Tanganyika and
Zanzibar tolerate a tenuous marriage; it was dicey to begin with, the honeymoon
was briefer than most human unions of today, but most love evaporated almost
immediately after dictator Abeid Karume was assassinated in 1972. Although the
mainland has prospered relatively well since Nyerere’s disastrous policies got
finely shredded, the archipelago lags much behind in several key areas. Most
Muslim Zanzibaris want a divorce from the bigger, more powerful, ‘secular’
mainland neighbor, but geo politics, potential oil wealth and egos make
rational thinking or decisions challenging. A violent and sometimes bloody
civil unrest now ensues.
Zanzibar tolerate a tenuous marriage; it was dicey to begin with, the honeymoon
was briefer than most human unions of today, but most love evaporated almost
immediately after dictator Abeid Karume was assassinated in 1972. Although the
mainland has prospered relatively well since Nyerere’s disastrous policies got
finely shredded, the archipelago lags much behind in several key areas. Most
Muslim Zanzibaris want a divorce from the bigger, more powerful, ‘secular’
mainland neighbor, but geo politics, potential oil wealth and egos make
rational thinking or decisions challenging. A violent and sometimes bloody
civil unrest now ensues.
My (CAI)
interest lies in bettering educational opportunities for poor children who are
mired in poverty. So I find myself in Dar es Salaam once more, waiting to fly
to Zanzibar, give away donor sponsored desks and inspect major repairs to few
dilapidated classrooms.
interest lies in bettering educational opportunities for poor children who are
mired in poverty. So I find myself in Dar es Salaam once more, waiting to fly
to Zanzibar, give away donor sponsored desks and inspect major repairs to few
dilapidated classrooms.
Our contact from
Zanzibar calls and advises Murtaza Bhimani not to come; the situation is tense,
with riots breaking out in Stonetown and other places. Hmmm, this is a
predicament, our non-refundable Coastal Air tickets for tomorrow’s flight have
been purchased, after today’s cancelled flight by Precision Air; I have very
limited time in Tanzania. Murtaza and I are not going to the archipelago to
sunbathe; for that, we have been blessed with permanent, natural suntans. Surely
it cannot be much worse than Afghanistan; we decide to go anyway.
Zanzibar calls and advises Murtaza Bhimani not to come; the situation is tense,
with riots breaking out in Stonetown and other places. Hmmm, this is a
predicament, our non-refundable Coastal Air tickets for tomorrow’s flight have
been purchased, after today’s cancelled flight by Precision Air; I have very
limited time in Tanzania. Murtaza and I are not going to the archipelago to
sunbathe; for that, we have been blessed with permanent, natural suntans. Surely
it cannot be much worse than Afghanistan; we decide to go anyway.
The on-time
early morning single engine Coastal Cessna208 13-seater aircraft takes seventeen
minutes from takeoff to touchdown from Dar-es-Salaam to Zanzibar. It is a
daladala type affair; a twenty-something White pilot enters the aircraft, slams
the door shut, turns around and in heavily accented English says Hello, I am the pilot, keep your seatbelts
fastened, there are three emergency exits; here, there and there. He turns on the propeller that sounds like
an igniting Mumbai rickshaw and hits the gas pedal; we are off. That’s it, no
mention of floaters, even though the entire flight is over water; I guess if we
go down, it’s all over.
early morning single engine Coastal Cessna208 13-seater aircraft takes seventeen
minutes from takeoff to touchdown from Dar-es-Salaam to Zanzibar. It is a
daladala type affair; a twenty-something White pilot enters the aircraft, slams
the door shut, turns around and in heavily accented English says Hello, I am the pilot, keep your seatbelts
fastened, there are three emergency exits; here, there and there. He turns on the propeller that sounds like
an igniting Mumbai rickshaw and hits the gas pedal; we are off. That’s it, no
mention of floaters, even though the entire flight is over water; I guess if we
go down, it’s all over.
The vibes
outside Zanzibar airport are calm but eerie; I can tell there is matata in the
air. Our hired driver, Mbanja, is waiting, says not to worry, he will skirt
around hotspots. But we do encounter burnt out tires, broken blockades and a
burnt motorcycle. We later learn it belonged to a policeman who was captured,
tortured, fingers chopped off and summarily executed, body then thrown into a
ravine.
outside Zanzibar airport are calm but eerie; I can tell there is matata in the
air. Our hired driver, Mbanja, is waiting, says not to worry, he will skirt
around hotspots. But we do encounter burnt out tires, broken blockades and a
burnt motorcycle. We later learn it belonged to a policeman who was captured,
tortured, fingers chopped off and summarily executed, body then thrown into a
ravine.
We spend the
whole day inspecting CAI projects of school repairs and taking on additional ones,
mainly repairs of sagging classes that are about to flop. Zanzibar schools are
in pitiable conditions; teachers supplement salaries of unbudgeted staff and
contribute towards shoddy repairs and maintenance. Alas, we can’t deliver the
promised 30 desks (each seating 3 students) of 140 ordered; the man responsible
is not willing to ‘risk my life for few
desks’ is how he puts it angrily, ‘I
told you not to come!’ These will, insha’Allah, be delivered as soon as the
man is willing to step out of his secure home.
whole day inspecting CAI projects of school repairs and taking on additional ones,
mainly repairs of sagging classes that are about to flop. Zanzibar schools are
in pitiable conditions; teachers supplement salaries of unbudgeted staff and
contribute towards shoddy repairs and maintenance. Alas, we can’t deliver the
promised 30 desks (each seating 3 students) of 140 ordered; the man responsible
is not willing to ‘risk my life for few
desks’ is how he puts it angrily, ‘I
told you not to come!’ These will, insha’Allah, be delivered as soon as the
man is willing to step out of his secure home.
We pass through
troops manning roads in armored vehicles on our return to the airport. The
flight is event free, same daladala service. A hippie looking pilot with dirty long
tresses in shorts swaggers to the aircraft, gives us a thirty second routine
and we soar to three thousand feet, landing in twenty minutes, past a waiting
Emirates Aircraft wanting to depart, our tiny daladala gets priority over
arrogance; what a nice change, no? I am sooooo happy!
troops manning roads in armored vehicles on our return to the airport. The
flight is event free, same daladala service. A hippie looking pilot with dirty long
tresses in shorts swaggers to the aircraft, gives us a thirty second routine
and we soar to three thousand feet, landing in twenty minutes, past a waiting
Emirates Aircraft wanting to depart, our tiny daladala gets priority over
arrogance; what a nice change, no? I am sooooo happy!
Rumors swirl
about potential mavurungos in Dar tomorrow, after Friday salaat; there are some
today. Sheikh Issa Mapondo, a fiery Wahaabi cleric has been arrested for
inciting violence but his followers want him released. Our Khoja Jamaat becomes
proactive on Friday, flashing warning on overheads for members to take care,
not venture to sensitive areas of Kariakoo or City Center; the US Embassy is usual
overkill mode, dire portents galore on her website. Friday comes; the young Imam
at our Khoja Jamaat is in a hurry, Jooma khutba and salaat break time records. True,
Kariakoo burns in the afternoon and there are other mavurungos elsewhere. In a
very ominous development indeed, the police fail to quell the violence and calls
in the army for control, the first time ever.
about potential mavurungos in Dar tomorrow, after Friday salaat; there are some
today. Sheikh Issa Mapondo, a fiery Wahaabi cleric has been arrested for
inciting violence but his followers want him released. Our Khoja Jamaat becomes
proactive on Friday, flashing warning on overheads for members to take care,
not venture to sensitive areas of Kariakoo or City Center; the US Embassy is usual
overkill mode, dire portents galore on her website. Friday comes; the young Imam
at our Khoja Jamaat is in a hurry, Jooma khutba and salaat break time records. True,
Kariakoo burns in the afternoon and there are other mavurungos elsewhere. In a
very ominous development indeed, the police fail to quell the violence and calls
in the army for control, the first time ever.
Amongst all
these uncertainties, we Khojas worry and fret over the cloudy future these
mavurungos augur. But we must partake our noondus and mishkaki nevertheless, so
I join my friends for a feast this Friday evening and enjoy. For now at least,
the mavurungos are a distant memory.
these uncertainties, we Khojas worry and fret over the cloudy future these
mavurungos augur. But we must partake our noondus and mishkaki nevertheless, so
I join my friends for a feast this Friday evening and enjoy. For now at least,
the mavurungos are a distant memory.
Rough
Kiswahili translations:
Kiswahili translations:
Daladala – Shabby, unkempt sharing taxis driving
at unsafe speed
at unsafe speed
Khutba – Religious sermon
Matata – Mischief
Mishkaki – Barbecued beef cubes
Noondu – Barbecued beef hump-fat, bad for the
arteries, divine on tongue
arteries, divine on tongue
Salaat – Prayer
Mavurungo – Riots