Tanzania and its southern neighbour, Zambia, have had cordial relations that pre-date the political independence of the two countries, both having been British colonies – a disgrace which the nationalists in each put up a spirited battle to neutralize, and succeeded.
Our founding father, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and the bearer of a similar title down south, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, were close comrades in the anti-colonial struggle.
It is a comradeship that was cemented by engagement in noble post-independence causes, chief of which were the liberation of still-colonised African countries and pursuit of pan-African solidarity. Staunch support for Namibian, Rhodesian, Mozambican and South African liberation movements, by, mainly, allowing them to run training camps in the host countries, drew Tanzania and Zambia closer, especially under the auspices of the Frontline States set-up. The two countries were furthermore active members of the African Union’s precursor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), thereby transcending the close Nyerere-Kaunda friendship to the companionship of the people of the countries over whom the two statesmen presided.
But the 1,870 kilometre-long Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara) towers as the most outstanding symbol of inter-state association between the two countries, as it traverses both countries, the starting-destination points being Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi.
But Tazara’s benefit lies in a judicious combination of symbolism and economic benefits; that, besides enabling Tanzanians and Zambians to connect geographically and socially, the project must generate revenue that should contribute to the separate coffers of the partners.
Pale shadow
That had initially been the case, but subsequently, Tazara became a pale shadow of its initial, glorious, much-saluted original situation. It is virtually in a coma, manifested by poor services, financial doldrums and managerial ineptitude.
The more worrying aspect, however, is chronic wrangling between the partner states, characterised mainly by feelings harboured by either, that the other is the culprit.
It is extremely sad that, 27 years down the line, Tazara should, instead of being an enormously beneficial economic powerhouse, be a pitiful crippled project whose plight is worsened by mistrust and blame-trading. Lately, a potentially explosive diplomatic row has arisen, which threatens to worsen the situation. It revolves around accusations by Zambia, that Tanzania acted unfairly, by rehabilitating some Tazara locomotives and assigning them to the nearly three-month-old exclusively Tanzanian Dar es Salaam commuter train service project. Its senior officials are arguing, and rationally, that Tanzanian authorities should have consulted the partners on the proposed project, through such channels as the board of directors, for exhaustive discussions and blessings or rejection. The Zambians therefore have grounds to feel jittery over Tanzania’s go-it-alone approach, because it tends to imply that the partners are inconsequential.
A feeling by Zambians of being intentionally provoked and undermined could degenerate into a diplomatic crisis and poison the otherwise long-time cordial relationship between the peoples of the two countries. This is an unfortunate derailment which we believe the authorities of the partner states have the will and capability to re-set on proper tracks, and fast.
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