Tanzania (5)

Question 1

The British colony of ______ became independent in 1961, and in 1964 it united with another former British colony, Zanzibar, to form Tanzania.

Answer 1

Tanganyika

Question 2

What system did Tanzania adopt under the leadership of its first president?

Answer 2

Under the leadership of its first president, Julius Nyerere, Tanzania adopted an ambitious and far-reaching system of African socialism that had both political and economic goals for the new state.

Question 3

True or false

For the first few years after independence, Tanzania implemented socialist policies.

Answer 3

False, For the first few years after independence, Tanzania did not implement socialist policies. Like many newly independent states it adopted the welfare and development programs from the colonial era.

Question 4

Many ____ civil servants remained in the country, helping to train African replacements.

Answer 4

British

Question 5

What attempts were made to relieve the effects of colonial rule? (3)

Answer 5

Attempts were made, however,

• To expand education, which had been neglected under the British
• To promote indigenous entrepreneurship.
• Co-operatives were set up so that peasants could control the marketing of their crops.

Question 6

But although Nyerere was critical of ______, Tanzania still depended on a flow of investments from Western countries.

Answer 6

capitalism

Question 7

After five years of independence, however, Nyerere was increasingly concerned about the low economic growth and the direction that the country was heading: (4)

Answer 7

• Dependence on foreign investment was draining wealth from Africa towards the industrialized capitalist world.
• Tanzania’s relations with Western countries had deteriorated over issues such as Rhodesia (where Britain had failed to prevent white settlers from seizing control and declaring their independence).
• The position of the majority of the population - poor rural farmers - had not improved.
• Government employees and politicians seemed more concerned about acquiring wealth for themselves than in helping development. This private greed was increasing class divisions in African society.

Question 8

What did Nyerere draw up as a result of his concerns?

Answer 8

As a result of these concerns, Nyerere drew up the Arusha Declaration in 1967. His vision was of a self-reliant, prosperous and classless society.

Question 9

What was Nyerere’s aim?

Answer 9

His aim was to use socialist development strategies to achieve this. Instead of depending on foreign investment and aid, Tanzania would rely on its own resources, mainly the labour of peasant farmers. It was to be a program of economic development and nation-building combined.

Question 10

Following the adoption of the _____ _____, the state played a leading role in the economy, with direct control over all production, distribution and transport.

Answer 10

Arusha Declaration

Question 11

What was nationalised?

Answer 11

Banks, insurance companies and large foreign-owned companies were nationalized. Only small companies remained under private ownership, but they were controlled by state corporations.

Question 12

What were civil servants banned from?

Answer 12

Civil servants and party officials were banned from involvement in any capitalist activities.

Question 13

What did the government draw up?

Answer 13

The government drew up a ‘Leadership Code’ to prevent corruption amongst government employees and party officials. They were prevented from using their positions to gain wealth, and their fringe benefits were cut. They could not own company shares or houses for rent. They could not hold private directorships, or receive more than one salary.

Question 14

What did historians view the Leadership Code as being representative of?

Answer 14

As a result, historians considered Tanzania under Nyerere’s leadership to be one of the least corrupt countries in Africa.

Question 15

What was the main focus of African socialism?

Answer 15

But the main focus of African socialism in Tanzania was on the development of rural areas. Large, collectivized villages - called ujamaa (a Swahili word which Nyerere defined as ‘familyhood / brotherhood’) - were established, in which land was communal -owned, resources were shared and leaders were elected.

Question 16

What did Nyerere hope the ujamaa villages would increase?

Answer 16

Nyerere hoped that the ujamaa villages would increase productivity and result in greater prosperity in rural areas.

Question 17

How would these ujamaa villages increase prosperity in rural areas? (2)

Answer 17

• They replaced individual farmers living in scattered settlements. This would make it easier for the government to provide roads, markets and agricultural services for rural development.
• Water, health and education infrastructure could also be centralized at these larger villages. As a result, there was improved access to education and healthcare in rural areas.

Question 18

Was there a willingness amongst peasants to join ujamaa villages?

Answer 18

However, many peasant farmers were reluctant to leave the areas where they had grown up or had farmed for years. Many also did not want to give up their individually owned plots for communal ownership.

Question 19

What happened when individual farmers were unwilling to join ujamaa villages?

Answer 19

When individual farmers were unwilling to join the ujamaa villages, a program of compulsory ‘villagisation’ was introduced. Between 1973 and 1977, about 11 million people were placed in 8 000 new villages, one of the largest mass movements of people in Africa’s history. There were many reports of the use of force and harsh methods to get people to move.

Question 20

Where had most peasants moved by 1979?

Answer 20

By 1979, 90% of the peasants had been moved to ujamaa villages. Some of the villages were overcrowded and were badly situated on poor, unproductive land.

Question 21

Why were these villages in a bad state?

Answer 21

Some of the villages were overcrowded and were badly situated on poor, unproductive land. Partly as a result of this, but also because of a serious drought in the early 1970s, agricultural productivity declined, there were severe food shortages and fewer cash crops for export. Some of the problems were caused by mismanagement and bureaucracy

Question 22

What was the economic situation in the mid-1970s in Tanzania?

Answer 22

By the mid-1970s the country had to rely on loans and 200,000 tons of food aid. Instead of becoming more self-reliant, Tanzania was now more dependent for survival on foreign aid. In urban areas too there was a decline in the economy in the 1970s.

Question 23

As part of the socialist policies, the government also set up over 300 state corporations (such as state banks, state industries, state marketing boards and state shops), but they were _____ and often _____. They were run as civil service ______ rather than businesses, and they ran up huge losses.

Answer 23

overstaffed
inefficient
bureaucracies

Question 24

During the 1970s income levels continued to drop, so that by 1980 the lowest-paid workers were earning about ___% less than they had earned in 1970, and middle-level civil servants about ___% less.

Answer 24

20%

54%

Question 25

Not all the problems were caused by the socialist policies of the Tanzanian government. What else were the economic problems caused by?

Answer 25

The economy was also badly affected by a world economic crisis caused by a massive increase in oil prices during the 1970s. At the same time prices for cash crops on world, markets collapsed.

Question 26

By the 1980s, Tanzania had become even more reliant on external ___.

Answer 26

aid

Question 27

In a broadcast to mark the 20th anniversary of Tanzania’s independence, Nyerere admitted in a radio broadcast that the country was ____ than it had been in 1972.

Answer 27

poorer

Question 28

Although he acknowledged that Tanzania was neither socialist nor self-reliant, what did he believe?

Answer 28

Although he acknowledged that Tanzania was neither socialist nor self-reliant, he believed that his policies had prevented the worst excesses of capitalism, such as the emergence of a wealthy elite. They had also led to impressive achievements in education, with substantial increases in adult literacy rates and primary school enrollment.

Question 29

The ideals of _____ and ____ were not achieved and the policy was adapted in the 1980s.

Answer 29

socialism

self-reliance

Question 30

What came as a result of Tanzania’s desperate economic position?

Answer 30

As a result of the desperate economic position, Tanzania’s leaders were forced to agree to conditions laid down by the International Monetary Fund in return for financial aid in 1986.