By G. Madaraka Nyerere
As we mark 26 years since the passing of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere (pictured), memories of him remain vivid and multi-faceted. Many recall him as a devout Catholic — so committed that the Church has initiated his beatification process. He has already been declared a Servant of God through a local investigation of his life and Papal acceptance of a petition to have him declared as one. There are four stages to Sainthood under Catholic Moral Tradition. The second stage is Beatification or Venerable and involves thorough examination by a group of theologians and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If a person is found to have lived a life of heroic virtue, the Pope can declare such a person Venerable. The third stage is for a person to be declared Blessed
through verification and approval of a miracle that occurred after the death of a candidate and was attributed to their “blessed” intercession. After the miracle is approved, a person can be declared Blessed and venerated in a specific locality.
The fourth and final stage is Canonisation or Sainthood. For a person to be officially recognised as a Saint, a second verified miracle is usually required. After that is confirmed, the Pope formally canonises the individual in a special mass, allowing for universal veneration.
In more than a hundred years of evangelisation, Tanzania is yet to produce a saint.
Hopefully, Mwalimu Nyerere shall one day too be declared a Saint in the footsteps of Uganda’s martyrs who were declared Saints by Pope Paul Vl at the Vatican on October 18, 1964 after a process that lasted for over 50 years. They were declared Venerable in 1912 and went on to be beatified in 1920, some two years before Mwalimu Nyerere was born.
Mwalimu Nyerere was equally grounded in the customs and traditions of his Wazanaki community. Before enrolling in school at age 15, Nyerere’s childhood revolved around herding cattle and goats and performing household chores. Speaking once at a Kiswahili language conference, he remarked:
“For a Zanaki, it is extremely difficult to herd cattle without mastering the Zanaki language.”
His comment reflected not only the cultural link between language and livelihoods, but also the depth of indigenous knowledge embedded in traditional practices. Among Nyerere’s personal notes was a draft of what appeared to be the beginnings of a Zanaki-Kiswahili dictionary. His faith never diminished his respect for Zanaki customs, including local taboos and rituals.
His environmental consciousness, too, was shaped by tradition. The Zanaki people safeguarded sacred groves such as the “Muhunda Forest,” a 15-hectare enclave at Butiama reserved for ancestral ceremonies. Located near his father, Chief Nyerere Burito’s home, the forest was protected by strict rules — no grazing, no tree cutting and only fallen branches could be collected for firewood. Elders enforced these customs through community fines.
Although Mwalimu Nyerere himself did not participate in traditional rituals, he respected them deeply. Once, after he fenced the forest to prevent livestock incursions, elders demanded an opening to perform ceremonies. When his brother refused, Nyerere intervened, instructing him to cut an opening through the fence — honouring the taboo that forbade elders from stepping over it.
That small act reflected a larger truth: Nyerere’s deep reverence for faith, culture and nature — a trilogy that shaped both his life and his leadership vision for a prosperous Tanzania.
Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine.
