Julius Nyerere

If numbers were horses, Africa today would be riding high! Africa would be the strongest continent in the world, for it occupies more seats in the UN General Assembly than any other continent. Yet the reality is that ours is the poorest and weakest continent in the world. And our weakness is pathetic.

When Reagan increases the bank rate, capital flows from Western Europe to America. So if you increase the bank rate in Dar, money will flow in from the peasants. This is stupid but the IMF cannot be stupid so we argue.

Only very corrupt governments will do so because some of the money will go into private accounts in Switzerland. But a serious government in the Third World will ask serious questions before it signs. I cannot simply sign and then have riots in the streets.

In the running of the nation, the people should not look at their leaders as saints and prophets.

Hakuna dini Tanzania, Hakuna. (There is no Tanzanian religion, none.)

I can tell you with all sincerity that I have re-read it again and again and I have not found anything wrong with it.

When we were at school we were taught to sing the songs of the Europeans. How many of us were taught the songs of the Wanyamwezi or of the Wahehe? Many of us have learnt to dance the rumba, or the cha cha, to rock and roll and to twist and even to dance the waltz and foxtrot. But how many of us can dance, or have even heard of the gombe sugu, the mangala, nyang umumi, kiduo, or lele mama?

Take every penny you have set aside for aid for Tanzania and spend it in the UK, explaining to people the facts and causes of poverty.

We spoke and acted as if, given the opportunity for self-government, we would quickly create utopias. Instead injustice, even tyranny, is rampant.

In my experience the one form of foreign aid which is easy to get from big powers is arms and military training!

It would certainly be complete madness to let ninety-nine guilty men escape in order to avoid the risk of punishing one innocent person. Our ideals must guide us, not blind us.

A man who tries to cheat you by selling you a motor car without an engine is a capitalist.

Capitalism is like a drunkard who drinks more to cure a hangover.

Independence means self-reliance. Independence cannot be real if a nation depends upon gifts and handouts from another.

You cannot have capitalism without exploitation.

The rich nations of the world must recognize their obligation to help the poor.

A poor man does not use money as a weapon.

No nation has the right to make decisions for another nation; no people for another people.