Pan-Africanist and Makerere University alumnus Julius Kambarage Nyerere was honoured by his alma mater in a symposium dubbed Nyerere at 100 on October 13.
Had he been alive today, Nyerere would have turned 100 years of age in 2022, the same year Makerere University marked 100 years of existence.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe hailed Nyerere’s firsts; Nyerere was the only chancellor of the University of East Africa and the first to offer African degrees and the first politician to be nominated to become a saint.
Prof Nawangwe added: “In recognition of his (Nyerere’s) outstanding achievements, Makerere was proud to host the launch of Mwalimu Nyerere’s book,’ Women’s freedom: women are eagles, not chicken’, during the celebrations of 50 years of the University of East Africa.
The symposium focused on the need to reawaken Pan-Africanism with the theme: “Imagining together an African future led by Africa’s youth.”
Prof Eddy Maloka, CEO African Peer Review Mechanism and keynote speaker at the symposium noted that Africa suffers due to the infighting nature of elites.
“There is still a view that there is something inherently inferior about Africans. Infighting among African elites makes the countries suffer,” he said.
Besides, Prof Maloka urged Africans to not only rely on political will but also legislation in order to force countries comply to the pan African agreements they ratify.
The symposium also featured a moderated conversation through which Ms Stella Agara, one of the panelists noted that today’s world is not in conformity with what Nyerere stood for.
Agara said, for instance, it is hard to define a woman in today’s world since different sexes identify as women.
Speaking at the symposium, the high commissioner of Tanzania Dr. Aziz Mlima urged youth to research and champion innovation independence, invest in education for technology independence and liberate their minds.
The Nyerere at 100 is a two-day symposium that started on October 13 to honour the legacy of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
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