The Chant of Savant

Tuesday 28 July 2020

Benjamin Mkapa: The Man I knew and Interacted With

The late Benjamin William Mkapa (81) former Tanzania president––who died suddenly on Friday; and will be buried today at Lupaso Village South Tanzania where he was born––was not only my president but also my friend.  Although he was a powerful person, he was the man with who we could exchange emails whenever, as peace scholar and a friend, I needed his ‘nuggets of wisdom’ especially on diplomacy, international issues, mediation and peace mission among many. What a humble human being that did not allow his power and stature to set him apart from commoners! Considering the power Mkapa commanded as a former president or a statesman, many would think Mkapa were an aloft former president. Nope, he was accessible and ready to help whenever and wherever he could. I received the news of Mkapa’s untimely demise as I was preparing myself to go to bed at about 10.00 Central Time. I tried to call his best friend, my friend Cde Pius Msekwa, retired speaker of the national parliament, secretary-General of the TANU and later the CCM, chancellor of the University of Dar Es Salaam and current Chancellor of Moshi Cooperative University and Mbeya University of Science and Technology among many positions he held. Actually, though the phone went through, Msekwa was unable to speak. Later he emailed me saying that he was busy the whole day responding to questions and doing interviews with the media about the late Mkapa whom he knew more than anybody else, as he put it himself. The death of the person that you know at a personal level is shockingly torturous so to speak. It took me time to accept that Hon Mkapa was no more.
            After the news sank in, I had to collect myself and touch base with more friends to see how they received such shocking news. Those who knew our relationship consoled me greatly.
Personally, I came to know and interact with the late Mkapa through my best friend Cde Msekwa with who I co-authored the book on president John Magufuli: Magufulification: Concept That Will Define Africa’s Future and the Man Who Makes Things Happen published by GDY Publishers of Dar Es Salaam. As well, Mkapa inspired us to write this book after he published his magnum opus namely his biography, My life, my purpose: A Tanzanian President Remember (2020). We even wanted him to write its proem, but we declined for fear of overburdening him, especially at the time he was marketing his biography. Importantly, I still vividly remember everything as if it happened just yesterday. When I introduced myself to the late Mkapa, he was then unwell. He just sent me a short email asking me to bear with him so that after recovering, he’d soon touch base with me. And indeed, he did. Thereafter, I was free to ask him any question or help whenever I felt like. His death, at a personal level, had heavy impacts on me as a friend and person who had access to this statesman. More importantly, Mkapa was one of the humblest persons I have ever interacted with, especially as a former president and a statesman. I can put in the same class with other two famous people I have known and interacted with as friends namely, Cde Msekwa and former Kenyan Chief Justice Ndugu Willy M. Mutunga (PhD) who still calls me ndugu whenever we touch base.
At national level, Mkapa was Tanzania’s long-time ambassador, minister for foreign affairs, Mwl Nyerere’s secretary and later a two-term president from 1995 to 2005. Under his stewardship, Tanzania achieved a great deal locally, regionally and internationally. After becoming president, Mkapa showed very high self-confidence so as to be viewed as being aloft and arrogant. He used to say it as it regardless what would follow provided that he firmed up his argument. He was an ace and eloquent debater whose skills of constructing arguments were a rarity in the crop of the leaders of his time. As president, his regime oversaw the liberalisation of Tanzania’s economy after being closed close for three decades of Ujamaa and Kujitegemea or Socialism and Self-reliance that the founder of Tanzania, Mwl Nyerere presided over before handing the baton to Alhaj Ali Hassan Mwinyi whose economic policy was not clear.  When some his detractors complained that he was betraying the goal of socialism, without even cooling his jets, Mkapa told them point blank that the era of preferential treatments were long gone. His was economic competition and competence. It is at this time the Kenyan National Group Media (NMG), according to its chair, Wilfred Kiboro, received invitation from Mkapa personally to do business in the country. Thus, the coming of Mkapa to power opened up Tanzania economy to the international community to invest. However, his policy did not succeed as he wanted it to because most of his lieutenants betrayed him by entering bogus contracts that saw Tanzania cascade economically. To show his humility and trustworthiness, Mkapa  openly admitted his failures and made an apology to all Tanzanians. To cap it all, he documented his apology in his book about his life that I have mentioned above. On top of economic liberalisation, Mkapa created many government institutions such as Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) among others; formed the commission to look into corruption. However, he did not publish its findings.  As well, Mkapa openly pushed Tanzania to paying debts it had accumulated for a long time and returned Tanzania to the map of the world as a capable country anybody could do business with.  
Even before becoming president, as minister of foreign affairs, Mkapa contributed hugely in the formation of post-Amin government in Uganda after Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) repelled Idi Amin’s soldiers after invading Tanzania and thereafter toppled Amin and forced him to exile. As for Kenya, Mkapa became instrumental soon after the 2007 Post-Election Violence (PEV). Under his and former UN Secretary General, the late Kofi Annan, Kenya was able to reach the agreement of forming a Government of National Unity (GNU) under Mwai Kibaki as president and his nemesis, Raila Odinga as Prime Minister. Despite its political animosities and squabbling, the GNU delivered Kenya from the tribal abyss.
Burundi will always remember his as a facilitator of peaceful resolution of conflict after the government and some factions set Burundi to a perilous path. The East African Community appointed Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni as a mediator and Mkapa as a facilitator. Soon Museveni left Mkapa do everything up until the conflict was resolved. Thereafter, Burundi became peaceful up until today.
Back to Mkapa I personally knew, for the entire time I interacted with him, I discovered a very humble and kind person that I did not expect in the person I used to know as president before. As an educated person, he liked logic to guide whatever argument was made. When it came to defending his position, like his mentor, Julius Nyerere, the founder of Tanzania, he was like a lion who would send his opponent shivering. However, once the dialogue was over, the gentle and humble Mkapa would resume his position and warmly intermingle with everybody who approached him.
For those who knew Mkapa as president and a person, it is not easy to contain him in one article or book. Now that he is no more, history will soon start to revisit him and bring forth his unknown treasures as a leader and a human.  Journey Well in your eternal journey Benjamin William Mkapa. Tangulia nasi twaja Mpendwa ndugu Mkapa. Every soul will one day die.
Source: African Executive Magazine today.

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