Inspirational Quotes by Julius Nyerere (Tanzanian Statesman)

Julius Kambarage Nyerere (1922–99,) called Mwalimu (Swahili: “Teacher,”) was a Tanzanian political leader. Deemed as the father of the nation, he served as Tanganyika’s—and later Tanzania’s—leader 1962–85.

Born in Butiama, Tanganyika, Nyerere was the son of Chief Nyerere Burito of the Zanaki tribe. He initially trained and worked as a teacher, but after studying at Edinburgh University 1949–52, he became the country’s first graduate. Upon returning home, Nyerere became absorbed in nationalist politics and founded the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954.

Nyerere led Tanganyika to independence in 1961, serving as its prime minister 1961–62 and its president 1962–64. In 1964, he successfully negotiated a union with Zanzibar, creating the new United Republic of Tanzania, and served as its president 1964–85.

Nyerere was one of Africa’s foremost international statesmen and was highly influential in the non-aligned and anti-apartheid movements. He was very critical of other African leaders’ abuses of power. In 1979, Nyerere sent the Tanzanian army to depose Uganda’s Idi Amin. Nyerere was also the principal force behind the Organization of African Unity (OAU; replaced by the African Union in 2002.)

Under Nyerere’s autocratic but mostly benign socialist government, Tanzania made progress in social welfare and education. Nyerere became a leading proponent of ‘African Socialism,’ an ideology that was critical of both capitalism and Marxism. He detailed his ideas in such several influential books as African Socialism (1961,) Freedom and Unity (1967,) Ujamaa: Essays on Socialism (1968,) and Freedom and Socialism (1968.)

William Edgett Smith’s We Must Run While They Walk: A Portrait of Africa’s Julius Nyerere (1971) is a critical biographical study.

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