming a great nationalist by overthrowing the Sultani. Okello was an eloquent young man with a deep harrowing voice. After periods of disillusionment he decided to join with the ASP Youth League. He styled himself as Field Marshal. In the early morning of 12 January 1964 sabotaged the police arsenal and together with his men defeated the Sultan's troops. At 7 a.m Okello went to the radio station and broadcast the following message to the people of Zanzibar:
I am Field Marshal Okello! Wake up, you imperialists, there's no longer an imperialist government on this Island; this is now the government of the Freedom Fighters. Wake up, you black men. Let everyone of you take a gun and ammunition and start to fight against any remnants of imperialism on this island.
Later that morning, Okello issued an ultimatum to the Sultan:You are allowed twenty minutes to kill your children and wives and then kill yourself. The Sultan escaped to Tanganyika then to England. Okello began to form a provisional government with Abeid Karume as Prime Minister. By the evening the Revolution was full circle and running.
activisty
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 1, 2012
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KWA NINI HISTORIA YA TANZANIA INAFICHWA FICHWA? Soma hii kuhusu mapinduzi ya Zanzibar!!!
JOHN OKELLO HAKUTAKA Z;BAR IUNGANE NA TANGANYIKA MZEE KARUME ALIKUWA AKIMUOGOPA OKELLO NDIO AKAMFUKUZA Z;BAR
MOST Tanganyikans especially of the present generation do not know exactly the history of the revolution of Zanzibar which took place over four decades ago. They dont even know how it started and how the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar was formed. This is because after the revolution, the government has not been speaking the truth of the matter and instead it has been hiding the truth to the eyes of many Tanganyika and Zanzibar people. Most of them can tell the First President of Zanzibar the late Sheikh Aman Karume who is regularly mentioned to have taken an active part of the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. But the history tells us that, President Karume was called to assume the position of presidency after the revolution which was organized and planned by a self-styled Field Marshal John Okello, a Ugandan born national who dedicated his life to save Zanzibaris in those days for what he say to save Zanzibar. He worked effectively by other freedom fighters who were members of Afro-Shirazi party. By then Karume was living in Tanganyika mainland for fear of his life after hear is going to be the revolution in Zanzibar he fear for that couse is wrong doing couse Zanzibar was just get his independence from British rule in October 1963. with the Sultanate government and the ruling party of the Zanzibar government, the ZNP which was led by Prime Minister, Mohammed Shamte.
Despite of this important historic event which brought alot of killing of the z;bar residing in both Pemba and Unguja islands, heroes who took active part in this revolution who call them self heroes seems to have been forgotten in one way or another and are never mentioned at all whenever the nation celebrates the occasion in commemoration to mark this day in the country.
On April 7[SUP]th[/SUP] each year, the government of zanzibar marks the anniversary of the death of the first President of Zanzibar and first Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania Sheikh Abeid Aman Karume with nostalgic feelings of the man who devoted and sacrificed his life for the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. Just who is this man claimed to have helped change Zanzibars course of history and contributed to the birth of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania? The persistent narration of the history of Zanzibar and the revolutionary movement seems to have been driven in a wrong way from its inception, let the government stick to the truth. Zanzibar is and autonomous state which before its union with the then Tanganyika on 26[SUP]th[/SUP] April 1964 three months after the revolution, attained its legal independence from British rule in October 1963. Within few months later, a nine hour revolution took place that led to the expulsion of the Sultanate government. Field Marshal John Okello is taken as and instrumental figure behind the move who by all means should always be remembered during national celebrations for his courageousness and the effort he showed as a leader of the revolution if z;bar believer the revolution of z;bar was right thing to do. Its also disturbing to note that, the government seems to have turned a blind eye in support of his movements and campaigns which he made and eventually led to the overthrow of the Omani-Sultanate government on the Island on January 12[SUP]th[/SUP] 1964. This significant occasion ended centuries of the friendship of people of Zanzibar Arab from Oman who was there for many years and married there and have family and every thing with Zanzibar people and sultanate in Zanzibar. As concerns his background history Okello was a Ugandan national from Lira district occupied by Lango ethnic group. He first entered the island of Pemba from Kenya on 21[SUP]st[/SUP] June 1959 in search of a job just like other people seeking for life in a foreign country. Soon after his short stay he joined the Afro-Shiraz Party, the only party which by then had its majority members composed of mix z;bar and tanganyika who was working in different jobs that they did like. Because of his patriotic outlook, he was elected the secretary of the youth wing for Vitongoji area and later came to be a youth wing leader of the whole Pemba island.
Field Marshal John Okello (seated at the centre) with his commanders in a group photo immediately after the revolution.
He began his campaigns by fighting for the rights of Africans the way he say and during his speeches which were loved by everyone who was from tanganyika who working in z;bar, he had established a vision that revolution was a solution to freedom he forgot he is not z;bar though he realized the difficulties but was confident they could be overcome by intelligence and properly organized local military application. He gave much thought to the political problems of the z;bar residing in Zanzibar and felt strongly for the liberation of the all people of tanganyika and z;bar who was hungry for be in power.
In early 1963, Okello began to organize the local troops to fight against the govement of z;bar in a bid to bring human dignity which for what he say was lost among the majority of the African group residing in both islands. To make his planned mission work, he organized with mainland African policemen in both Pemba and Unguja islands and persuaded them one by one of the correctness of his views. Like many other African Diasporas in Zanzibar, Okello also navigated with the ASP aspirants that appeared to be under Sheik Abeid Karume. The real history about the revolution itself tells us that Mr. Karume wasnt even aware of the coup despite of the government which keeps on applauding him to have taken active part in overthrowing the Sultanate government. When he became President of Zanzibar, few months after the revolution, he expelled Mr. Okello from the island for unknown reasons. This matter has been remained concealed to the eyes of many Tanganyikans and Zanzibar and none of them actually knows nothing the basic reasons which led to his deportation from Zanzibar.who is behind this dicteitar nyerere.
Sheikh Karume was born in Mwera village a short distance from Zanzibar town in 1905 this what they say some say he come to z;bar with her mother when he was child from Mozambique even today some part of his family is still visiting in Mozambique, so even he is not from z;bar, again another person who is hungry for power and his not from z;bar. His death occurred mysteriously. On April 7, 1972, when a young z;bar who was want for better life in z;bar and tired of is dictator rule so thinking to do new counter-revolutionaries so by mistake did work as planned so some sneaked into the headquarters of the Zanzibar ruling Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP) at Kisiwandui in Unguja Urban District. One of them immediately opened fire on a group of top party leaders who were enjoying a game of 'Bao'. Moments later, the body of the ASP President, who was also the President of Zanzibar and Union First Vice-President, laid in a pool of blood, dead. The shooter was immediately shot by Presidents security men. Here is question why the didn't catch him why the kill him.? Couse if they did kill him they can ask him who send to kill president of z;bar but they kill him right way why.?.
Heroes movements during uprising the way the call them self Heroes but they just killer:
In January 1964 the Sultanate government was overthrown by an internal revolution. Although the revolution was carried out by only about 600 armed men under the leadership of the communist-trained Field Marshal John Okello, it won a considerable support from the tanganyika some z;bar who was stupid and hungry for power population. Thousands of Arabs,india,and swahili z;bar people who was happy with they new geverment of 1963 were massacred in riots, and thousands more fled the island. According to the book entitled Revolution in Zanzibar that the commander and self-styled Field Marshall John Okello wrote, the people killed during the invasion were about 13,000 but is more than that couse people was killed and put in mass graver.
With the popular support from the littler people from island's and tanganyika oppressed native majority, Okello and his men fought their way to the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, where the sultan Sayyid Jamshid Ibn Abdullah lived. Even though they were poorly armed, Okello and his men whom he appointed as Brigadier commandars in-charge during the mutiny surprised the majority of the people in the world and took power of the government.
During a speech when he was introducing himself on the radio monitored in a Kenyan Swahili accent, Okello dubbed himself the "Field Marshal of Zanzibar and Pemba". He gave the sultan an order to kill his family and to kill himself afterwards, otherwise, he (Okello) would do so himself. However, the sultan had already brought himself to safety later to be harboured in Britain. The prime minister Mr. Mohammed Shamte and other ministers also managed to escape and let all remaining z;bari being killed in the massacre, without any of them even thinking how to help them now......
Having taken control of both islands which by then had a population of 300,000 people, Okello created a Revolutionary Council and invited Sheik Abeid Karume back to the island to assume the title of Presidency. Other Zanzibaris in foreign territorry were also invited back, most notably the marxist politician the late Abdulrahman Babu to assume the position of a Prime Minister. Both Karume and Babu had not been informed of the coup as they were residing in Tanganyika the did no nothing about the revolution but after that okello welcome them, where they were welcomed by Okello. However, neither Karume nor Babu wanted anything to do with him. John Okello reserved for himself the title of "Field Marshal", a position with undefined power. What followed was a three month long internal struggle for power.
On his arrival in Zanzibar on a Tanganyikan government plane, Karume was taken to the broadcasting station and Okello introduced him as President of the peoples Republic of Zanzibar. After a brief introduction to the general public, Mr Karume addressed the nation by saying,
I am pleased and delighted to have this opportunity of speaking to you publicly in our newly freed island. As President of the Republic, I promise to serve you faithfully and to the full extent of your needs. The government we are going to construct will be the opposite of that which we have suffered under before. I am glad to say that under the wise leadership of Field Marshal John Okello we have reached a goal which we alone could not achieve. I appeal to you all to serve the new regime faithfully and honestly. I must express my thanks Karume went on, to the freedom fighters through whose efforts I have become President, and to Field Marshal Okello, whose fruitful leadership was accepted by you. My being President now, is due entirely to your strength and energy, you have struggled and suffered and died, but you have achieved a remarkable victory. I want all of us to work in unity and to obey Field Marshal Okello as any other person born on this Island without any form of discrimnation. Without his wisdom and courage, none of us would be where we are at the present. Fiel Marshal Okellos activities clearly shows that he is a man born with African liberation in his heart, and we of this Island are actually to have had him achieve our freedom so quickly. THAT WAS END OF HIS SPEECH.
Within a month of his rule after being announced as President of Zanzibar, Karume used his political skills to align the leaders of neighboring African countries against Okello, and invited Tanganyikan police officers into Zanzibar to maintain order.
As soon as Okello took a trip out of the country, Karume declared him an enemy of the state and did not allow him to return back in Zanzibar, he was also deported from Tanganyika. Given the presence of Tanganyikan police and the absence of their leader, Okello's gangs of followers did not offer any resistance. Okello then stayed in Kenya, in Congo-Kinshasa and in Uganda. He was incarcerated multiple times and was last seen with the former Ugandan President, dictator Iddi Amin in 1971 and vanished afterwards. It is more or less assumed that Idi Amin saw him as a threat (after Amin promoted himself, Okello reportedly joked that "now Uganda has two field marshals") and had arranged his assassination. This remains speculative, however.
Karume's second stroke of political genius came when he agreed to form a union with Tanganyikan president Julius Nyerere in April 1964. The union which was agreed by these two leaders ensured that the new country, to be called Tanzania would not align itself with the Soviet Union and communist bloc, as Abdulrahman Babu had advocated. Karume's government marginalized Babu to the point of irrelevance. The Marxist leader was eventually forced to flee Tanzania after being charged with masterminding the assassination of Karume on 7[SUP]th[/SUP] April 1972. During his reign as a President before his death, Karume was often criticized for the atrocities that were carried out against Zanzibari Arabs and Asians after the revolution, and later against anyone he suspected of endangering his position. It is hard to ascertain the role Karume played personally, but the numbers are bleak. The American diplomat to Zanzibar, Mr. Donald Petterson, estimated that by the end of summer of 1965, Zanzibar's pre-revolution Arab population of 50,000 had been halved".
Why Tanzania is hiding the truth about Zanzibar Revolution, and deported a foreign hero who participated in this revolt?
Tracing back from the reality why Tanzania is hiding the truth about the Zanzibar Revolution, one might say its because of political reasons which were planned in favour of the few indigenous groups of people who wanted to disrupt a chain of power whose prospects had been foreseen would become intolerable in the eyes of the majority. But Field marshal John Okello had revealed this in his book entitled Revolution in Zanzibar which he wrote few months after the revolution. The publication and sale of the book was banned by the government few months later after its release. According to him, he had realized there was a close relationship between Karume and President Nyerere. They had some kind of plan, but there was nothing he could do about it. With the same anticipation that had allowed him to know in advance many things that would happen to him. He also knew that he would suffer from the hands of Africans although he had done good to them. But it was not his intention to harm anyone without a good cause and he preferred to leave his new opponents to carry out their wishes as it might please them
In the book Okello is quoted as saying that, I understand African thinking and I understand that what I did in Zanzibar, had it been done in any other country for the sake of Africans, I would still have been judged wrong and borne blame. But I acted alone during the revolution and had to remain alone afterwards. If anyone can claim he was with me during the planning and thinking through of the Revolution, let him come forward and explain it Okello then went on by saying that Only God almighty knows what went on in Zanzibar. If anyone claims to have trained me or taught me to act as I did, let him come forward and describe it. I had been an ordinary worker in Zanzibar and went originally to work. A man of class and limited education certainly could not have gone abroad easily and why should I have known by or been acceptable to, and nothing proves this more than the wild claims made about me after the revolution and yet no one knew anything about me at all. I was reported to be a jaluo man from Kenya and a former member of Zanzibar police, yet a check of records in Zanzibar would not reveal my name on any police employment rolls, other people claimed they had seen me in Cuba and in Cairo and in some socialist countries. But there has been any evidence to refute any claims that I have never been outside East Africa to assert that I was an agent of some power, is foolish. How would anyone known I could manage revolution? And why did no one know me after the revolution?
God alone knows and still knows what is happening with me. He is my teacher and whatever he taught me about revolutionary activities is within me and no one on earth can discern it. My power in regard to the revolution was as a messenger of God, and God alone helped to master and eradicate the imperialists on the Island.
On 24[SUP]th[/SUP] January 1964, Okello received an unsigned written letter in Swahili as quoted in his book as follows:- Field Marshal John Okello, your behaviors is inconsistent with the requirement of the indigenous people. You are the only person boasting of having the power in the revolutionary government. You must realize that, you do not belong to the Muslim religion and you are leading Muslims even though you are a Christian. Also your activities led to the death of many people in the Island most of whom are Muslims. So start counting your days for a time will come when Muslims will unite to expel you from the Island The letter did not upset him as he suspected to have come from ZNP . On 8[SUP]th[/SUP] February 1964, he received another letter stating Field Marshal John Okello we are telling you that, you will not last for ever on this Island. You will soon find yourself outside and unable to return. Remember Karume himself is a Muslim and you may be certain he loved the Arabs killed during the Revolution more than he loves you.
Okello and Karume brought on the table of discussion:
Within two months time after the revolution, Field Marshal Okello and President Karume flew in a three seater airplane to Dar es Salaam from Zanzibar whereby they were oddly met by President Nyerere. The two held a strong meeting chaired by Nyerere, others who were present was the Prime Minister Rashid Mfaume Kawawa and TANU secretary General and Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Oscar Kambona. According to quotes in Okellos book, the meeting was opened by President Nyerere who began by saying that John Okello I understand there have been misunderstanding between you and President Karume in the Island and we are here to make some arrangement with you. I would like to know whether the present government belongs to you or Karume? I replied The government of Zanzibar is neither mine nor Karumes but it is the government of the people of Zanzibar. When we fought we promised the people they would get their own government. We actually fought for freedom and that is what the people now have. We are the provisional leaders but there will be leaders tomorrow. We work for the people and they control us. Even here you are called President and head of the government of Tanganyika, but you know that the government is not yours, but rather its the government of the people including yourself.
President Nyerere went on to ask me what I thought of Karume and why I used the broadcasting station to make fierce and boastful speeches more than was necessary. I respect President Karume highly I said, First as an elder, second as my President, thirdly as a personal friend, and fourthly as a brother. I went on, you know very well that our government was snatched by force and not by election as such, the radio is the easiest available means to communicate with the people and indeed to inform the world at large of the decisions of the revolutionary government. The quickest way to inform the people of what their new government is doing is to use radio. President Nyerere then turned to Karume and asked, Do you understand what Okello has been saying? Karume replied, Yes I understand it clearly, I too, like Okello and I can trust him, but I do not understand why he dislikes my association with Abdrahaman Babu. And yet when Babu was expelled, its I who introduced him to other East African leaders, and after the revolution it was Mr. Okello himself who called him back and gave him a ministerial portfolio President Nyerere said he was satisfied with what I had said at the meeting, but he was concerned with some of my radio speeches.
I realized after this meeting, that a serious fight for power was going on and someone wanted to emerge on top. It looked to me as if President Nyerere felt that as long as I was on the Island, he could not join it with Tanganyika, he feared I would want to join with Kenya. Indeed I was very much in agreement with a Kenyan President Kenyattas plans and ideas. Kenyatta was straightforward and spoke openly. If I joined Zanzibar with any single East African nation, I would have preferred Kenya to Tanganyika Okello remarked in his book.
Dispossessed but not defeated:
Other quotes from Okellos book can be read as follows:- I have had several lessons, then in African psychology and I believe that a good thing done by an African for his brothers in need may in future be turned against him. Yet there are few people on earth who will help others at their own risk. It is wrong that when you have cultivated a farm for your brothers and the fruits are ready, they deny you a share. God himself must have cursed such behaviors It is also unwise to say a pot which helped you to cook should be broken to pieces when you have eaten from it and are satisfied, for you do not know what may happen the next day, and if you are hungry a pot broken in contentment will not serve you in the need. The old fishermen with whom I spoke when crossing from Pemba to Unguja in 1963 and many of my soldiers and officers, will recall my predictions about their behavious towards me. I did as I said I would lead them to freedom and they did as I said they would expel me from their land like tailless dog. As a child, I was dispossessed of everything, yet this did not defeat me, as a leader of the Zanzibar Revolution.
JOHN OKELLO HAKUTAKA Z;BAR IUNGANE NA TANGANYIKA MZEE KARUME ALIKUWA AKIMUOGOPA OKELLO NDIO AKAMFUKUZA Z;BAR
MOST Tanganyikans especially of the present generation do not know exactly the history of the revolution of Zanzibar which took place over four decades ago. They dont even know how it started and how the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar was formed. This is because after the revolution, the government has not been speaking the truth of the matter and instead it has been hiding the truth to the eyes of many Tanganyika and Zanzibar people. Most of them can tell the First President of Zanzibar the late Sheikh Aman Karume who is regularly mentioned to have taken an active part of the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. But the history tells us that, President Karume was called to assume the position of presidency after the revolution which was organized and planned by a self-styled Field Marshal John Okello, a Ugandan born national who dedicated his life to save Zanzibaris in those days for what he say to save Zanzibar. He worked effectively by other freedom fighters who were members of Afro-Shirazi party. By then Karume was living in Tanganyika mainland for fear of his life after hear is going to be the revolution in Zanzibar he fear for that couse is wrong doing couse Zanzibar was just get his independence from British rule in October 1963. with the Sultanate government and the ruling party of the Zanzibar government, the ZNP which was led by Prime Minister, Mohammed Shamte.
Despite of this important historic event which brought alot of killing of the z;bar residing in both Pemba and Unguja islands, heroes who took active part in this revolution who call them self heroes seems to have been forgotten in one way or another and are never mentioned at all whenever the nation celebrates the occasion in commemoration to mark this day in the country.
On April 7[SUP]th[/SUP] each year, the government of zanzibar marks the anniversary of the death of the first President of Zanzibar and first Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania Sheikh Abeid Aman Karume with nostalgic feelings of the man who devoted and sacrificed his life for the liberation of the people of Zanzibar. Just who is this man claimed to have helped change Zanzibars course of history and contributed to the birth of the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania? The persistent narration of the history of Zanzibar and the revolutionary movement seems to have been driven in a wrong way from its inception, let the government stick to the truth. Zanzibar is and autonomous state which before its union with the then Tanganyika on 26[SUP]th[/SUP] April 1964 three months after the revolution, attained its legal independence from British rule in October 1963. Within few months later, a nine hour revolution took place that led to the expulsion of the Sultanate government. Field Marshal John Okello is taken as and instrumental figure behind the move who by all means should always be remembered during national celebrations for his courageousness and the effort he showed as a leader of the revolution if z;bar believer the revolution of z;bar was right thing to do. Its also disturbing to note that, the government seems to have turned a blind eye in support of his movements and campaigns which he made and eventually led to the overthrow of the Omani-Sultanate government on the Island on January 12[SUP]th[/SUP] 1964. This significant occasion ended centuries of the friendship of people of Zanzibar Arab from Oman who was there for many years and married there and have family and every thing with Zanzibar people and sultanate in Zanzibar. As concerns his background history Okello was a Ugandan national from Lira district occupied by Lango ethnic group. He first entered the island of Pemba from Kenya on 21[SUP]st[/SUP] June 1959 in search of a job just like other people seeking for life in a foreign country. Soon after his short stay he joined the Afro-Shiraz Party, the only party which by then had its majority members composed of mix z;bar and tanganyika who was working in different jobs that they did like. Because of his patriotic outlook, he was elected the secretary of the youth wing for Vitongoji area and later came to be a youth wing leader of the whole Pemba island.
Field Marshal John Okello (seated at the centre) with his commanders in a group photo immediately after the revolution.
He began his campaigns by fighting for the rights of Africans the way he say and during his speeches which were loved by everyone who was from tanganyika who working in z;bar, he had established a vision that revolution was a solution to freedom he forgot he is not z;bar though he realized the difficulties but was confident they could be overcome by intelligence and properly organized local military application. He gave much thought to the political problems of the z;bar residing in Zanzibar and felt strongly for the liberation of the all people of tanganyika and z;bar who was hungry for be in power.
In early 1963, Okello began to organize the local troops to fight against the govement of z;bar in a bid to bring human dignity which for what he say was lost among the majority of the African group residing in both islands. To make his planned mission work, he organized with mainland African policemen in both Pemba and Unguja islands and persuaded them one by one of the correctness of his views. Like many other African Diasporas in Zanzibar, Okello also navigated with the ASP aspirants that appeared to be under Sheik Abeid Karume. The real history about the revolution itself tells us that Mr. Karume wasnt even aware of the coup despite of the government which keeps on applauding him to have taken active part in overthrowing the Sultanate government. When he became President of Zanzibar, few months after the revolution, he expelled Mr. Okello from the island for unknown reasons. This matter has been remained concealed to the eyes of many Tanganyikans and Zanzibar and none of them actually knows nothing the basic reasons which led to his deportation from Zanzibar.who is behind this dicteitar nyerere.
Sheikh Karume was born in Mwera village a short distance from Zanzibar town in 1905 this what they say some say he come to z;bar with her mother when he was child from Mozambique even today some part of his family is still visiting in Mozambique, so even he is not from z;bar, again another person who is hungry for power and his not from z;bar. His death occurred mysteriously. On April 7, 1972, when a young z;bar who was want for better life in z;bar and tired of is dictator rule so thinking to do new counter-revolutionaries so by mistake did work as planned so some sneaked into the headquarters of the Zanzibar ruling Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP) at Kisiwandui in Unguja Urban District. One of them immediately opened fire on a group of top party leaders who were enjoying a game of 'Bao'. Moments later, the body of the ASP President, who was also the President of Zanzibar and Union First Vice-President, laid in a pool of blood, dead. The shooter was immediately shot by Presidents security men. Here is question why the didn't catch him why the kill him.? Couse if they did kill him they can ask him who send to kill president of z;bar but they kill him right way why.?.
Heroes movements during uprising the way the call them self Heroes but they just killer:
In January 1964 the Sultanate government was overthrown by an internal revolution. Although the revolution was carried out by only about 600 armed men under the leadership of the communist-trained Field Marshal John Okello, it won a considerable support from the tanganyika some z;bar who was stupid and hungry for power population. Thousands of Arabs,india,and swahili z;bar people who was happy with they new geverment of 1963 were massacred in riots, and thousands more fled the island. According to the book entitled Revolution in Zanzibar that the commander and self-styled Field Marshall John Okello wrote, the people killed during the invasion were about 13,000 but is more than that couse people was killed and put in mass graver.
With the popular support from the littler people from island's and tanganyika oppressed native majority, Okello and his men fought their way to the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, where the sultan Sayyid Jamshid Ibn Abdullah lived. Even though they were poorly armed, Okello and his men whom he appointed as Brigadier commandars in-charge during the mutiny surprised the majority of the people in the world and took power of the government.
During a speech when he was introducing himself on the radio monitored in a Kenyan Swahili accent, Okello dubbed himself the "Field Marshal of Zanzibar and Pemba". He gave the sultan an order to kill his family and to kill himself afterwards, otherwise, he (Okello) would do so himself. However, the sultan had already brought himself to safety later to be harboured in Britain. The prime minister Mr. Mohammed Shamte and other ministers also managed to escape and let all remaining z;bari being killed in the massacre, without any of them even thinking how to help them now......
Having taken control of both islands which by then had a population of 300,000 people, Okello created a Revolutionary Council and invited Sheik Abeid Karume back to the island to assume the title of Presidency. Other Zanzibaris in foreign territorry were also invited back, most notably the marxist politician the late Abdulrahman Babu to assume the position of a Prime Minister. Both Karume and Babu had not been informed of the coup as they were residing in Tanganyika the did no nothing about the revolution but after that okello welcome them, where they were welcomed by Okello. However, neither Karume nor Babu wanted anything to do with him. John Okello reserved for himself the title of "Field Marshal", a position with undefined power. What followed was a three month long internal struggle for power.
On his arrival in Zanzibar on a Tanganyikan government plane, Karume was taken to the broadcasting station and Okello introduced him as President of the peoples Republic of Zanzibar. After a brief introduction to the general public, Mr Karume addressed the nation by saying,
I am pleased and delighted to have this opportunity of speaking to you publicly in our newly freed island. As President of the Republic, I promise to serve you faithfully and to the full extent of your needs. The government we are going to construct will be the opposite of that which we have suffered under before. I am glad to say that under the wise leadership of Field Marshal John Okello we have reached a goal which we alone could not achieve. I appeal to you all to serve the new regime faithfully and honestly. I must express my thanks Karume went on, to the freedom fighters through whose efforts I have become President, and to Field Marshal Okello, whose fruitful leadership was accepted by you. My being President now, is due entirely to your strength and energy, you have struggled and suffered and died, but you have achieved a remarkable victory. I want all of us to work in unity and to obey Field Marshal Okello as any other person born on this Island without any form of discrimnation. Without his wisdom and courage, none of us would be where we are at the present. Fiel Marshal Okellos activities clearly shows that he is a man born with African liberation in his heart, and we of this Island are actually to have had him achieve our freedom so quickly. THAT WAS END OF HIS SPEECH.
Within a month of his rule after being announced as President of Zanzibar, Karume used his political skills to align the leaders of neighboring African countries against Okello, and invited Tanganyikan police officers into Zanzibar to maintain order.
As soon as Okello took a trip out of the country, Karume declared him an enemy of the state and did not allow him to return back in Zanzibar, he was also deported from Tanganyika. Given the presence of Tanganyikan police and the absence of their leader, Okello's gangs of followers did not offer any resistance. Okello then stayed in Kenya, in Congo-Kinshasa and in Uganda. He was incarcerated multiple times and was last seen with the former Ugandan President, dictator Iddi Amin in 1971 and vanished afterwards. It is more or less assumed that Idi Amin saw him as a threat (after Amin promoted himself, Okello reportedly joked that "now Uganda has two field marshals") and had arranged his assassination. This remains speculative, however.
Karume's second stroke of political genius came when he agreed to form a union with Tanganyikan president Julius Nyerere in April 1964. The union which was agreed by these two leaders ensured that the new country, to be called Tanzania would not align itself with the Soviet Union and communist bloc, as Abdulrahman Babu had advocated. Karume's government marginalized Babu to the point of irrelevance. The Marxist leader was eventually forced to flee Tanzania after being charged with masterminding the assassination of Karume on 7[SUP]th[/SUP] April 1972. During his reign as a President before his death, Karume was often criticized for the atrocities that were carried out against Zanzibari Arabs and Asians after the revolution, and later against anyone he suspected of endangering his position. It is hard to ascertain the role Karume played personally, but the numbers are bleak. The American diplomat to Zanzibar, Mr. Donald Petterson, estimated that by the end of summer of 1965, Zanzibar's pre-revolution Arab population of 50,000 had been halved".
Why Tanzania is hiding the truth about Zanzibar Revolution, and deported a foreign hero who participated in this revolt?
Tracing back from the reality why Tanzania is hiding the truth about the Zanzibar Revolution, one might say its because of political reasons which were planned in favour of the few indigenous groups of people who wanted to disrupt a chain of power whose prospects had been foreseen would become intolerable in the eyes of the majority. But Field marshal John Okello had revealed this in his book entitled Revolution in Zanzibar which he wrote few months after the revolution. The publication and sale of the book was banned by the government few months later after its release. According to him, he had realized there was a close relationship between Karume and President Nyerere. They had some kind of plan, but there was nothing he could do about it. With the same anticipation that had allowed him to know in advance many things that would happen to him. He also knew that he would suffer from the hands of Africans although he had done good to them. But it was not his intention to harm anyone without a good cause and he preferred to leave his new opponents to carry out their wishes as it might please them
In the book Okello is quoted as saying that, I understand African thinking and I understand that what I did in Zanzibar, had it been done in any other country for the sake of Africans, I would still have been judged wrong and borne blame. But I acted alone during the revolution and had to remain alone afterwards. If anyone can claim he was with me during the planning and thinking through of the Revolution, let him come forward and explain it Okello then went on by saying that Only God almighty knows what went on in Zanzibar. If anyone claims to have trained me or taught me to act as I did, let him come forward and describe it. I had been an ordinary worker in Zanzibar and went originally to work. A man of class and limited education certainly could not have gone abroad easily and why should I have known by or been acceptable to, and nothing proves this more than the wild claims made about me after the revolution and yet no one knew anything about me at all. I was reported to be a jaluo man from Kenya and a former member of Zanzibar police, yet a check of records in Zanzibar would not reveal my name on any police employment rolls, other people claimed they had seen me in Cuba and in Cairo and in some socialist countries. But there has been any evidence to refute any claims that I have never been outside East Africa to assert that I was an agent of some power, is foolish. How would anyone known I could manage revolution? And why did no one know me after the revolution?
God alone knows and still knows what is happening with me. He is my teacher and whatever he taught me about revolutionary activities is within me and no one on earth can discern it. My power in regard to the revolution was as a messenger of God, and God alone helped to master and eradicate the imperialists on the Island.
On 24[SUP]th[/SUP] January 1964, Okello received an unsigned written letter in Swahili as quoted in his book as follows:- Field Marshal John Okello, your behaviors is inconsistent with the requirement of the indigenous people. You are the only person boasting of having the power in the revolutionary government. You must realize that, you do not belong to the Muslim religion and you are leading Muslims even though you are a Christian. Also your activities led to the death of many people in the Island most of whom are Muslims. So start counting your days for a time will come when Muslims will unite to expel you from the Island The letter did not upset him as he suspected to have come from ZNP . On 8[SUP]th[/SUP] February 1964, he received another letter stating Field Marshal John Okello we are telling you that, you will not last for ever on this Island. You will soon find yourself outside and unable to return. Remember Karume himself is a Muslim and you may be certain he loved the Arabs killed during the Revolution more than he loves you.
Okello and Karume brought on the table of discussion:
Within two months time after the revolution, Field Marshal Okello and President Karume flew in a three seater airplane to Dar es Salaam from Zanzibar whereby they were oddly met by President Nyerere. The two held a strong meeting chaired by Nyerere, others who were present was the Prime Minister Rashid Mfaume Kawawa and TANU secretary General and Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Oscar Kambona. According to quotes in Okellos book, the meeting was opened by President Nyerere who began by saying that John Okello I understand there have been misunderstanding between you and President Karume in the Island and we are here to make some arrangement with you. I would like to know whether the present government belongs to you or Karume? I replied The government of Zanzibar is neither mine nor Karumes but it is the government of the people of Zanzibar. When we fought we promised the people they would get their own government. We actually fought for freedom and that is what the people now have. We are the provisional leaders but there will be leaders tomorrow. We work for the people and they control us. Even here you are called President and head of the government of Tanganyika, but you know that the government is not yours, but rather its the government of the people including yourself.
President Nyerere went on to ask me what I thought of Karume and why I used the broadcasting station to make fierce and boastful speeches more than was necessary. I respect President Karume highly I said, First as an elder, second as my President, thirdly as a personal friend, and fourthly as a brother. I went on, you know very well that our government was snatched by force and not by election as such, the radio is the easiest available means to communicate with the people and indeed to inform the world at large of the decisions of the revolutionary government. The quickest way to inform the people of what their new government is doing is to use radio. President Nyerere then turned to Karume and asked, Do you understand what Okello has been saying? Karume replied, Yes I understand it clearly, I too, like Okello and I can trust him, but I do not understand why he dislikes my association with Abdrahaman Babu. And yet when Babu was expelled, its I who introduced him to other East African leaders, and after the revolution it was Mr. Okello himself who called him back and gave him a ministerial portfolio President Nyerere said he was satisfied with what I had said at the meeting, but he was concerned with some of my radio speeches.
I realized after this meeting, that a serious fight for power was going on and someone wanted to emerge on top. It looked to me as if President Nyerere felt that as long as I was on the Island, he could not join it with Tanganyika, he feared I would want to join with Kenya. Indeed I was very much in agreement with a Kenyan President Kenyattas plans and ideas. Kenyatta was straightforward and spoke openly. If I joined Zanzibar with any single East African nation, I would have preferred Kenya to Tanganyika Okello remarked in his book.
Dispossessed but not defeated:
Other quotes from Okellos book can be read as follows:- I have had several lessons, then in African psychology and I believe that a good thing done by an African for his brothers in need may in future be turned against him. Yet there are few people on earth who will help others at their own risk. It is wrong that when you have cultivated a farm for your brothers and the fruits are ready, they deny you a share. God himself must have cursed such behaviors It is also unwise to say a pot which helped you to cook should be broken to pieces when you have eaten from it and are satisfied, for you do not know what may happen the next day, and if you are hungry a pot broken in contentment will not serve you in the need. The old fishermen with whom I spoke when crossing from Pemba to Unguja in 1963 and many of my soldiers and officers, will recall my predictions about their behavious towards me. I did as I said I would lead them to freedom and they did as I said they would expel me from their land like tailless dog. As a child, I was dispossessed of everything, yet this did not defeat me, as a leader of the Zanzibar Revolution.
Lenin V.I.U
JF-Expert Member
- Mar 28, 2014
- 218
- 62
Wana jf mimi kama kijana mzalendo mwenye kiu ya kujua historia ya nchi yangu, katika kufuatilia historia ya mapinduzi ya Zanzibar nimekutana na jina la JOHN OKELLO kwamba ni miongoni mwa wapiganaji katika kuitafuta Zanzibar huru. Naomba kwa mwenye historia japo kwa ufupi ya mtu huyu anisaidie ili niweke kumbukumbu zangu sawa.