2020-10-14 Wed

14th October is Julius Nyerere Day in Tanzania. This public holiday commemorates the death anniversary of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania who is referred to as the Father of the Nation.

Nyerere was born on 13th April 1922, in Tanganyika. His political career began in 1953 when Nyerere became president of the Tanganyika African Association. A year later, he terraformed the Association into the Tanganyika African National Union and began to struggle for the independence of Tanganyika. He achieved his goal in 1961 and became the first Prime Minister of Tanganyika.

In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form Tanzania, and Nyerere became the country's first President. Nyerere resigned twenty years later, relinquishing power to his hand-picked successor, Ali Hassan Mwinyi. He remained the chairman of the ruling party for five more years. He died of leukaemia on 14th October 1999, at the age of 77.

Nyerere Day is a national holiday widely celebrated throughout Tanzania. In 2003, Bank of Tanzania issued a 1000 Shilingi banknote with Blue and slate blue on multicolour underprint. The banknote depicts Julius Nyerere’s Portrait on the obverse and Statehouse, Dar es Salaam on the reverse.

Image Courtesy: allnumis.com