URITHI

THE TANGA HERITAGE CENTRE

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

 

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Tamim Amijee

Jan Hughes

Alnoor Hussein

Jaring van Rooijen

Luuk Schoonman

Raymond Mhando

 

 

Text, Photographs

& Graphics

Tamim Amijee

 

Contributor

Ann Crichton-Harris

 

Cover Phorograph:

Tanzania Information Services - Photograph Section

 

URITHI Newsletter

ISSN 0856-8081

Vol 2 No 1  SEPTEMBER 2001

 

P. O. Box 180,  Tanga.

FAX:      027 264 6582

TEL:        0744 281 668

e-mail: urithitanga@yahoo.com

 

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URITHI Newsletter

A FORUM FOR

INFORMATION AND

DISCUSSION ON THE

HERITAGE OF TANGA

 

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URITHI

ESTABLISHED IN 1999

TO PRESERVE AND

PROMOTE THE

HERITAGE OF TANGA

 

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CONTENT

 

1. Editorial;    2. News;         3. Cover Story (Shaaban Robert, Kiswahili);        4. Book Review;        5. Feature.

 

 

1. EDITORIAL

 

We note, with sadness, the lack of recognition and remembrance from the current generation for a great son of Tanga, the late Mzee Shaaban Robert.

 

Shaaban Robert spent all his life in Tanga, working as a middle-ranking officer in the British Colonial Civil Service in Pangani and Tanga town. He lived an ordinary and humble life.

 

The contribution of Shaaban Robert to Kiswahili literature is immense. As a prolific writer of prose and poems his works have intrigued, influenced and inspired countless Kiswahili speakers and readers.

 

A Kiswahili literature class in Tanzania, or for that matter any such class in any part of the world, would not be complete without the inclusion of Shaaban Robert’s great works such as Kusadikika, Wasifu wa Siti binti Saad and Maisha Yangu.

 

His ability to use his language to create such literary richness sets him aside from other Kiswahili literary figures.

 

Although his published works are many, unfortunately, they are not easily available. For one reason or another, no body seems keen to publish and make his books continuously available. Could this be the reason then for the current generation to fail to appreciate the contribution of this literary giant?

 

We have been informed that the typewriter on which he typed many of his manuscripts has been preserved in Pangani. The room where he worked from is maintained as well. Those interested to visit the room and see the typewriter are shown around. The person responsible is the Pangani District Cultural Officer, Mr. Sekibaha. This is good news. We salute Mr. Sekibaha for his initiative and efforts. It is only through such efforts that memories of great persons like Shaaban Robert are kept alive for the present and future generations.

 

However, this great man of letters lies buried in a decrepit grave (photograph on page 5), in an obscure area without easy access near his home village, some ten kilometres south of Tanga town. Outsiders, who come to Tanga to pay homage to Shaaban Robert, find it difficult to comprehend how we, the people of Tanga, show such disrespect and have no regard for him.

 

And yes, many of us in Tanga find it almost impossible to explain why Mzee Shaaban Robert is not given the due respect fitting to his status as a national hero.

 

2. NEWS

 

Chief Justice Visits Courthouse

 


Chief Justice Barnabas Samatta visited the Usambara Courthouse on Monday, June 11th (fourth from left in above photograph, in presence of the Urithi team). The purpose of the visit was to inspect the on-going rehabilitation work undertaken by Urithi. The Chief Justice was impressed by the well-planned and meticulous work and congratulated Urithi for doing a splendid job. He donated Shs. 200,000/= towards the Usambara Courthouse rehabilitation fund.

 

The Judge-in-Charge of the Tanga High Court, Judge Mkwawa presented the Chief Justice with a reproduction of Di Bannister's "Usambara Courthouse" painting.

 

The on-going Phase 2 rehabilitation work at the courthouse is being financed by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

 

Tourist Information Centre at the Duara

 


Plans are underway to open a tourist information centre at the Duara (pictured above), adjacent to the Usambara Courthouse, at the junction of Independence Avenue and Usambara Street. The Duara is not in use at present and is in a dilapidated state, requiring extensive rehabilitation work.

 

The Duara has been part of Tanga's architectural heritage for a long time. Many residents have fond memories of it, benefiting from the various uses it has been put through over time. The last service provided from the Duara, which many of the younger generation in Tanga fondly recall, was as a fast-food joint offering fried chicken and chips to late night revellers.

 

Early signs from the municipal council indicate a positive response to the proposal to establish a tourist information centre. Urithi is working closely with the stakeholders in the tourism sector to finalise the details to rehabilitate the Duara, to equip and man the information centre, to research and compile the required information and to ensure the centre's long-term sustainability.

 

Usambara View

 

The Lushoto based Friends of Usambara Society has published its third annual guide to the Usambara Mountains, 'Usambara View 2001'.

 

The guide is a valuable tool for any traveller to the Usambaras. It provides useful information on hotels, restaurants, transport and sightseeing. It has a special 12-page section on Amani Nature Reserve and the East Usambara.

 

Feature articles are also included in the guide and provide more detailed information on the various tourism related development issues. The guide is available free and is distributed widely along the northern tourist circuit.

 

The Imperial German Navy Memorial


It is now confirmed that the Marble Memorial in Jamhuri Park (pictured above) is indeed dedicated to the Imperial German Navy. Similar memorials were erected in other parts of the world where the navy had a presence.

 

Rehabilitation of the memorial and maintaintenance of the surrounding area is to start soon.

 

Good Old Steam Train


On the first of July this year, the Tanga residents heard once again, after a long time, the familiar loud whistle of the Railway’s steam engine. The steam engine is an old former East African Railways steam engine, rehabilitated by an enterprising tour operator. He operates rail-tours using the steam engine and a number of passenger coaches from the Tanzania Railway Corporation. On this day, the engine had arrived from Arusha with a load of tourists and was on its way to Saadani.

 

Cancelled Celebrations

 

Many in Tanga and elsewhere, especially the Tanga-origin residents of Dar es Salaam, were dissapointed to learn that Urithi had cancelled the 'Another 100 years of Tanga' celebrations planned for September this year in Tanga.

 

After the successful Tanga cultural festival in Dar es Salaam in March this year, the Tanga people have realised that this coming together of peoples for cultural celebrations is an effective way of building bonds and consolidating countrywide support for Tanga town and region. They are now more eager for another opportunity to celebrate their heritage. Tanga has, to date, never hosted a celebration of its heritage in the town.

 

The 'Another hundred years of Tanga' celebrations were cancelled due to Urithi's limited organizational capacity and resources.

 

 

What's in a Name

 

"Tanga is a Persian word with four meanings: straight; a green valley; the road besides a mountain river; and a farm on a rolling hill or mountain.." Mr. M. Ajam stated this in a letter in the East African newspaper of 16th July 2001. He further added, "More than 1,000 years ago, some Iranians migrated to the East African coast. The traveller Ibn Batuta came across them in 1321".

 

 

Air Travel Now Available

 

After a long break, air travel has resumed to and from Tanga. Two companies offer schedule air travel from Tanga to Pangani, Pemba, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. They are Coastal Aviation Limited of Dar es Salaam and Zanair Limited of Zanzibar. Coastal offers a daily schedule between Tanga and Dar es Salaam, while Zanair provides twice a week flight to Zanzibar.

 

 

3. COVER

 

THE DOYEN OF KISWAHILI LITERATURE

SHAABAN ROBERT,   TANGA'S FORGOTTEN HERO

 

Kiswahili literature, without Mzee Shaaban Robert (pictured, above), is unimaginable. The contribution to Kiswahili language and literature by this prolific writer has been of great value. His many works have taken the language to newer depths and added to its richness. Every school-going Tanzanian, past and present, has read his works. His name is familiar throughout the country, and indeed, among the Kiswahili speaking diaspora.

 

The Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, is known to have admired and promoted Shaaban Robert‘s works and to give him his appropriate place in the history of our nation.

 

The road leading to the State House in Dar es Salaam and passing by the National Museum is named after Shaaban Robert. This road is one of the very few in the city that is known for its tranquillity and pleasantness resulting from the neat row of trees planted on both sides of the road. No doubt, a fitting honour for a great son of the land.

 

Shaaban Robert was born at Vibambani village near Machui, 10 km south of Tanga town, on New Year’s day of the year 1909. His parents were of the Mganga clan of the Wayao tribe from southern parts of the country. He, however, never considered himself a Yao preferring to simply be one among the Waswahili.

 

There is confusion on how he obtained the name Robert, a European Christian name, completely alien to his African Islamic background. One past record indicates that it was the name of his father while another states that it was not his father’s name.

 

He received his education at Msimbazi School in Dar es Salaam between 1922 and 1926. He did well in school and was awarded the School Leaving Certificate. He started work with the Colonial Civil Service as a clerk at the customs department in Pangani in 1926. He remained at this department for eighteen years till 1944. During this time he produced many of his literary works.

 

For two years, from 1944 to 1946, he worked with the wildlife department, and from 1946 to 1952, he was at the Tanga Provincial Commisionar’s Office. He moved to the Tanga Planning Office in 1952.

 

During the course of his life, he was also a member of the East Africa Swahili Committee, the East Africa Literature Bureau, the Tanganyika Languages Board and the Tanga Township Authority (later, the Town Council).

 

As recognition of his contribution to Kiswahili literature, he was awarded the Margaret Wrong Memorial Prize, a literary prize and was given the title, Member of the British Empire, MBE, by Her Royal Highness the Queen of England.

 

In total, Shaaban Robert wrote 22 books of prose, essays and poems. Some of his works have become standard material in Kiswahili literature classes. His books have been translated into English, Russian and Chinese.

 

He died on the 22nd of June 1962 and was buried at Machui, near his birthplace. He was married thrice and had ten children.

 

Sadly, today, his grave lies in a state of deterioration, unmarked and without easy access (photograph on page 5). It is completely unfitting for a person who has made such a significant contribution to our national language and holds a high place in the annals of our history. 

 

At present, there are no indications from the authorities concerned of any plans to maintain the grave and the surrounding areas or to establish a memorial in Tanga.


Shaaban Robert's burial place at Machui, near his birthplace Vibambani. Standing by the grave Mzee Kituru Musa (left) and Jafari Mhunzi (right) of Vibambani village who directed the Urithi team to the grave at Machui and assisted in clearing the overgrown grass and bushes that had covered the grave. 

 

KISWAHILI: ORIGIN AND SPREAD

 

The origin of Kiswahili and Waswahili is not definitive. One claim is that there existed a Waswahili tribe on the coast between Kilwa and Bagamoyo during the 19th century. These are believed to be the forefathers of the present Wazaramo who it is said, were born merchants. Thus, they rapidly developed into a merchant caste with a purely Bantu language as their medium of communication. This language spread far and wide as it was suitable for trading with the majority of the other Bantu people.

 

Kiswahili is known to contain many Arabic words in its vocabulary. As a result, there are those who support the notion that it is a mixture of Arabic and the native languages of the different coastal Bantu tribes who were later converted to Islam.

 

However, Kiswahili is essentially an African language. It is a Bantu language just like Zulu in South Africa, Kikuyu in Kenya, Kongo in Congo, and Duala in Cameroun. Although they are not mutually intelligible, they all evolved from the same central pool, sharing much basic vocabulary, word building processes and sentence structure. The word for 'person', for example, is very similar from one Bantu language to another: mtu (Kiswahili), umuntu (Zulu), mundu (Kikuyu), muntu (Kongo) and moto (Duala). Presumably the ancestor language had muntu, from which the present day languages derive their particular form of the word. The plural of this word (abantu in Zulu, for example) provides the model for the word 'Bantu', the name linguists chose to call this family of languages.  

 

It is evident that the language remained overwhelmingly a coastal phenomenon until some two centuries ago. The beginning of trade into the interior has been marked as a significant factor for the expansion of the language. Kiswahili language played an important economic role in fostering contacts across ethnic groups at the grassroots level. As a result, as trade grew and expanded, so did the use and spread of Kiswahili. However, there were obstacles to internal trade in some areas, which in turn hampered the further spread of Kiswahili. Some tribes of Eastern Africa, for example, the Maasai acquired the reputation of hostility to foreigners and were thus able to keep away many merchants from the Mainland.

Kiswahili is the first language of the Eastern African Coastline people from southern Somalia in the north to northern Mozambique in the south, including the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu, the Comoros and the north of Madagascar. There are now also growing communities of first language speakers in the hinterland, especially in urban areas.

As Kiswahili is spoken over a wide ethnically and linguistically diverse area, many local variations have evolved. For example, the Kiswahili spoken by first language speakers of non-Bantu languages is often markedly different from the variety of Kiswahili spoken by speakers of Bantu languages. Even along the East African coast different dialects can be distinguished. For instance Kiamu, the Kiswahili dialect of Lamu, is different from Kimvita, which is spoken in Mombasa, or from Kiunguja, the dialect of Zanzibar. There are also various forms of pidgin Kiswahili spoken mainly, but not exclusively, by European and Asian settlers.

As a second language, it is spoken by almost all of the population that live in Tanzania, Kenya and  Uganda, with further large concentrations of speakers in Shaba and Kivu Provinces of Zaire. There is also a rapidly growing number of speakers of Kiswahili in other eastern African countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

 

 

4. BOOK REVIEW

 

SEVENTEEN LETTERS TO TATHAM

A WW1 SURGEON IN EAST AFRICA

Author: Ann Chricton-Harris

 

The book is based on the seventeen letters that the author’s grandfather, a surgeon with the Indian Medical Service, wrote to his brother a judge in India during the British African Campaign in world war one. Dr. Temple Harris came over from India with 8,000 troops, mostly Indian soldiers, and landed on the Raskazone beach in Tanga.

 

The British had a disastrous time at the first battle at Tanga and were routed in three days, between 2nd and 4th November 1914, by the well-entrenched 1,000 German Officers and African Askaris. Tanga at the time was under German rule.

 

Ms. Harris spent eight years researching the book, including finding others’ account of the battle and visiting Tanga to see the battle ground. She spent a week in Tanga, visiting the beach ‘A’ where the British landed, the railway cutting where the British were ambushed and the Red House field hospital where the seriously wounded were left in the care of her grandfather and four other medics as the defeated British fleet sailed away.

 

Most of the battle sites mentioned in the book still exist today, many in the same form as during the battle. The WW1 tour is now a tourist attraction in Tanga.

 

The Foreword is by noted British author William Boyd, of the ‘An Ice Cream War” fame. Mr. Boyd had also written a fascinating account of the battle in Tanga in his book.

According to him, one of the reasons for the British’s heavy defeat was the attack by a swarm of bees on the British soldiers.

 

The text on the back cover is by Vice Admiral Sir Norman King KBE whose father was the British Consul in Dar es Salaam when the WW1 broke out. Sir Norman’s father coincidentally was at the Red House field hospital with Dr. Harris in November 1914.

 

The book is published in Canada in September 2001 and will be officially launched on the 20th of the same month in Toronto. The book has 231 pages, including over 40 photographs, many from 1914 – 18 period and some from the author’s visit to Tanga in 1999.

 

 

5. FEATURE

 

WW1: 3-DAY BATTLE IN TANGA

By Ann Chricton-Harris

 


British ships seen from Raz Kazone, November 2, 1914.
East Africa, and Tanga in particular, were much affected by a war whose genesis was far away and whose major theatre was in Europe. East Africa had suffered domination by two giant colonial powers for several decades - two powers whose settlers had farmed the land and managed to get along, with one another, relatively peacefully. The start of the 1914-18 war changed all that. It also significantly changed the lives of the indigenous Africans, the Indian traders and the Arabs who had lived there for generations.

This campaign was responsible for the deaths of many Africans; some were conscripted to fight, others coerced to act as carriers for either Germany or Britain.

Rumblings of war in the summer of 1914 caused confusion in Africa. The British felt it would be dangerous to let Africa remain neutral; the German-built railways were lifelines linking the eastern ports with the interior and Lake Victoria.

  To those Africans who had joined up to train as askaris with the German Schutztruppe, it was a chance to show their worth and their loyalty. They were much admired for their prowess in the field, but for others of the indigenous population, who knew nothing of the reasons for a war so far away, it must have been unimaginably confusing and disturbing.

War really came to East Africa on August 8th 1914 when the radio tower at Dar es Salaam was shelled by HMS Astraea. In the meantime Britain was mobilizing a large contingent of Indian soldiers and British officers to sail from India to ‘take Tanga’ and sweep on through to conquer German East Africa.

On 16th October 1914, the convoy of seventeen British ships left the port of Bombay for the long hot voyage to East Africa. On board were 8,000 men. The ships were overcrowded, the Indian troops poorly trained and their dietary needs ill-considered. The general in command was both arrogant and ignorant of the situation he was approaching.  

The British command had not reckoned on the brilliance and resourcefulness of the German leader, Col. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who had come out to Africa to assess German troops prepared to put down potential Arab uprisings. Von Lettow had 1,000 men - Africans who were well trained, well disciplined and knew the country - men who were ready and anxious for the fight.

On November 2 the British convoy anchored off the Raz Kazone peninsula and noted three buildings that stood out against the lush vegetation: a low red-roofed house, a two storey white house and a signal tower. General Aitken issued the order, “Tanga is to be taken tonight.”

The shore itself was an obstacle course of twisted mangrove roots and the lighters were unable to move close into shore due to shoals and a falling tide.

 Von Lettow, who had waited to see exactly where the enemy would land, now rushed his troops down to Tanga from Moshi by train.

The narrow strip of beach below the so-called Red House was chosen for the landing the following day, November 3. The men were to scale the twenty foot cliff and regroup at the Red House.

If you have seen this beach, you can imagine thousands of men wading to shore, tripping over the mangroves, stumbling over the equipment piling up, then lugging their packs and ammunition up the cliff. Once there they waited for the order to move out, not actually given until noon next day. The sun beat down and food and water had been neglected by the time they received the order to attack.

The German force had barricaded the bridges over the railway track, were well prepared, and waited.

 The three days of battle were a disaster for the British. Although some men fought their way as far as the centre of town others were ambushed at the Railway cutting or lost in the plantation and long grass. Many panicked and threw down their arms. Those who could ran for the beach and swam, if they knew how, to the safety of the ships.

Dr. Harris wrote that the wounded (850 fell in three days) were “in or about a planter’s house" (the Red House). At that time there would have been outbuildings for agricultural equipment and servants. The British would likely have used tents for the overflow. We know that initially the wounded were operated on the kitchen table and without anaesthetic. Medical supplies were slow to be unloaded.

After three days a temporary truce was agreed upon for the removal of wounded. German officer Capt. Hammerstein and the British intelligence officer Capt. Meinertzhagen signed the agreement on the balcony of the Bombo hospital having had a good breakfast of asparagus, eggs and cream. They then rode together on mules down Askari road to take parole - not to fight again against Germany in that war - from those wounded and too ill to be taken off when the force retreated.

But this skips over the three days of hell endured by those who fought on. The odds were eight to one, yet the British were routed. Those of you living in Tanga know where the railway cutting is. In front, about 200 yards to the east is a ditch and between the two, flat open space. It was so then. Some enterprising British soldiers tried to reach the railway cutting but were mown down as they crossed the open land. The Germans were well camouflaged in the vegetation on the banks. Over the three days a few British soldiers did fight their way into the town found themselves cut off. Many Indian troops, through no fault of their own, had no battle experience, were ill from the sea voyage and tortured by thirst. Many turned and ran. Efforts of the British officers to stay the stampede were mostly unsuccessful. 

By the third day the fleet sailed away defeated. The Germans were jubilant.

Dr. Temple Harris and four other doctors were left behind caring for the hundreds of wounded. Two days later a hospital ship returned to take those not too ill to be moved from the Red House field hospital. During this time these “disconsolate medicos” as my understating grandfather described them, had no idea whether they would be overrun and slaughtered, taken prisoner or just forgotten by the British. Fortunately, a hospital ship was sent to rescue the less severely injured and the medical staff. The German doctor, Ludwig Deppe and his nurse wife laboured on at the Bombo hospital treating all comers, Africans, Indians, British and German alike. He wrote his story later and interesting reading it makes.

The “White House” used as Headquarters, which had been seen from the sea, stands today as does the signal tower.

The war in East Africa continued for four long years, isolated from the main fighting in Europe. It is a campaign little known except to military historians but the legendary guerrilla tactics of von Lettow-Vorbeck and his askaris are worth reading about. Tanga was later retaken by the British but Lettow-Vorbeck’s men remained the only German force not beaten in that war. He and his bedraggled but determined men surrendered with honour at Abercorn.

We remember with pleasure our visit to Tanga in March of 1999 to see the landing beach, the battle area, the town, the railway cutting, the various cemeteries, German (which includes their askaris), British and European, the Red House and the mangrove swamps. We found the people of Tanga friendly and helpful. With its lovely old colonial architecture and handsome harbour, Tanga is a town worth learning about.