http://www.english.hadhramaut.info Tanzania marks 10 years after Nyerere's death [The Source: www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/- - 12/10/2009] Tanzania is set to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of the country's founding president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere The event will marked differently this year, with national as well as family events to mark a decade since the former national leader died.The family celebrations will be marked at his home village of Butiama in Mara region, while national celebrations will be held in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam. In Butiama, where Mwalimu was born, a special tribute will be paid to him by the villagers who helped in the raising of one of the Africa most precious child.Speaking after her return from New York where she had gone to receive the United Nations General Assembly's World Hero of Social Justice Prize on behalf of her husband and the family, Mama Maria Nyerere, said that the family would be launching a TSh200 million kitchen project in the memory of her late husband. Mwalimu Nyerere’s widow said the family had decided to build the kitchen which would be used to cook food for the poor children of Butiama in honour of Mwalimu’s passion for the poor and children. Mwalimu Nyerere died in St Thomas hospital in London on Oct 14, 1999 at the age of 77 after a long battle with leukaemia.Nyerere led the drive for the independence of the nation from British rule and became the country’s first president in 1962.Unlike most African leaders who spearheaded the great wave of independence struggles that swept the continent, he was never jailed. Known affectionately throughout Africa as Mwalimu, or teacher in Swahili, Nyerere stepped down as president in 1985 after 23 years in office to devote his time to farming and diplomacy. He worked tirelessly to negotiate an end to the violence that has wracked central and southern Africa in the past decade.In his last days he mediated an end to the civil war in neighbouring Burundi.Although he was harsh with his critics and detained some indefinitely without trial, Nyerere never acquired notoriety for human rights abuses.He wrote many books mainly on development and socialism in Africa and Tanzania in particular. He also translated William Shakespeare’s plays Julius Caesar and The Merchant of Venice into Swahili.Nyerere lived modestly and after his retirement from active leadership, parliament hastily passed a law granting him a pension. He was among only a handful of African presidents to voluntarily leave office. He also foresaw the futility of single-party rule in Tanzania as the clamour for democracy swept the continent following the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and Russia.Launch booksDuring this year's national celebrations, the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation is expected to launch three different books including one which talks about women liberation titled ‘Freedom of Women’ which was authored by Mwalimu Nyerere in 1944 when he was still a Makerere university student. According to the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation executive chairperson, Mr Joseph Butiku, the other two books are compilation of Mwalimu Nyerere speeches categorised in three aspects. The aspects include ‘Freedom and Liberation”, ‘Freedom Non-alignment and South-South Cooperation’, and ‘freedom and new international economic order’. “We have tried arranged this year’s event in a bit different way compared to the previous anniversaries and we have incorporated new things during the celebrations like launching of the books especially the one he wrote in 1944,” Mr Butiku said.Apart from the launching of the books by the Nyerere Foundation, also the Government, through the Ministry of Public Service Management ministry under the President’s Office, has prepared an academicians’ workshop today as part of the celebrations.The workshop will discuss Mwalimu Nyerere’s different perspectives on socialism, capitalism and corruptions. During the workshop, Prof Issa Shivji and Mr Godfrey Kirenga will discuss Mwalimu Nyerere’s contribution on agricultural development. Members from the families of Mwalimu Nyerere and former Zanzibar president Abeid Karume are expected to attend the workshop.Other activities expected to take place during the commemorations include the climax of Uhuru Torch race celebrations to marked at Butiama. The event is expected to be graced by President Jakaya Kikwete on Wednesday.The president will also receive a group of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) youths who had marched from Mwanza to Butiama to symbolise Mwalimu Nyerere’s 1967 walk in a similar path to show his support of Arusha Declaration.Elsewhere, Bank of Tanzania (BOT) has also organised a fundraising today meant to collect money to be used to establish a ‘Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial ScholarshipFund.’According to BOT, the money would be used to sponsor education to female students who would excel in mathematics in the first degree courses.Mzumbe University has also organised a public lecture on Oct 22 this year in honour of the father of the Nation. A statement from the University notes that a workshop on ‘Agriculture First and Nyerere’s Perception,’ will colour the event.