after Germany was defeated and ousted from German East Africa. The same approach and method was done for the independence of Sierra Leone, a Bill being passed in the British Parliament for its independence in 1961. Sierra Leone, having been established by the settlement of liberated and runaway African (there were no other) slaves between 1787 and 1792, as well as by the indigenous people, was colonized by Britain in 1808.
In both Tanzania and Sierra Leone, the major test of democracy at 50 was primarily the maintenance of peace. As with many countries in Africa, societies were not homogeneous at independence, hence the need to unify the people from multiple ethnic backgrounds, estimated to be 130 in Tanzania and 18 in Sierra Leone. The challenges before the first leaders of independent countries were therefore almost insurmountable, ranging from handling an uneducated but expectant population to a lack of physical infrastructure, poor health, the containment of ethnic conflicts and the need to formulate new modes of economic production and distribution. This could lead to the conclusion that some societies, such as Tanzania, fortunately have had a relatively peaceful 50-year independence period; but others have gone through periods of military rule, violence and conflict, such as Sierra Leone.
It is good news that Sierra Leone has recovered from conflict to enjoy the fruits of a democracy that is maturing out of its 50 years of independence. The past two elections have been conducted relatively peacefully and Parliament is now functioning as an institution of peace- building through dialogue and the rule of law. The maturity that is being born out of the 50 years of democracy, regardless of the bumps and hurdles, is what the citizens need to realize as the fruits of independence. What else should the citizens of the countries with 50 years of democracy and independence look for?
First, countries at 50 years of democracy should consolidate peace and national unity. To achieve this, leaders need to focus on promoting national
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unity through education and youth development. No wonder at independence, or soon thereafter, single political party systems and a national language (Kiswahili) were adopted in countries such as Tanzania under the able leadership of Julius K. Nyerere, to promote national unity at the time. Currently, work should be carried out to strengthen existing constitutions, legal institutions and Parliament.
Secondly, leaders and citizens at 50 should strive to be economically independent; that is, individuals becoming less reliant on their relatives and friends. Governments should minimize and eventually cut off the dependency on foreign aid and recurrent budget subsidies. This means that societies will have to seriously fight off corruption, ease and enforce tax compliance, and teach the population to work and save. As markets are always important in economic activities, democratic countries at 50 need to promote regional integration, common markets and the infrastructure that goes with it. The infrastructure of colonies were at the bare minimum, structured just enough to transport raw materials from the interior to the sea ports for export to foreign industries.
Thirdly, leaders in democracies at 50 need to examine the educational curricula for their populations. It is believed that education is the singular weapon to fully liberate the citizens who were colonized just 50 years ago. A good educational curriculum is meant to liberate the mind, accelerate the scientific benefits and restore the ruptured cultural and moral pillars of society. Leaders and citizens in democracies at 50 will also realize that educational curricula have to incorporate the high need for technical skills to sustain everyday human needs.
Fourthly, leaders and citizens in democracies at 50 should accept that change is inevitable. Whereas the leadership at independence worked to appeal to a less informed population, the situation today is very different. In the 1960s, even radio waves did not reach out to many village people. Today we find an unbelievably large percentage of the same villages receiving high telephony connectivity. Likewise, modern communications
Commonwealth gallery
Left: The delegates attending the 22nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar in New Delhi, India.
Right: Dr William F. Shija (left) speaking with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, MP, (right) during CHOGM in Perth, Australia.