Professor Tolly Mbwette talks with his University students.

Come to know Professor Tolly Mbwette who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Tanzania. A man who changed the shape of the University which is now among the most respected universities in the world. Professor Tolly Mbwette is an engineer with Phd. Degree from England. He is being interviewed by the local TV media during a meeting with the OUT students at a temporary headquarter building in Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam recently. Among other things he boasts of is that, he is fond of talking to the University students a factor which he says is very rare to be done by any Vive-Chancellor of any university in the country and worldwide in particular.

Is it fair to trade at commuter bus stand?

Some petty traders have turned commuter bus stands as a market place, is it fair?. It is also shameful to see that, Petty traders like this fish mongers hawking fish at the commuter bus stand at Kipawa in Dar es Salaam with the authorities concerned looking at the matter without taking action.

It is too disturbing whenever it rains in the city of Dar es Salaam

This is what happens in the city of Dar es Salaam when it rains as captured recently at Buguruni traffic lights in Dar es Salaam. Commuter buses negotiates their way. The formation of water log in most parts especially along the main roads is a normal phenomenon. But civil engineers have to look at the problem to avert such bad situation as it deteriorates the good image of the city once used to be called the haven of peace. It’s shameful to see that the government does pay any attention to such things.

Help promote Swahili language, experts urged

SOME Intellectuals and Swahili experts have called on the prompt development of the Swahili language and insisted on its use for the national interests in order to promote the country’s social and cultural developments. They made this observation recently in Dar es Salaam during the inauguration of a 32 paged booklet that describes the life of their fellow Swahili language expert Professor Tigiti Mnyagatwa Sengo, in a colourful ceremony which was held at the temporary headquarter of the Open University of Tanzania. They have said that, time has come for Tanzanians to use their resources wherever possible in order to promote Swahili as a national language and use it more widely as a means of production so as to promote what the lord God had given to Tanzanians as a moral gift. According to them, “Swahili language must be preserved and honoured as an intellectual property for Tanzanians who best speaks the language more than any other country in the world. Promotion of local language is a self empowerment of a nation whereas to know other foreign languages is a slavery.” “Tanzanians must be proud of that” says Dr. Aldin Mutembei of the Institute of the Department of Swahili at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). In view of this, therefore it should be used and put in the forefront in every matters pertaining to the country’s cultural and social superiority. “You would be amazed to see that about five leading languages in the world is for Europeans and these have dominated most intellectual properties because of the fact that, foreign intervention has absorbed the minds of most African idealism”. He said

An Assistant dean of the faculty of FASS Professor Ngwiliza opens up the ceremony by introductory remarks.

Mzee Yusuf Halimoja, who compiled the a book that describes the life of Professor Tigiti Sengo leads a a band of choir team that entertained the guests during the occasion.

Professor Tigiti Sengo and fellow Swahili language experts

He is on the view of the fact that, Tanzania should divert her mind and should stand firm to unite together in a bid to retain its respected moral Swahili culture from deteriorating among its citizens. However, he said added that, Swahili language is becoming an active player in most Pan-African meetings as well as in the global economy. According to Professor Sengo, the prevailing power relationship of languages and culture has to be challenged and hopefully even shaken up, that is why he is fond of writing as many Swahili books as possible as reading is conventional. Writing books in local language is one way of promoting African languages which if strict measures are not taken to maintain this culture, a nation is likely to face extinction of its local cultures if care would not be taken and instead keep on maintaining the mentality of depending on other people’s languages. The death of any language is the loss of knowledge contained in that language, and the weakening of any language is the weakening of its knowledge producing potential as it is a human loss. Professor Sengo who currently is a Senior Lecturer with the Open University of Tanzania is vigorously fighting for Swahili language in order to promote Tanzania’s culture.

A cross section of the invited guests who attended the ceremony at the tent of the Open University of Tanzania

Professor Elifas Bisanda (DVC Academic) of the Open University of Tanzania who was the guest of honour delivering his speech during the occasion.

Professor Bisanda cutting a tape to officially inaugurate the 32 paged booklet that describes the life of Professor Tigiti Sengo

Intellectuals urges on the use of Swahili language in Tanzania

Being a professor of Swahili literature (Fasihi ya Kiswahili) at the University, he started his career of writing Swahili Essays while studying at Mzumbe Secondary school way back in 1965 and his first ever essay was published in Tanganyika library in the same year. According to him, a nation without people’s culture is no more. The idea reflects in his mind and has urged people to cooperate in building Swahili together and not mixing up words while speaking the language. He is on the view of the fact that, Tanzanians must build Swahili language for the development of Tanzania and Africa as a whole. During the occasion, the Ministry of Information and Culture was represented by an official from the department of culture. The ministry congratulated the efforts so far contributed by Professor Sengo towards maintaining Tanzanian Swahili culture in the global sphere. These experts could not hesitate to throw blame to the government which according to them, has not been in a position to promote Swahili language in the country. “The government’s insistence on the Swahili language is extremely very low” says former Executive Secretary of the National Swahili Council (BAKITA) Mr. Mohammed Mwinyi.

Four ladies among the invited guests from Zanaki Secondary school entertained the audience when they read one of the poems which was compiled by Professor Sengo in one of his 25 books for secondary schools in the country

Professor Elifas Bisanda (DVC Academic) of the Open University of Tanzania congratulates Professor Sengo during the occasion

A Woman putting a scuff on Professor Tigiti Sengo as a sign of his bravery and standing point to defend Swahili language in the country.

An intellectual wonders why Swahili is not included in the constitution?

According to him, Swahili language is not mentioned in the national constitution. He said and added that, Kenyans have gone as far as maintaining the Swahili language and put it in their constitution for insistence as a national language and it’s shameful that Tanzania has not. Kenya has developed in Swahili than Tanzania because they have taken the language more seriously since before in order to help their country, and that is why they are good ambassadors of the language abroad. Either these experts have largely praised President Jakaya Kikwete who fought vigorously to let Swahili language being spoken in Africa Union meetings during his tenure as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the third phase government. Other Swahili experts who graced the occasion included, Mr. Maulid Omary Haji of Zanzibar National College. Mr. Maulid is currently a Phd. student of the Open University of Tanzania for which Professor Sengo is his supervisor. He is also an Assistant Lecturer at the Institute of Swahili and Foreign Languages (TAKILUKI). Others were Professor Ahmed Sheikh Nabhany a Swahili Consultant Advisor of the Research Institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa (RISSEA), Ismail Mohammed Salim, a retired secondary teacher, and Professor Abdallah .J. Safari.

Professor Tigiti Sengo with other Swahili experts who attended the occasion in a group photo

Professor Sengo’s wife giving a vote of thanks prior to the closing of the ceremony

Professor Sengo giving a speech in which he congratulated the author Mzee Yusufu Halimoja