Book ‘I AM THE STATE: A President’s Whisper From Chato’ Launched
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Loading... - Irene Robert
- 18 Apr 2023
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Written by Tanzanian journalists, the book details the contested legacy of former leader John Magufuli.
A book launched here on Friday examines the legacy of former leader John Magufuli, looking specifically at the late president’s attempts to develop his hometown of Chato, a town in northwestern Tanzania, a decision that authors claim raised many questions.
Titled I AM THE STATE, A President’s Whisper From Chato, the book is a joint effort by veteran Tanzanian journalists – Ansbert Ngurumo, Jesse Kwayu, Neville Meena, and Absalom Kibanda – to document Magufuli’s legacy for posterity.
Magufuli, the fifth-phase president of Tanzania, died on March 17, 2021, leaving behind a contested legacy. While some extol him as an anti-corruption tsar, others have criticised him for overseeing a dictatorial regime that violated fundamental human rights.
Edited by veteran journalist and trainer Ndimara Tegambwage, the book contains six chapters by different authors which examine Magufuli’s legacy from various perspectives by detailing what happened during his five-year administration, 2015-2021.
Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), Karagwe Diocese, was the guest of honour during a function to launch the 75-page book at the Peacock Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
Senior journalists and editors, CHADEMA national chairperson Freeman Mbowe, and Secretary of the Council of Islamic Organisations in Tanzania, Sheikh Issa Ponda, were among many other dignitaries that blessed the event.
Speaking shortly before launching the book, Bagonza applauded the journalists for their initiative, noting that the book serves as a reminder of the importance of Tanzania in evaluating itself as a nation. Read More…
