Mwalimu Nyerere’s Manifesto and Egyptians revolution

                                           By Mohamed Matope

The 18 days of protest and turmoil in Egypt ended up with the dramatic conclusion of resignation of   President Hosni Mubarak, and put an end to his 30 year ruling to the nation. The Egypt‘s future is still up on the air, the Egyptian military took charge of pulling many, if not all strings because it is the only institution in the country that still maintaining people’s trust. With these series of revolution spreading across northern Africa, I can’t help to invoke Mwalimu Nyerere’s manifesto.

On his   farewell address, 1984, Mwalimu equivocally said, its hard to let the power go when the time comes to step down, because power is absolute, it creates arrogance that blind you up and made you out of touch with the reality, when you get caught up with power struggle and refuse to acknowledge the reality, you will be left with two options, stepping down or be forced out. Mwalimu Knew that after 24 years in power you must step down before you reach the odd year of 25; I call it a “year of reckoning”. After 25 years in power things starts to get dark weather you like or not, you become rigid. And your citizens don’t  see   you with   20/20  eye sight ,things started  to fed away ,looking  shady and weary, on their eyes you look grandppy ,old and bored, not able to keep up with the young generation which is faster, savvy and can’t stand  anything boring.

The coup de tar is the old fashion with the new generation, the unrest that topped a government in Tunisia and Egypt is spreading across the region with the street demonstration in Algeria. It’s a movement that appears leaderless –more like a “flash mob”. But it shares a common sensibility the rising expectations of a younger generations that sees global change on the internet and has momentarily lost its fear of corrupt autocratic leaders.

Mr. Mubarak had ruled Egypt for 30 years despite of many indications there were outcry for reform and the grassroots secular opposition that was rapidly growing in the blogosphere nearly two months ago began rallying behind former U.N nuclear director Mohamed ElBaradei. Mr. Mubarak’s arrogance was at its highest point, he ignored it all, instead he stepped up repression, staged a blatantly rigged parliamentary election in November and began laying the groundwork to present himself for reelection. His administration chose to mute its criticism and stepping up the crack down .That what Mwalimu Nyerere called power stubbornness, like curtain that blind you up and made you live in your own world.

It was Mr. Mubaraka’s stubbornness that spiked mass protestors, started out with the battling riots police in Tahrir Square in Cairo19 days ago. The square name means liberation, and it was named for Gamal Abdel Nasser’s revolution against the Monarchy in 1952.At time Mr. Mubarak was 24, older enough to remember every detail of it.

Mwalimu Nyerere when resigned his popularity was at its high point, his approval rate was in 80’s, but he knew that if you want to preserve your legacy, it’s better to step down while you’re still admired by your country people. Mr.Mubarak neither did he learn from Mwalimu’s Manifesto nor did he pay attention to the lessons of President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and President Kamuzu Banda of Malawi.

Mr. Mubarak came to power in 1981 as young ,attractive Air Force General, fought heroic wars for his country in 60’s,many Egyptians admired him for that, but today he is sitting in hide out watching his fellow country men, the people he lead for 30 years, waving his country’s flags ,cheering at Tahrir square, jubilating for his departure. If I’m Paul Biya, the president of Cameron or Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, I will learn today about Mwalimu Nyerere’s manifesto, because in Swahili they said “Asiyesikia la mkuu huvunjika guu”.