The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Pius Rugonzibwa
3 June 2008
opinion
If he were alive today to witness the hosting of the 8th Leon Sullivan Summit, Chief Thomas Marealle would be very proud.
But even so, 'King Tom', as he was affectionately known, could be glowing with pride and satisfaction from his grave seeing his dream come alive in Arusha. The Chief is among the very first Tanzanians who strived to promote the beliefs and objectives of the Sullivan Summit.He is one of the pioneer preachers of the importance of uniting Africans at home with the African Diaspora for greater development of the continent.
Sadly, the Chief of the Chagga community died last February, before witnessing the historical hosting of the all-important meeting in Tanzania. The five-day conference, which began yesterday, is a pride for many of Tanzania's devoted nationalists and great minds like King Tom, who had a vision of unity for enterprise among Africans, in and outside the continent. For many years while he was alive, Chief Marealle strived to promote Tanzania in the area of investment, both in Africa and abroad.
He sometimes defied the odds, even during the pre-colonial times when the political and social climates were very harsh and unpromising, to capitalise on all opportunities to build a better Tanzania. His vision could not have been carried better than it is by the Sullivan's objective of bringing the people of East Africa into partnership with the Black Diaspora to cooperate in business, culture, education and tourism.
Chief Marealle's dream of a better Tanzania began when he was sent together with other blacks working in the Civil Service under British Colonial Administration in Tanganyika to study at universities in the UK.
His civil service career that lasted from 1934-1951 during which he worked in many parts of Tanganyika, presented him the chance to study in the UK. That was the opportunity he took advantage of to promote his people back home.
While in England, Thomas Marealle met and befriended many other Blacks living and studying in the UK like Jomo Kenyatta from Kenya and Earle Seaton, a law student from Bermuda. He also befriended Dudley Thompson, a Jamaican lawyer. In the 1940's and 1950's, when there were no African judges, magistrates and lawyers in Tanganyika, Chief Marealle became the first African to invite Black professionals to come to live and work in Tanganyika.
Earlier in 1949 he had joined the Tanganyika African Association (TAA), which had previously been a social club for educated urban Africans, but was now becoming increasingly political and beginning to fight for the social and political advancement of Africans.The Chief believed it would be a good idea for Black lawyers abroad to represent Africans in the courts and to inspire others to learn. His colleagues, lawyers Seaton and Thompson heeded his call and arrived in Africa in 1948, and 1953, respectively, to handle many cases including The Meru Land Case which went right up to the UN Trusteeship Council.
Jamaican lawyer Thompson also fought many cases and was one of the advocates who took part in defending Kenyatta, and subsequently securing his release, thus enabling him to lead the fight for the independence of Kenya. Later in life Thomson became Foreign Minister of Jamaica. At about the same period, Chief Marealle also took the first steps to end racial discrimination in Tanganyika by ensuring the first black recruits joined the Police Training School in Moshi in 1955.
Elangwa Shaidi, Hamza Aziz and Geoffrey Sawaya benefited from this arrangement. After Independence Shaidi become the first head of the Police (IGP), Aziz the second IGP and Sawaya the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI). In November of the same year Lutherans from all over Africa attended the All Africa Lutheran Conference in Marangu Tanganyika, the birthplace of Chief Marealle who was the host. It was at this Conference that he first suggested that Africa should have Lutheran Bishops just like other continents. He knew the importance of the church and its leadership in promoting peace in Africa. He wanted Africans to be part of that process.
In June 1957 he flew to New York to petition the UN Trusteeship Council to grant Tanganyika independence from British rule at a meeting that was also attended by Mwalimu Nyerere. Having earned respect in Africa and abroad, the Chief attended many important and historical functions. He represented Tanganyika at Ghana's Independence celebrations at the invitation of Dr Kwame Nkrumah in March 1957.
Everywhere he went, the Chief acted as goodwill ambassador by promoting Tanganyika as a beautiful country and a worthy place to visit and invest. He would grab the slightest chance to promote his country during his international visits. At one New York meeting, for instance, he told the delegates: "I started without painting a romantic picture of the beauty of Tanganyika, but that is not to say that it is devoid of many natural beauties and attractions. We welcome you to Tanganyika as we are doing all we can to build up a tourist industry that will earn its place amongst the best in the world.
We know that we shall take time in doing it but we are confident that what is being done now is a sure foundation for many things to come." It was also during that US trip that the Chief visited 'Meals of Millions' Foundation, which promoted Soya beans world wide. The foundation later offered Soya beans seeds free of charge to farmers in Kilimanjaro and agreed to buy back from the farmers after harvesting.
Unfortunately, his Chagga community refused to accept the offer, a lost chance they cry over to date. During his administration from 1952-1960 there was great prosperity in Kilimanjaro, characterised by a thriving coffee industry and tourism which benefited people of all races. He became the patron of the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union (KNCU), which is believed to be the oldest native cooperative in Africa to venture into coffee business in the region.
As its patron, the Chief was instrumental in setting up the KNCU College of Commerce, the first college in Tanganyika where students could obtain diplomas and degrees in subjects like English, Mathematics, Commerce, Secretarial Skills and Co-operative Studies. The college was open to all races and students came from as far as Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon to study.
His administration also vigorously promoted environmental conservation. He built a half mile strip of wattle at the bottom of the forest surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro to make a boundary for a restricted area where nobody was allowed to cut trees. Chief Marealle's then unheeded warning that unless people protected the environment, one day water would be sold in bottles like beer and soft drinks, has come to haunt people today.
In all his efforts, the Chief was concerned about developing a better society. His dream was of a Tanzania that would be a pride of many, and a country that would play a central role in developing other African countries.
And the delegation in Arusha this week,comprising people mainly from all over Africa and the United States, is what the Chief believed is needed for his dream society: a people coming together for a common purpose to develop Africa.
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