President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Jakaya Kitwete of Tanzania have expressed support for the canonization cause of Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s founding president. Nyerere converted to Catholicism at 21, attended Mass daily and led a single-party state that was known for government control of the economy, CISA reports.
“Tanzania has been the most peaceful country in East Africa because the people have been able to harvest from [Nyerere's] principles,” President Museveni said on June 1 at the Catholic Martyrs’ Shrine at Namugongo, Uganda.
“We should continue praying that he reaches a stage where he could be declared a blessing of God.”
“Anything that elevates the name of Tanzania in the Catholic Church is something that I will always support,” added President Kitwete, a Muslim.
“He left his job to lead the struggle for the independence of Tanzania and later led the process of building our country.”
Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga of Kampala celebrated Mass at the shrine; Nyerere’s widow was among those in attendance.
Nyerere served as the first president of Tanzania, previously Tanganyika, from the country’s founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985.
Born in Tanganyika to Nyerere Burito (1860-1942), Chief of the Zanaki, Nyerere was known by the Swahili name Mwalimu or ‘teacher’, his profession prior to politics.
On returning to Tanganyika he worked as a teacher. In 1954 he helped form the Tanganyika African National Union.
In 1961 Nyerere became the first Prime Minister of Tanganyika and following independence in 1962, the country’s first President. In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar and was then renamed as Tanzania.
In 1965, a one-party election returned Nyerere to power and two years later, he issued the Arusha Declaration, outlining his socialist concept of Ujamaa, which came to dominate his policies.
SIC: CTHAS