Nduguzangu,
Assalaam Alaaykum,
Siku kama leo, taarikh 25 April, 1964 - miaka 36 iliopita - ndio siku
Zanzibar ilipopotezewa Udola wake kwa kutiwa chini ya utawala wa Tanganyika
kwa jina la muungano. Kwa munasaba wa msiba huu, nimejaaliwa kuipata
makala hii ifuatayo. Makala hii japo kuwa imeandikwa miaka 14 iliopita
lakini ni kama imeandikwa leo. Tafadhalini tuisome, tuizingatie na
tutafakari vipi kupata njia za kuirejeshea Zanzibar Udola wake. Udugu wetu
na Tanganyika ni wakuhifadhiwa na kudumishwa kwa manufaa yetu sote, bila ya
mmoja kuwa mtawala na wa pili mtawaliwa.
WHEN ZANZIBAR WAS FOOLED
25 APRIL, 1964
(Extracts from Free Zanzibar Voice March/April, 1986)
It is customary in many countries of the world to play practical but
harmless jokes on one's friends on the 1st of April. Our neighbour Nyerere
chose the 25th of April for his gigantic hoax on Zanzibar.
On the fateful day Abedi Amani Karume, of Zanzibar and Julius Nyerere, of
Tanganyika signed a piece of paper - Article of Union - (appendixed below)
which sold away for good the freedom and sovereignty of our ancient
country and people. That was a tragic event not only for Zanzibar, but also
for Tanganyika as well as for the whole region of East and Central Africa.
Freedom, like Peace, is indivisible. When freedom is destroyed in the
farthest corner of the world the freedom of the whole world is threatened.
How much so when catastrophe of un-imaginable magnitude; for Nyerere it was
a fulfillment of a dream.
GOVERNMENT NOTICE NO. 243 PUBLISHED ON 1/5/64
THE ACTS OF UNION OF TANGANYIKA AND ZANZIBAR.
NOTICE
It is hereby notified that the following law was made by the Revolution
Council of Zanzibar in conjunction with the Cabinet of Ministers thereof, on
twenty-fifth day of April 1964.
THE SCHEDULE
ARTICLE OF UNION
Between
THE REPUBLIC OF TANGANYIKA
And
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ZANZIBAR
WHEREAS the Government of the Republic of Tanganyika and of the People's
Republic of Zanzibar, being mindful of the long association of the peoples
of these lands and of their ties of kinship and amity, and being desirous of
furthering that association and strengthening these ties and of furthering
the unity of African peoples, have met and considered the union of the
Republic of Tanganyika with the People's Republic of Zanzibar.
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Republic of Tanganyika and of the People's
Republic of Zanzibar are desirous that the two Republics shall be united in
one sovereign Republic in accordance with the Articles hereinafter
contained: -
It is therefore, AGREED between the Government of the Republic of Tanganyika
and of the People's Republic of Zanzibar as follows: -
(i) The Republic of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar shall
be united in one Sovereign Republic.
(ii) During the period from the commencement of the union until the
Constitution for the United Republic (hereafter referred to as the interim
period) the united Republic shall be governed in accordance with the
provisions of Articles (iii) and (iv).
(iii) During the interim period the Constitution of the United Republic
shall be the Constitution of Tanganyika so modified as to provide for: -
a. a separate legislature and executive in and for Zanzibar as from time to
time constituted in accordance with the existing law of Zanzibar and having
exclusive authority within Zanzibar for matters other than those reserved to
the Parliament and Executive of the United Republic;
b. the offices of two Vice-Presidents one of whom (being a person normally
resident in Zanzibar) shall be the head of the aforesaid executive in and
for Zanzibar and shall be the principal assistant of the President of the
United Republic in the discharge of his executive functions in relation to
Zanzibar;
c. the representation of Zanzibar in the Parliament of the United Republic;
d. such other matters as may be expedient or desirable to give effect to the
United Republic and to these Articles.
(iv) There shall be reserved to the Parliament and Executive of the United
Republic the following matters:
a. The Constitution and Government of the United Republic;
b. External Affairs;
c. Defence;
d. Police;
e. Emergency Powers;
f. Citizenship;
g. Immigration;
h. External trade and borrowing;
i. The Public service of the United Republic;
j. Income tax, corporation tax, customs and excise;
k. Harbours, civil aviation, posts and telegraphs; and the said Parliament
and Executive shall have exclusive authority in such matters throughout and
for the purposes of the United Republic and in addition exclusive authority
in respect of all other matters in and for Tanganyika.
(v) The existing laws of Tanganyika and of Zanzibar shall remain in force in
their respective territories subject:-
a. to any provision made hereafter by competent legislature;
b. to such provision as may be made by order of the President of the United
Republic for the extension to Zanzibar of any law relating to any of the
matters set out in Article (iv), and the revocation of any corresponding law
of Zanzibar;
c. to such amendment as may be expedient or desirable to give effect to the
union and to these Articles.
(vi) a. The first President of the United Republic shall be Mwalimu JULIUS
K.
NYERERE and he shall carry on the Government of the United Republic in
accordance with the provision of these Articles and with the assistance of
the Vice President aforesaid and of such other ministers and officers as he
may appoint from Tanganyika and Zanzibar and their respective public
services.
b. The first Vice President from Zanzibar to be appointed in accordance with
the modifications provided for in Article (iii) shall be Sheikh ABEID
KARUME.
(vii) The President of the United Republic in agreement with the
Vice-President who is head of the Executive in Zanzibar shall:-
a. Appoint a Commission to make proposals for a Constitution for the United
Republic.
b. Summon a Constituent Assembly composed of Representatives from Tanganyika
and from Zanzibar in such members as they may determine to meet within one
year of the commencement of the union for the purpose of considering the
proposals of the Commission aforesaid and to adopt a Constitution for the
United Republic.
(viii) These Articles shall be subject to the enactment of laws by the
Parliament of Tanganyika and by the Revolutionary Council of the People's
Republic of Zanzibar in conjunction with the Cabinet of Ministers thereof,
ratifying the same and providing for the Government of the United Republic
and of Zanzibar in accordance therewith.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF Julius K. Nyerere, the President of Republic of
Tanganyika, and Abeid Karume, the President of the People's Republic of
Zanzibar, have signed these Articles, in duplicate, at Zanzibar, on this
twenty-second day of April 1964. (Unquote).
The above document was the beginning to an end of the State of Zanzibar.
In 1956 Nyerere with the convenience of the British administration in
Tanganyika and Zanzibar and under its full blessings came to Zanzibar to
complete his establishing of the Afro-Shirazi. Eight years later -1964 -
the evil seeds that Nyerere planted bore its monstrous fruit. Zanzibar was
swallowed and digested to become part and percale of a new-fanged nation
called Tanzania. At that moment the State of Zanzibar ceased to exist, it
has even been wipped out from the world map. Nothing but Tanzania.
Hoax Turned Sour
The hoax that Nyerere played on Zanzibar has turned sour, not only in
respect of the delude islanders, but also in respect of Tanganyikans. The
annexation called union, has become a millstone round the neck of all
Tanzanians. It has become a tremendous liability. Poverty, disease,
ignorance, humiliation and contempt have become the hallmark of the so
called union since its inauguration on 25th April, 1964. The international
press has at times caricatured Nyerere as a python who has swallowed a goat
but incapable of completely digesting it or vomiting it. Only few years
after the union Nyerere in obvious despair stated publicly, and his speech
was broadcast live: - "This union with Zanzibar has brought us nothing but
Balaa! Balaa !! Trouble! Trouble!!". It is known that his aides would often
privately advise him to dissolve the monstrous union, but having crossed the
Rubicon there could be no turning back with a man who fancied himself a
reincarnation of his Roman namesake, Julius Caesar, whose Shakespearean play
he has translated in Swahili. He had his pride to think about. How else
would he leave his mark in history ?
It is true that Zanzibar has been dominated, conquered and subjugated. In
this lop-sided union between a mouse and a cat nothing is shared equally
except backwardness, squalor and the impoverished Tanzania shilling, which
on free market is worth 1/20 on its next door counterpart if anything so
dramatically demonstrates the deterioration of the Tanzania union since its
inception twenty years ago Nyerere's currency does it remarkably well.
However, history or not, truth cannot be distorted forever, and one cannot
deceive all the people all the time. Tyrants, stooges, renegades, hypocrites
and cowards may flourish for a time, but sooner or later, the truth be
unveiled and culprits will see themselves in their complete nudity.
This is not the first time that Zanzibar has undergone the painful
experience of being subjected to foreign rule. Just as we were able to
shake off the oppressive Portuguese rule, and the imperialism of Britain we
should not shirk our duty in ridding the country from any tyranny. No
physical pleasure can well and truly allay the pangs of conscience for duty
not done. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our fathers and mothers
that begot us, and our children and the children of our children yet unborn,
to liberate the land of our ancestors from oppression and from alien
domination. Above it we owe to our Maker to fulfill the mission for which He
created us and fashioned us to fit the task to which we were assigned.
Grand-child". But we say: It is not too late. And it is better late than
never. Instead of leaving your beloveds and live abroad as a refugee, it is
a high time now that we unite as one Umma for the liberation of our
mother-land and save our people from being completely wiped out by hunger,
disease, ignorance and the imposition of foreign cultures and values which
are calculated to destroy the very bases on which our nation is built.
Hayo ndio yaliotueleza Free Zanzibar Voice miaka 14 iliopita. Muhimu, sisi
Wazanzibari umoja na ujirani ndio azimio letu tangu kale. Vile vile,
tunaamini katika nyoyo zetu kuwa binadamu amezaliwa huru na anatakiwa aishi
huru, kwa hivyo basi, haturidhii kuona yoyote yule ananyimwa uhuru wake na
kutawaliwa kwa njia yoyote ile. Kutokana na imani hii ndio tunaposema kwa
sauti kuu kuwa tunataka Udola wa Zanzibar urejee na tuishi na nduguzetu
Tanganyika kwa ujirani na mafahamiano kama hapo zamani.
Tunamuomba Mwenyezi Mungu Mtukufu atupe kila la kheri na atuepushe na kila
la shari – Amin.
Wa Billah Tawfiq
Farouk
Source:
http://www.zanzinet.org/journal/apr_03.html