HE REMAINS THE WINNER

Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA

Between 1983 and 1985, there were several events that Mwanakwetu remembers vividly, both within his family and in connection with national events, even though he was still very young at the time.

In 1983, Mwanakwetu was enrolled as a first-grade pupil at Kimanzichana Primary School. In 1984, he was in second grade and had a close friend named Mohammed Kidundusi (Mohammed Mfupi).

On January 30, 1984, Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. On April 12, 1984, the then Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Edward Moringe Sokoine, died in a car accident. At that time, Mwanakwetu was in the first term of second grade at Kimanzichana Primary School.

Soon after becoming President of Zanzibar and First Vice President, Ali Hassan Mwinyi made a tour of Tanzania's Coastal Region, which was his ancestral home area.

As I have already mentioned, while Mwanakwetu was in second grade, his school participated in a major national event.

He remembers the occasion as follows:

"A distinguished national leader visited Kimanzichana Village, along the road leading to the villages of Mkerezange and Mkamba. A large public meeting was held, during which my mother, Teacher Doroth Mlemeta, read a message on behalf of the villagers. She was wearing a yellow floral dress.

The teachers of Kimanzichana Primary School carried out various activities, including preparing meals for the visiting leaders from the time the delegation arrived until it departed the following day.

Among the guests was Mrs. Sophia Kawawa. I do not remember what official position she held at the time, whether within CCM, UWT, or the government. What I do remember is that after the delegation left, the teachers' stories focused on some leaders who had been drinking brew and became quite intoxicated. Their behavior, words, and antics became the subject of discussion. The person most frequently mentioned was the late Mrs. Sophia Kawawa, wife of Rashidi Kawawa and Chairperson of the National UWT."

The teachers had many stories to tell about Sophia Kawawa and the various things she did during that visit.

Mwanakwetu remembers all these events through his parents, who witnessed them firsthand. Today, he recounts them as he received them from Francis Makwega and Doroth Mlemeta, his parents.

After the visit, perhaps two or three months later, the family moved to Mkuranga Village. Mwanakwetu left with sadness because he had to part ways with his friend Mohammed Kidundusi. Fortunately, upon arriving in Mkuranga, he made new friends, including Deogratias Msukuma, Shaha Uwanga, and Hamisi Issa. Mwanakwetu was never short of friends.

Thus, he said goodbye to Mohammed Kidundusi and began a new chapter with new friends, including Hamisi Issa and others.

During that period, several major events took place: the election of Ali Hassan Mwinyi as President of Zanzibar on January 30, 1984; the death of Edward Sokoine on April 12, 1984; and Ali Hassan Mwinyi's visit to Kimanzichana Village.

You may not find these details in government records, newspapers, or official media reports. However, they live on through the testimonies of those who witnessed them, because every person tells a story from their own perspective.

On May 31, 2026, Mwanakwetu accompanied the Regional Commissioner of Mara, Colonel Evans Alfred Mtambi, during a fundraising event at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Songe, within the Catholic Diocese of Musoma. Mwanakwetu attended the event as a journalist from the Government Communications Unit.

Among the remarks made by Colonel Mtambi were the following:

"If you go to Galilee, they will teach you this story, but it is not found in the Bible. On the day Jesus overturned the tables of the merchants in the Temple, what did those people do?

They became angry and wanted to attack the Lord Jesus. When Jesus saw that the situation had become dangerous, He left. The merchants pursued Him as He headed toward the mountains and climbed to the summit of Mount Kana.

They did not give up. They followed Him to the top, where there was a steep cliff. Jesus stopped at the edge. The men increased their speed, but when they reached the summit, they could not find Him. They were astonished. Instead, they saw Him standing about ten kilometers away from the mountain peak."

Indeed, the account of Jesus driving the merchants from the Temple is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew 21:12–13, Mark 11:15–17, and Luke 19:45–46. However, Colonel Mtambi's additional details come from oral tradition, just as Mwanakwetu received the stories about Sophia Kawawa from those who witnessed Ali Hassan Mwinyi's visit in 1984.

So, what is Mwanakwetu saying today?

In this article, he has woven together two narratives: his own memories and those passed down by his parents, teachers, and the people of Kimanzichana regarding national events; and Colonel Mtambi's account of traditions concerning Jesus Christ after He overturned the merchants' tables in the Temple.

One statement stands out:

"We chased Him all the way to the summit in order to capture Him, but when we arrived there, we were astonished to see Him standing about ten kilometers away from the peak. And that was His first miracle."

My reader, when you consider this story through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, together with the oral traditions of those who lived during the time of Jesus Christ, as recounted by Colonel Mtambi, one conclusion becomes clear:

Jesus remains the Winner.

There is only one question to ask ourselves:

You and I, when people look back and tell the story of our lives—whether through official records or through oral traditions—will we be remembered as winners, or as those who squandered their opportunities and failed?