TANZANIA

First President of Tanganyika (and later of Tanzania): Julius Nyerere

• had been a school teacher and so was called "Mwalimu" (Swahili for teacher)
• worked with Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) to achieve independence, and later to rule

Policies:

• espoused a version of African Socialism called Ujamaa (from "jamaa" or "family") [read "Arusha Declaration" on this policy]
• called for self-reliance and an end to dependence on the outside world

• set up education system with broad base, narrow top, conveying knowledge of agriculture on the assumption that most would grow up to farmers
• villagization program (ujamaa vijijini) moved peasants into centralized villages with communal plots in an attempt to provide better services -- one of the largest peacetime migrations in world history (13 million people moved into 8000 villages)
• Made Swahili an official language, used in parliament and government business
• After Idi Amin invaded Tanzania from Uganda, Nyerere had Tanzanian military counterattack, removed Amin from power, then left Uganda
• Stood up against policies of IMF and World Bank that he argued would damage the poorest Tanzanians

Ujamaa and villagization policies led to much controversy [more on the controversy]