Tundu Lissu ni smart lawyer na very good mwanaharakati but he is a lousy politician....huwezi mtukana Nyerere na isi ku cost
In the rudimentary annals of political science, there is political expediency and principled stance. This post of yours, inherently, is the classic - if perhaps not entirely conscious- juxtaposition of the politics of convenience versus the politics of conviction.
You seem to put a higher premium on the politics of convenience than the politics of conviction.
Political expediency, at least to me, ranks lower in merit than a principled stance and the pursuit for a semblance of truth. For this reason, following the given context, any cost that Tundu Lissu will incur due to a genuine pursuit - if genuine indeed it is- will be honorable and exalted in my books.
The devil is in the details.
We need a paradigm shift that will humanize Nyerere and examine him critically beyond the calcified lionization of a common folklore.
To me, Nyerere remains a statesman to be afforded the benefit of doubt beyond most Tanzanian leaders, there are valid utilitarian cases to be made to justify his somewhat tyrannical shades. An apologist could almost always resort to the now cliche-like justification for any shortcomings on the human rights front for example, by countering that the man was stitching together a nation out of more than 120 tribes, a Herculean task given the artificiality of the colonial borders.
But to what extent were these perceived abuses of power far and beyond any noble -if dirty- duty?
If Nyerere needed to break a few eggs in order to make an omelette, where is that omelette? Please spare me the "muungano" and "peace and harmony" talk, as that is a given, given our history.
Or is it?
To what extent was Nyerere morally justified in invoking his legal rights to the despicable "indefinite detention" laws in the name of the behemoth monstrosity that is "national security"?
How much of this was a ruse to sustain undemocratic rule and Draconian oppression?
Tundu Lissu is certainly not the most polished lawyer with the gift of suave savoir faire, nevertheless he gives me hope that there is room for discourse in Tanzania, crucial discourse that will leave no sacred cow untouched. Nyerere was surely grappling his way in the dark, charting uncharted waters. Take the Union apart and you will see a unique Frankenstein, the world over. It is inconceivable that he would have emerged from this largely experimental process unscathed by scandal and blame.
To this day, one of my most damning disappointments from Nyerere is the way he helped flip the Zanzibar election. For a Fabian socialist, self professed principled statesman, staunch Catholic and dubious democrat, this contradicted some core principles that calls to question all of his elections, if not the outcome, at least the margin.
Again, the devil is in the details.
We need some sort of "Freedom of Information" act to declassify the Nyerere Ikulu archives, make them public, at least on a need to know basis for Tanzanians, and dig for a comprehensive look at the man versus the legend.
Mr. Lissu, as an abled and passionate parliamentarian, is the natural choice to champion this move.
Cc:
EMT Anheuser Udadisi