Dr. John Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
“Usiwe kupe; Jitegemee! (Do not be a parasite; be self-reliant) “Ujamaa ni Utu;
Ubepari ni Unyama!” (Socialism is humanity; capitalism is beastly) Paul
Sozigwa’s Radio Tanzania slogans in the midseventies and eighties.
THE bad news there
was last week was the death of Paul Sozigwa, one of the best-known media icons
in this country who was also a close aide to the founder President of this
country, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Sozigwa, buried at
Kisarawe in Dar es Salaam on Monday this week was singularly synonymous with
the ideological political heartbeats of this country as he doubled as both
chief executive of Radio Tanzania and commentator after the news.
Those around in this
country in the seventies before the introduction of television would agree that
Radio Tanzania, Dar es Salaam (RTD) was predominant in broadcast communication
and news. For one to follow the political mood and development strides in the
country, RTD was remarkable.
And those who were
around during those early days in the seventies may comment with certitude that
they were not disappointed.
The basic role of
the media: to inform and educate was performed vigorously countrywide.
Singularly remarkable was how the state-owned RTD was able to inform and
interpret news developments within the context of the ideological thrust that
this country was once embarked upon: to building Socialism and Self Reliance.
As could be seen
above at the launch of this perspective, Tanzanians used to enjoy ideological
slogans waking up people to hard work and reminding them on the superiority of
socialism as opposed to capitalism.
Oh! Good Lord! Those
were the old good days. What was even more remarkable was following the
commentaries after the news over Radio Tanzania. Those commentaries were not
boring at all. One would listen, most often than not, they were telling the
concrete situation on the ground and showing the people the way forward.
And when it was the
voice of that author of the commentaries, Paul Sozigwa himself, one was sure of
the talk to reflect formal views of the ruling party and its government high
above.
Going by those who
have eulogized about his death, Ndugu Sozigwa -- If I am to address him by that
formal title we used to address each other across the board ‘ndugu’ --
regardless of one’s position, whether president or minister which simply meant
“brother” or comrade -- Sozigwa was ethically upright, distancing himself from
amassing wealth and other vices.
He became not only a
member of the ruling party’s National Executive Committee but Central Committee
as well, doubling as Chairman of the Party’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.
He had earlier served
founder President Mwalimu Nyerere as his Press Secretary, most likely having
supported Mwalimu Nyerere in the liberation of the country from British
colonialism much earlier since he was an official of the colonial government in
the Dar es Salaam coast area of Kisarawe. He deliberately chose to join the
battle against British colonialism as he was born in 1933.
But since Ndugu
Sozigwa’s life was more remarkable during his days at Radio Tanzania, it is now
time to give a bird’s overview of the Tanzanian media today, which is more
developed numerically in terms of the electronic and print media.
What is the
qualitative difference between the media during the days of the one party-state
here and those in the pluralistic times of this hour? Is the media’s basic role
-- that is to inform, educate and entertain being performed better today than
in the old good days of one party rule when men like the late Paul Sozigwa
performed? But to look at the media’s past today is to look at a country, which
was mobilized in an ideology.
But to look at the
current day media landscape in this country is to look at a media whose country
has no political ideology except to claim to belong to “market forces”. This
implies running newspapers whose headlines “sell” in the market and the element
of enlightening or educating the public is coincidental if not secondary!
Of course, this
assertion is arguable. But the emergence of the “social media” today, implying
a deepened electronic media which takes in its stride handset phones today
known as smart phones has meant loss of public interest in the mainstream print
media.
Most often than not,
most people are glued to their mobile phone handsets following the “news” as
posted in the social media!
Clearly, this is a
much complex theme to be tackled in a column but the message one would have for
the print media today, especially those in the mainstream print media, is to
play up news analysis by thoughtful writers that tell the concrete situation on
the ground rather than compete for headlines that sell!
As did Radio
Tanzania in the old good days, slogans like those quoted above; at the launch
of this perspective tell people the truth, albeit in a slogan.
Isn’t it true that
capitalism is beastly, “unyama”? (Hahahahaha!)
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