NEW UK ENVOY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORK WITH FRIENDLY TANZANIANS

ALL PICS BY URBAN PULSE...

It was a cold evening in London; as chilly as can be during this blistering winter; but here she was smiling and raising a toast to Tanzania. In a few weeks she will not only be breathing the hot air of Dar es Salaam, she will be representing her country in the equatorial towns Tanzania: land of Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Sunshine and Zanzibar.

To Dianna Melrose (pictured, addressing the London dinner), being an envoy in warm tropics is nothing new; she was UK ambassador to Cuba from 2008 to 2012; in fact she was born in Zimbabwe (told me she respected Mwalimu Nyerere’s stand against the racism of those years) went to school in the UK studying languages at King’s College where she graduated with Honours in Spanish and French. Translating job evolved to a stint with British Council then Oxfam the international organisation slogging away in approximately 90 countries. This was in 1980, a minor but significant detail in a chain of exciting vocations and positions.

Ambassador Melrose signs the visitors book watched by her hostess, Mrs Joyce Kallaghe last week. 

In her globe trotting life Ambassador Melrose has been involved in all manner of progress and nation building. Most times as a team’s leader- policy head, and so on...You get the picture? Who better suited to work in far unknown Tanzania?

“Lucky me,” she confessed at the end of her humbling speech, during a small dinner hosted by our man in London, His Excellency Peter Kallaghe and his equally regal wife, Joyce. The word “luck” was uttered in a context. Rather than thinking she is going to a continent of problems (wild Africa, crammed with elephant poachers, religious extremists, starving children, you see what I am getting at?)  She is thinking positively. High Commissioner Kallaghe had a good word to describe the sentiment. Challenges. Tanzania and the continent “shall present challenges.” But taking into account this is a lady of many experiences- Dianna regards the new posting as an opportunity.

Ambassador Melrose flanked by HE Peter Kallaghe. 

HAS NEOCOLONIALISM CONTRIBUTED IN MAKING US DISTRUST OUR LEADERS WHETHER GOOD OR BAD?

All languages and cultures have proverbs about leadership. One from Madagascar says: “When leaders are wise, so are the people.”  

Good leadership is the most needed element in Africa today. Not only are our leaders mistrusted, they are either despots or total fools; a nice one is considered manna from heaven. Think of those who resigned peacefully like Leopold Senghor of Senegal, Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Mandela who represent African substance, humility, joy, wisdom.

A demo against Arms trade. Pic courtsey of Haki Ngowi Blog

During these past 500 years, history has seen our mysterious, rich continent being turned into a lucrative playing ground for foreign powers. Mandela’s South Africa was under whites for 400 years. Back then only ten percent of the population ruled 80% majority non whites. When Madiba left jail twenty years ago, we expected sweet revenge. It had happened in Mozambique in 1975, so why not? However, being the unique leader that he was and surrounded by spiritual geniuses like Bishop Desmond Tutu, he chose truth and reconciliation. Mandela aimed to heal rather than antagonise the four centuries scar.

A DINNER FOR BUSINESS , PROFESSIONAL AND INVESTMENT CONCERNS...

If you were to enter the well furnished room you would be facing a bunch of well dressed people feeding on Indian food.  They might remind you of well off Third World executives in Europe. Photographs from the Holiday Inn last Wednesday might be dismissed as those typical casual hedonistic dinners.

 Holiday Inn is a world wide franchise with over 1,300 hotels catering to 100 million guests every night. This particular one in Brentford, West London a few kilometres from the international Heathrow Airport, however had a different twist.

Hon Kallaghe speaks, on his right is Chairman, Kamu Khaki- Pic by Rashid Dilunga 

Various professionals and the hosts, UK-Tanzania Business Group, gathered to hear guest speaker, Ambassador Peter Allan Kallaghe. He was once personal assistant on foreign affairs to the former President Benjamin Mkapa for six years then represented the country in Cuba and Canada till they brought him to London recently.

“London is dynamic and intense,” he told his audience, all sipping water or orange juice.  Most fled during the Ujamaa era. 

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