Adeladius Makwega-MBAGALA
Among the very calm and well-behaved students at Same Secondary School at that time (1994–1995) was Adeladius Makwega. This made even the teacher of Form Three B—where they were studying science subjects and history but not Additional Mathematics—Miss Yona, like Mwanakwetu very much.
“That polite young man from Dar es Salaam—tell him I’m calling him to send him to Same town.”
When Mwanakwetu went to see Teacher Yona, who taught English Language, she often sent him to Same town to collect meat from a certain butcher’s shop. Whenever he said at the butcher’s that he had been sent by Miss Yona, he would be given the meat and deliver it to the teacher who liked him very much.
“In Mwanakwetu’s inquiry, he discovered that Miss Yona had given birth to one daughter with the Member of Parliament for Same and former Minister of Education of Tanzania, Chediel Mgonja, who at that time was the owner of those butcheries in Same town where Mwanakwetu was frequently sent by his teacher.”
Mwanakwetu arrived at Same Secondary School in July 1994, where he repeated Form Three, although at that time he was supposed to be in Form Four. Officials from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training at that time said:
“Makwega, if you go to sit for the Form Four examination in 1994, you will not do well. Therefore, since from November 1993 until June 1994 you did not attend classes, repeat Form Three and then in 1995 you will sit for the Form Four examination. We have already applied for permission for you to repeat; go and study and leave the Tambaza chaos behind.”
These words were spoken by senior officials of the Ministry, including Julius Mushi, who had previously been the Headmaster of Tambaza Secondary School.
While Mwanakwetu was at Same Secondary School, some students thought he was a Form Five student, yet he was actually in Form Three. Many students from Tambaza were there, having been transferred, and many of them were recognizable because they continued wearing their Tambaza uniforms even though they had already transferred. Even the teachers failed to say anything to them, despite the school having strict teachers such as Mr. Mzirai.
Mwanakwetu did not make that mistake. He wore the Same Secondary School uniform as required: a short-sleeved white shirt and khaki trousers every day.
The youths from Tambaza knew Mwanakwetu as their elder brother and respected him greatly. However, these youths were a bit mischievous, and it was difficult to single out one among them.
In this group there was one younger boy called Samora Machel. One day he committed an offense and was punished by being assigned to scrub the Same Secondary School dining hall. He was read his punishment, and scrubbing the dining hall was done at night after evening hours, after which a leader would come in the morning to inspect whether the hall had been scrubbed or not.
When Samora Machel was given this punishment, in the evening he and the Tambaza youths went to the Same–Moshi bus station to fetch water for scrubbing the hall and stored it so they could carry out the punishment at night.
When night came and it was time for self-study, the youths from Tambaza—except Mwanakwetu—began helping their brother scrub the hall. As they were nearing completion, Samora Machel began bleeding from the nose. What were they to do? The youths gave him first aid and then went to get Mwanakwetu, and the decision was made that same night to take the boy on foot to Same Hospital in Same town. This journey, winding left and right all the way to Same, was made, and when they arrived he was given first aid that same night and then returned to the dormitory.
Remember, the dining hall was being scrubbed by a group of people. After Samora Machel faced that ordeal, the work was not completed. In the morning the leader inspected and found that the work was incomplete, and he was told that Samora Machel had not scrubbed alone—he had been helped by a group of Tambaza youths—and thus the work was not finished.
At assembly it was announced that Samora Machel had not completed his punishment and that he had been assisted. Therefore, Samora Machel was to carry out the punishment twice—that is, for two days—and no one was to be seen helping him.
Reader, please understand that Samora Machel and many others were about 60 students from Forms One and Two, while their elder brother was Mwanakwetu in Form Three—and here Mwanakwetu was repeating Form Three. What should he do? Remember the hustle of going from Same Secondary School to the District Hospital that night, a journey of about 10 kilometers on foot—Mwanakwetu was present. Now the students were at assembly. Mwanakwetu raised his hand.
“It is true that you give punishments and this Samora Machel committed an offense. But when you give punishment, let it match the human capacity of the person you are punishing. Last night we struggled with Samora Machel bleeding from the nose, walking 10 kilometers to seek treatment—is that justice? If you give punishments, let them be ones that you yourselves, as leaders, could perform with your own hands if you were given them. Do not give punishments that you yourselves cannot carry out.”
The duty teacher present at the assembly, who was a member of NCCR-Mageuzi, asked how the incident had happened. Mwanakwetu explained it well. The duty teacher then said it was true that Samora Machel should not do that punishment again, and he said these words:
“Discipline leaders, even if the punishment was given by the school discipline master, look at what kind of human being you are giving it to. Samora Machel is thin, frail—if he dies here, you leaders, the discipline master, and I the duty teacher will be accused of killing him. Do you think being accused of killing someone is a good thing? Samora Machel, do not do that punishment.”
Students from Form One to Form Six then dispersed and went into their classrooms.
We studied until evening at 12:00. That evening the roll-call bell rang and we assembled. The discipline master, Mr. Mzirai, arrived in the evening—he had not been present in the morning, no doubt having been informed of what had happened earlier. Announcements were made, and then Mr. Mzirai addressed all the students.
Who is called Adeladius Makwega?
Mwanakwetu raised his hand.
He asked, Baba, when did you arrive at Same? Mwanakwetu replied, “July 1994.”
“Baba, you come from Tambaza. Baba, this is Same, Kilimanjaro. Baba, do not bring Dar es Salaam here. If you bring Dar es Salaam here, we will lift you up, hold it in our palms, and toss you around . Baba, you defended Samora. Baba, do not defend him. Samora Machel—Samora Machel is a hooligan from Dar es Salaam.”
Teacher Mzirai was very harsh at assembly, but Samora Machel was not told to do that punishment again.
Indeed, the discipline master went his way, and Mwanakwetu studied at this school until he completed safely and peacefully.
Why has Mwanakwetu recalled this school story from his days as a student?
Because truly, if Samora Machel had carried out the punishment again and we had kept quiet, and then he had died, it would mean that all of us who witnessed that incident would have participated in the killing of Samora Machel by the act of remaining silent. But because those Tambaza youths saw that Samora Machel’s condition was bad—blood coming from his nose—they went to find Mwanakwetu in class, then decided to go to Same District Hospital. At that time the government was treating its citizens free of charge, without any payment. Samora Machel was treated and returned to school, and the next day he was well.
This matter is exactly the same as the case of the abduction and disappearance of the former Tanzanian Ambassador to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole. For any CCM leader to remain silent here is the same as what would have happened in the Samora Machel case at Same Secondary School at that time.
“Can we talk about the security of someone we do not know when we have failed to talk about the security of someone who was our neighbor? Who do you think will understand you in this? No one will understand you. Here we all appear to lack morality and humanity, and we are part of the problem.”
In this incident, students who came from other regions of Tanzania said that these youths from Dar es Salaam—these youths from Tambaza—really love one another. Their elder brother even spoke out about Samora Machel’s problem at assembly until the matter was resolved. Even if Samora Machel was troublesome, should the punishment for a troublesome youth be to bleed until he dies without receiving help? CCM must reflect deeply.
Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:
“No One Understands Us.”
I wish you a good day.
makwadeladius@gmail.com
0717649257
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