A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NYERERE’S UJAMAA: AN INVESTIGATION OF ITS FOUNDATIONS AND VALUES BY EVARISTI MAGOTI CORNELLI A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Centre for the Study of Global Ethics Department of Philosophy The University of Birmingham July, 2012 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the question of what Nyerere’s particular version of Ujamaa (socialism) is. It answers that question by focusing on themes which surround and feed into Ujamaa, in order to provide its conceptual account. The thesis is an account of the ideology of Ujamaa in both theory and practice. Thus, while the writings of Nyerere have been a primary source along with contemporary and subsequent commentators, the thesis is not about Nyerere, the person or the body of his work, but about the development and construction of the particular social, cultural, and political theory and practice. Therefore, only the elements of Nyerere’s thought which speak directly about this have been included. Data was collected from the writings of Nyerere as a primary source and supplemented with the work of other commentators in order to argue that Ujamaa was not just a development theory but it was also an ideology, a reconstruction of an imaginary relationship at the level of the state, which should be reinstated in order to free Tanzanians from the yoke of domination. Thus, as well as being interesting historically and conceptually, the thesis might also be relevant considering the contemporary political situation in Tanzania. DEDICATION To my friend the late Gisela Muench, whose love and care for me made this study possible but who did not live to see its accomplishment and to my brother, friend and intellectual companion, Rev. Prof. Laurenti Magesa, for his enduaring love for me. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It would not have been possible to write this doctoral thesis without the help, support and encouragement of many different people around me. Therefore, I would like to thank the following people along with several institutions: Mrs. Gisela Muench, Mrs. Marge Lussier, and Mrs. Becky Ben, all of whom offered financial support which sustained my whole period of study in the United Kingdom. My mere expression of thanks does not suffice and I owe them all a considerable debt. I would like to acknowledge the financial, academic and technical support of The Centre for the Study of Global Ethics (CSGE) at the University of Birmingham; the School of Oriental and African Studies (S.O.A.S) at the University of London; the University of Dar- es-Salaam; and the Tanzania-UK Friendship Association. I am most grateful to the pioneering staff at The Centre for the Study of Global Ethics, namely, Dr. Sirkku Hellsten, Dr. Heather Widdows, Dr. Christien van den Anker and Helen Harris, the Centre’s Administrator, particularly in the award of a two year bursary. I would also like to thank The School for Oriental and African Studies in the award of a scholarship and a substantial honorarium which contributed enormously to my stay in the UK. I will be forever grateful to The University of Dar-es-Salaam, especially my colleagues in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Philosophy Unit for their financial support and understanding when I was unable to undertake my teaching tasks because of my studies or share with them the teaching load and departmental commitments. I am particularly indebted to Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala, who supervised this thesis in its early stage, Prof. Daudi Mukangara, who encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D, and my colleagues in the philosophy unit, Dr. Nassor Massoud and Dr. Mihanjo Adolf. This work has also benefited enormously from discussions I have had with various academics. Thanks are due to Prof. Farouk Topan, whose advice and unsurpassed knowledge of Ujamaa were invaluable in shaping some of my arguments. I am also greatly indebted to Dr. Sirkku Hellsten and Dr. Pedro Tabensky, who found time in their busy schedules to offer support and guidance. Despite his many pastoral duties, my brother, Rev. Prof. Laurenti Magesa, has also been an intellectual companion on my journey, and I benefited greatly from our discussions and his review of previous drafts. I offer my thanks also to Dr. Anna Petkovic, who edited this thesis and whose penetrating insights have also helped to shape it. Above all, I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. Jethro Butler and Prof. Heather Widdows, who have guided me with great patience and understanding and provided me with numerouos pieces of advice. I would like to give special thanks to Prof. Heather Widdows for her unwavering support and encouragement in moments I was tempted to give up altogether. She persistently and constantly monitored my progress and encouraged me to complete writing this thesis even when it became necessary to interrupt my studies in order to take care of my family in Tanzania. She has been invaluable at both academic and personal levels, for which I am extremely grateful. Last, but by no means least, I thank my wife, Themister Michael Kafwa, our six children, Michael, Linus, Flavia, Blandina, Cornelli, and Johachi and my nieces and nephews, Cornelli, Anastazia, and Marina who, experienced numerous discomforts during my long absence from home. Writing is a solitary task and therefore I owe my family another debt of gratitude for overlooking my inattention upon my return. I thank them all for their love and understanding but most of all I thank them for their unwavering resilience in the face of trials and tribulations. It is my hope that when our young children grow up they will understand the reasons behind my long absence from home and I pray that they will learn to treasure and honour the value of the many sacrifices which made this study possible and which brought this thesis to completion. For any errors or inadequacies that remain in this work, of course, the responsibility is entirely mine. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 TIMELINE: NYERERE AND UJAMAA .........................................................................20 CHAPTER ONE: THE BASIC TENETS OF UJAMAA (SOCIALISM) 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................22 1.1. Ujamaa in the Pamphlet ..............................................................................................23 1.1.1. Ujamaa: Family-hood or Brotherhood ……………………………………………23 1.1.2. Practices of Ujamaa .................................................................................................25 1.2. The Arusha Declaration (AD) .....................................................................................27 1.2.1. The Intension of Building Socialism ......................................................................29 1.2.1.1. Strategies towards Achieving Socialism ...............................................................31 1.2.1.1.1. Nationalisation ...................................................................................................32 1.2.1.1.2. Creation of Ujamaa Villages .............................................................................40 1.2.1.1.3. The Leadership Code .........................................................................................43 1.2.2. The Intention to be Self-Reliant .............................................................................. 43 1.2.2.1. Dependence on Local Manpower and Resources .................................................44 1.2.2.2. Monetary Dependence ..........................................................................................44 1.2.2.3. Belief in Agriculture, Hard Work, and Intelligence .............................................46 1.2.1.2. Education as a Strategy for Self-Reliance ............................................................47 1.3. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................49 CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF UJAMAA 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 52 2.1. Slave Trade .................................................................................................................54 2.1.1. Consequences of the Slave Trade ............................................................................56 2.1.1.1. Effects of Slave Trade in the Social Sphere ..........................................................56 2.1.1.1.1. Dehumanisation of the African Person ..............................................................56 2.1.1.1.2. Loss of Self-Confidence ....................................................................................58 2.1.1.2. The Economic Effects of Slave Trade ..................................................................58