FORMER LEADERS’ BENCH WITH DAILY NEWS: Msekwa’s untold story

• A graduate who was catapulted straight into power
• How Nyerere spotted his leadership traits

THERE is no doubt that Pius Msekwa is a household name when it comes to Tanzania’s Parliamentary politics and the story behind his ascendency to Parliament has never been told apart from just reading his summarised Curriculum Vitae or biography in various documents.

‘The ‘Daily News’ Bench With Former Leaders’ recently travelled all the way from Dar es Salaam to Ukerewe District, Mwanza Region to meet the former Speaker of Parliament, who decided to settle at his ancestral land to enjoy his retirement.

“This month I am clocking 88 years. I have seen a lot in this world,’’ says the former CCM Vice- Chairman with his authoritative voice.  Msekwa was born on June 9, 1935 at Bugombe Village in Ukerewe District, Mwanza Region.

During the interview, the veteran politician with a commanding voice just like when he was in Parliament explicitly shared his life story by narrating how his career as leader of Parliament (Assistant Clerk) and later on, a Parliamentarian dramatically started.

He also spoke on how he diligently served in other non-Parliamentary positions from colonial times, including sharing some untold stories about himself.

Msekwa said despite serving the nation for over 50 years he never received any kind of career promotion.

“Right after completing school, I started serving this nation in top leadership posts and I continued serving at such positions until my retirement. This is the reason I never experienced something called promotion in my entire period of service. I remain thankful to God,” he says.

How Msekwa joined Parliament

There is an African proverb that says ‘if you see a turtle on top of a fence (tree), you should know that it didn’t get there on its own’, meaning it is impossible to make it to the top without help of others.

Msekwa remains thankful to Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who, according to him, taught him when he was pursuing his studies at Pugu Secondary School. By then, the school was known as St Francis College Pugu. It was being run by missionaries from Ireland.

“This was the first time when I met Mwalimu Nyerere, the period that the Father of the Nation knew me, including my competence in subjects,” he says.

After completing his studies at Pugu Secondary School, Msekwa joined Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

It should be remembered that Makerere University was, by then, affiliated to the University of London until 1963, when it became one of the constituent colleges of the University of East Africa.

A year before independence when Tanganyika was in its final stages of being declared an independent nation, Msekwa was also in his final stages of completing his studies at Makerere University.

It would be recalled that prior to Independence in 1961, the Parliament and the government were in the hands of whites (British).

After Tanganyika held its Parliamentary election in 1960, the House came to be dominated by Tanganyikans, a situation that prompted British rulers to start thinking on procedures to hand over the leadership of Parliament to black people.

“Since the Parliament was dominated by black people (members of Parliament) the British rulers thought it would be absurd for the House to continue being under the leadership of the white people,” he says.

He adds “As independence was approaching, the British rulers thought that by continuing holding leadership positions in the Parliament, it could have sent a signal to the rest of the world that they had not prepared Tanganyikans for independence.”

Being aware of the fact that there were students from Tanganyika pursuing studies at Makerere University, British rulers contacted the university’s head (principal), asking him to look for a finalist student from Tanganyika, who could be assigned duties in the Parliament of Tanganyika.

Msekwa said while at Makerere University, he was serving as secretary general of students’ organisation, a post he served diligently, attracting an attention of the university’s head (principal).

“Due to the roles that I was playing at the institution (Makerere University), the head of the college knew me very well, a situation that made him propose my name to the Head of Civil Service of Tanganyika Government, who was the Chief Secretary of the colonial government,” he says.

According to Msekwa, the head of Makerere University simply told the Chief Secretary of the colonial government of Tanganyika that he (Msekwa) had good experience in leadership matters.

“I was then given a government transport warrant to travel from Uganda to Dar es Salaam to meet the head of civil service of the colonial government in Tanganyika, who was known as Mr Fletcher Cooke,” Msekwa recalls.

After being interviewed by Mr Cooke, Msekwa said, he was asked to return to Uganda to complete his course since he was in his final year of studies.

“As Mr Cooke ordered to me return to Uganda to finalise my course, he gave me one condition that I would only land the job if I performed well in my final examinations but if I performed poorly, I should forget getting it,” Msekwa says.

“They told me that after completing my studies, I should report to the office of Speaker, where I would work as a trainee officer until results were out,” he adds.

According to Msekwa, they further told him that if the results were good, he would be hired as an assistant to the Clerk of the National Assembly to assist the British national who was serving in the post by then.

Since Makerere was affiliated to the University of London, all the examinations were prepared in London and marked there, the situation caused results to take long to come out.

However, he said due to his competence in academic matters, the British rulers officially hired him as a trainee Assistant to the Clerk of the National Assembly even before results were out. That was in 1960.

According to Msekwa, working as a trainee assistant to the Clerk of the National Assembly gave him a second chance to meet Mwalimu Julius Nyerere after they parted ways at Pugu Secondary School.

“This time, Mwalimu was serving as Dar es Salaam Constituency Legislator, and I, as an assistant to the Clerk of the National Assembly. So, we met again in the Parliament,” says Msekwa.

Loyalty to the government

Msekwa says since he was admitted to public service by the colonial government, he remained loyal throughout.

He says public service is governed by its own rules, regulations and procedures, insisting that every public servant is duty-bound to adhere to.

“I was loyal to the government, and I had nothing to do as an individual or on my own. You do what you are told to or what the existing rules and regulations direct you to do,” he insists.

Giving an example, Msekwa says the Parliamentary Standing Orders oblige one to follow them. Then one doesn’t do what they decide personally. One also decides and acts according to the rules and regulations governing public service. Any public servant is duty-bound to discharge their responsibilities in line with the rules and regulations of public service. It is unacceptable to violate them. Going against them invites disciplinary action and one is likely to lose their job,” he stresses.