Mwalimu Nyerere, famously quipped, we Tanzanians are not tribalistic.
Nyerere insisted, we mostly tease each other. Waitu, Chaggas and Parees? We are traditional wataanis. And tonight I am with my Pare maternal bibi, visiting London.
From afar, Jeff Msangi’s demeanour and spectacles are of a typical nerd. Nerds tend to be sharp, zealous, smart, knowledgeable. Up close, he reminds of famous Black Panther leader, Stokey Carmichael, once husband of South African singer, Miriam Makeba.
However, we are not in Oakland, California where the Black Panthers rocked the evils of racism 50-plus years ago. We are perched at a small West London cafe, June 2025.
West London – the affluent part of this city – includes Kensington (royal family), Chelsea (yes, some of you might be supporting THAT team), Westminster with government’s capital Whitehall, Fulham , Hammersmith, etc. Like hanging around Upumgini, New Arusha Hotel and East African Community headquarters in Arusha. We are sipping soft drinks plus fried Muzun plantain served by this lovely, friendly Malaysian Cekodok mate.
Cekodok, they are called, Fat’ma informs.
Cekodok is so delicious! We want more and more. Chatting with nerd visitors over multiple themes.
But who is he exactly?
Jeff Msangi is part of Tanzania’s early cream of self confident, creative social media pioneers (vloggers and bloggers), e.g. Maggid Mjengwa, Michuzi, Ndesanjo Macha, Arusha’s Mzalendo 25, Ayo TV, etc.
Jeff Msangi’s favourite media subject has always been preserving records. He launched “Bongo Celebrity” blog over 20 years ago; targeting individuals who have contributed to the East African community.
“I am working on a book collection of all the interviews in Bongo Celebrity…” he reveals.
Soon we bit on age and health; as he is nearing 50.
Msangi: “I have been doing intermittent fasting. Back home, most of our people still regard big stomachs as normal. The body needs to be controlled and not overfed…”
Although today is Eid Al Adha, it is not a holiday in the UK, like in most Muslim countries.
How does he worship?
After explaining that he was raised in a family of Christians and Muslims and that he actually attended Madrasa, (children classes for Islam), Msangi impresses with the following lines:
“Every culture has a way of worship: Indians, Chinese, Arabs, Jews. If you go to Europe, same. They brought us Christianity. But we had our own ways of worship. Our African ancestors could even regulate and prevent rain. Do any of us, remember? That is the question. When all these foreigners invaded they made sure our African beliefs were erased. Imposed theirs. Although our struggle (and victory) for freedom was political, we should have started with moral and psychological liberation. We would have been much better off. No wonder we have never fully recovered…”
As Jeff Msangi, flows, I reflect on Nigerian Afro-beat founder, Fela Kuti knocking this similar subject in 1982. There is an iconic You Tube interview “Reeling in the Years from 1980s” where musician Fela roars:
“When an African does not want to believe or participate in the reasons why he was born then it becomes a failure. So all the African leaders go to Europe for progress. You can never make a white man thing better than a white man. Therefore, you want to hinder progress of one same like me with white man thing. Somebody must be able to contribute its own knowledge to the world. The western world needs people from Africa…”
Bless you Jeff.
Bibi, if you speak Kipare.
📧 Email: emagtoughu4@gmail.com
You Tube Channel: msangilondonkone
