Road … to Hope? … a Historical Transformation

Construction of Mwenge to Tegeta Kibaoni road section is in progress …

… and the progress is impressive. Residents of Mbezi Tangi Bovu, Mbezi Beach, Tegeta, Bunju and Boko can’t complain …

They are hopeful that nightmares because of traffic jams would be over in the near future … very near future … and this will mean a lot for this side of Dar City that is growing at a supersonic speed …

The road links Dar es Salaam to the historic town of Bagamoyo. Historical accounts have it that the name ‘Bagamoyo’ is a corruption of two Swahili words ‘Bwaga’ for ‘throw it down’ and ‘moyo’ for ‘the heart’. They further say that this expression was used by slaves. As slave caravans traveled from the interior, inching closer to ‘Bagamoyo’, slaves lost hope of ever seeing their kins and kith as well as their homelands in the interior, they literally lost all hope. This was likened to ‘throwing away one’s heart’. It was total despair. For, once they got to Bagamoyo, they were taken across the Indian Ocean to Zanzibar where there was the largest slave market. Once one was sold into slavery, there was no possibility of returning home!

Now, with this upgraded paved, double road … the name ‘Bagamoyo’ is transformed into ‘Patamoyo’, that is, ‘regaining one’s heart/hope’, now residents in that side of the country would regain their hope. The road is going to bring them immense benefits: shorter time to spend on the road as queues would become non-existent, this will mean more development, increase of value of property in that side, more investment would flow … a better life for the residents there.

However, this reflection tells us one thing more: It is important to share the national wealth equally. People have eyes, people have ears, people have hearts and minds too! Whenever there is ‘sort of favouratism’ towards certain parts of the country at the disadvantage of others … people will see, people will hear, people will feel and people will ‘decide’ and take action.

Therefore, equitable use of natural resources and whatever wealth the country has been endowed with is the only way to stop such clashes and riots as ones that have hit different parts of the country, particularly, Mtwara, Masasi and Dumila. Let’s fight greed, let’s fight favouratism. Instead, let’s embrace justice, equality, respect for human dignity, understanding, listening, and the spirit of sharing. … You can think of more!

Pamoja sana!