When I first heard that the Tanzanian government is introducing a new law allowing Tanzanians to hold dual citizenship, I thought this was all talk and no action. The amount of Tanzanians who are leaving their country to study and work abroad is not decreasing, if anything, it’s definitely on the rise (this is just an assumption based on what I’ve seen among my peers… by the way, are there any statistics regarding this?).During our parents’ generation, who left during the 1980s-1990s, there was a sense of urgency to return back home. Look at the amount of Tanzanians who went to study in Europe and America and came back to help build their country. Sadly, I don’t find that level of urgency in our generation; I worry that our generation plans to work abroad in our most productive years (20s to mid-40s) and possibly return home later on in our careers. Or maybe that’s just some of us? Who knows.
For those of us who are abroad, we know the challenges of trying to make it in our host countries while maintaining our Tanzanian citizenship. Many opportunities are not presented to us because some employment opportunities are reserved for the citizens of those countries. There are those who seek to stay abroad (many illegally) “kupata makaratasi” so that they can make more money…the thought of returning home and giving up their “American/Canadian/European” dream is just not feasible for them.
According to a recent article, the government is regretting locking out Tanzanians overseas during the 49 years of our Independence, while some African countries have been granting dual citizenship to their people. The government did a study to examine if this law would be bad for Tanzania, and their conclusion is that it won’t be harmful to the country. But what about the disadvantages? What is the government going to put in place to ensure that the disadvantages are addressed adequately?
While I fully support this law, especially having spent the past eight years abroad, I can’t help but question a few things. When this law is introduced and many Tanzanians living abroad start getting other citizenships, how does the Tanzania government intend to “utilize our skills and wealth to push forward Tanzania’s development agenda and tap the great economic potential of the Tanzanians overseas?” How will this law enable people like us to assist our motherland without any hitch?
The Minister said his ministry worked or is working with Tanzanian embassies and high commissions overseas to register Tanzanians to enable the government have full information for nationals living abroad. I registered myself when I moved to the U.S. a year ago, but I have never heard from the embassy, not an email, not a phone call, not a letter. Ever. Are the embassies not meant to help unite Tanzanians living in various countries? Or keep us informed at the very least? When considering this new development, I think it would help if our embassies kept us informed in measures our government is taking, just to keep us involved; perhaps the embassies should involve those of us living abroad about this, so that those of us who may not know how exactly we can make a difference while working abroad, we can get a better understanding on this. I will be the first to admit that I would benefit from this kind of information sharing and brainstorming.
This is an exciting new development and I look forward to the end of 2010. I just hope that my fellow Tanzanians living abroad, myself included, do not use this new law (once it is enacted) for our very own selfish reasons of staying away from home because life seems better in the developed countries. I hope that that sense of nationalism and dedication that was deeply rooted in our parents’ generation comes over us very soon so that we too, can have the will to leave the opportunities that entice us to stay abroad and come back home and build our country because only God knows that we still have a distance to go to take Tanzania further.
Honestly, It would feel very strange, if it ever happens, that I have to apply for a visa when i go back to Tanzania for a visit.
Actually, there are some Tanzaniasn I know who already have 2 passports. When they visit Tanzania, they use the Tanzanian passport and hide the other one. When they travel back, they hide the Tanzanian passport and use the other one ( EU passport, Canadian,….etc)..LOL.. I think its illegal…or am I wrong??
As author has pointed out, economic reasons and opportunities force us to change citizenships. Some jobs need clearance,..etc..with a Tanzanian passport…forget it…you dont stand a chance…
So yah, Dual Citizenship will enable me to keep my precious Tanzanian passport, …in that way i would still feel less guilt and patriotic…and i didnt renounce my tanzania citizenship just for the sake of economic reasons…:-)
nice one…just like you, I was surprised that this is actually going to finally happen..Ooh God, unbelievable, the Government is actually doing something..
I am so used to empty promises and all the talk the talk but no walking the walk, so I am still overwhelmed by this information, not because I want the dual citizenship, but because something is getting done for ONCE…
So back to the topic, I think the questions asked in the article are very important; for example, how is the Government going to get the diaspora community involved with developing Tanzania. I believe that question is very important because once you live in the developed world, you lose the patience for stupidity, meaning the bureaucracy that usually comes along with corruption “kitu kidogo”. The laziness and the lack of professionalism, just to name the least. Excellent example even without going any further, look how proactive the Tz embassies have been on this issue.
bUT all in all, I think this is an important step, but what we going to do with it, how are we going to make it useful, well thats a whole different story.
Tanzania tunapenda kuiga. Dual citizenship hatuihitaji kwa haraka hivi. Wizara yenyewe haijui kuna watanzania wangapi nje ya nchi. Ninafahamu umuhimu wa Dual Citizenship, ila let us focus to enacting laws that will make the majority poor enjoy their basic citizenship of this great land – mining laws, land laws, gender laws etc
From Udadisi blog,
Azaveli Lwaitama’s Rejoinder
Der Chambi,
I dont get you….I too travel abroad and I meet people who are citizens of other countries and who have some sentimental attachment to Tanzania… maybe they were born here…maybe their parents were born here etc etc….But they don’t make Tanzania’s problems to be about dual citizenship for god’s sake…then there are also individuals who are Tanzanian citizens and are studying or working abroad…they have their passports and are happy to be out there as long as it takes…they are discriminated against or treated as second class citizen…yeah? When Nkrumah and Nyerere were treated like that they chose to return home to organize a Pan-African citizenship where they will never again be treated as second class citizens in Babylon…
The Africans in the diaspora of today want to escape from building an African Citizenship of their own and disappear into some fanciful thing called dual citizenship eh??? Don’t make Tanzania’s main preoccupation to be dual citizenship for god’s sake…. Our political leaders have to be serious…there are millions of Tanzanians struggling to make a living in Tanzania…please care about their problems…visit villagers in Babati and Kigoma more and listen to the problems of villages and poor town dwellers and you will learn to put things that worry most Tanzanians most into perspective eh???…. I am one of the old Nyerereists indeed….
The Fourth Phase Presidency has leaders who visit New York and London so often that they have lost track of what the problems of most Tanzanians are….Our leaders meet people in the diaspora and they now think the problems of a “Tanzanian” who live in Europe and America should be the problems we should give priority in legislation? If you allowed dual citizenship who is to know who will be the MPs, Presidents, PSs of Tanzania in the future and what would be their concerns and priorities…Visit Manzese, Buguruni; visit villages in Dodoma…and in Lindi vijijini etc…is dual citizenship a priority to people you meet there???….
What if George Bush and the likes decide to take up citizenship in Tanzania and you have allowed dual citizenship – do you mean you don’t mind having a Tanzanian passport given to people like George Bush and George Soros even when they would not have denounced American citizenship???? The law right now says if you want Tanzanian citizenship denounce American citizenship….how will you bar people like these who are filthy rich and could take over and rule Tanzania using their wealth while still retaining their American citizenship?…
If you wish to give citizenship to all Africans and those who denounce all other citizenship affiliations other than to Africa then lets talk about a United states of Africa….But dual citizenship, meaning being ruled by a fellow who is a British citizen and a Tanzanian one…come on…dont you you think Africans are being taken for a ride yet again????? …
I want to believe you are with me in my believing that the agenda of dual citizenship is an agenda of the African comprador petty bourgeoisie and not even of the patriotic/matriotic national bourgeoisie ….
But the law is mainly for Tanzanians living abroad and not George Bush lol. Don’t get me wrong, i know that the government has to look at the domestic issues first, help those who really need help. But this can also be done while at the same time helping with the domestic issues. People who have lived abroad will bring some sort of change to the country, and this might just be that inch of step forward for the country.
With all due respect for you as a citizen of this world,
infact africans have never been allowed to have a ride outside of their small world. Only very few dared to risk for world outside africa for better life and prospects and they should be awarded for that.
A birth place is like a mother land independent of where in the world some one could find the solution for which also he/she had to pay a high price (not talking about monatory values).
Not allowing these people & not giving right to call themselves Tanzanian itself is a deficiency of practical wisdom. on the contrary they should be encouraged and be invited so as to utilize their expertise and experience.They can only bring benefits to the country.
I may be wrong but people who have birth roots in the country should never be deprived of their right to be national of the country they were born.
I really hope that this comes through. As someone who is Tanzanian born but has lived in the United States since I was 5 (I’m 16 now) this is becoming a concern to me. I’m really close to my roots and I know where I came from and have gone back and I love it. But when my father said that Tanzania didn’t allow dual citizenship I was a little sad. I love Tanzania, and believe me, I have a lot of pride in my country…but the US is where I was raised and almost everything I know is here. So I really hope that this law comes around before I turn 18. Both of these countries are a part of the person I am.
We have to think BEFORE doing decisions on issues!
Dual citizenship for WHO???????????- ie who are beneficiaries??
Is it a TOP-DOWN IDEA or BOTTOM-UP IDEA??????
How many (%) of Tanzanians are going to benefit from such law??????
Is this of Tanzanians PRIORITY??
Have you done research to investigate on its need to people???
people with AUTHORITY in TZ should understand that power has to be exercised WISELY!
My vision: Tz do NOT NEED TO APPLY DUAL CITIZENSHIP, we can’t make comparisons with Countries like Korea , USA or UK! We can’t be MEASURED USING THE SAME INSTRUMENT!
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES WHICH FACE A NUMBER OF TANZANIANS, THOSE OF MORE IMPORTANCE THAN THIS!- EDUCATION, HEALTH, ECONOMY, INFRASTRUCTURES, CORRUPTION, and the like! Think and work on these first!
TAKE CARE!
There are plenty of us out here who are mixture of other countries and Tanzania and would like to be Citizens of TZ to avoid hussles at the border.
I’ve noticed that a lot of Tanzanians who live in Tanzania or just do schooling/visit other countries think that we shouldn’t have dual citizenship. However those who were born, or spent the majority of their life in another country feel differently. I still do not see anything wrong with dual citizenship. I think it will create progress. I know a few Tanzanians who were born here or just came at a very young age and they want to study here and then go help their country. And dual citizenship would help that a lot… Plus, for everyone who says that it will ruin things and make things worse…well look at Tanzania’s condition right now. Obviously ideas of the past, and what we’re doing now, aren’t helping us progress too far. So why not dual citizenship?
Yes of course dual citizenship will benefit this beautiful country that we all share. Im British, my wife is Tanzanian and there are many other expatriates of mixed families who have children here. Which nationality should they choose? These children will become our future leaders, business leaders and citizens of the community, why would you want to restrict their ability to travel to their other families homes? If they have dual citizenship it makes it a lot easier to bring that knowledge from a global perspective and judging by present developments in the world we could all benefit from that. It is already possible for developed countries to award dual citizenship such as USA, Europe, UK & Kenya so why not Tanzania? Lets be forward thinking here and embrace change.
I also support the issue of dual citizenship. It will increase on the number of investors who happen to be Tanzanians but living abroad yet wishing to invest in their own mother country. Not only that but also these investments will create revenue and employment for Tanzanians. I encourage the Tanzanians living within the country to support the idea. Kenya, Uganda and many other neighboring countries are already in it. Tanzania cannot live in isolation.
iT is a Shame tanzania is way far back THAN KENYA.
IFTANZANIANS THINK COUNTRY WILL LOOSE RESORCES ,THEY
ARE CRAZY 50 YEARS BACKWARD THAN KENYA. LET ME TELL U
TANZANIAGOT INDIPENDENCE ,U SHOULD CONGRATULATE LATE
JOMO KENYATA WHO SPENT 9 YEARS IN KAPUNGURIA BRITS JAIL
FINELY WHOLE BRIT EAST WAS FREE.NOW U ARE TALKING NO DUALS. KD.
Seriously speaking, more educated people are needed even in this talk. Why can’t some people see that bringing in dual citizenship can also help Tanzania in bringing in the monetary needs? By being able to go back to Tanzania easily without any sort of hassles, you are helping Tanzania have more people go visit/stay and spend more in the country. Isn’t that one way of helping out where there is needs? Open your minds people please and let Dual citizenship happen. It will also help educate many in different ways.
It is not so bad to bring Dual citizenship, but the government should be very carefull as we hear nowadays the criminals are arround everywhere.
Honestly, i think dual citizenship is not national issue, more so a personal issue for the diaspora. As i live abroad, once i am a permanent resident thats enough, i dont need a passport and all those complications. Someone suggested dual citizenship will increase investments in Tanzania…thats a weak argument. Just keep your ‘gamba lako la kijani’..lol..and be a permanent resident of wherever you live will suffice. Me personally, i have political ambitions. So i need to keep my Tanzanian passport at all costs.lol. Actually come to think about it, passport zetu za kijani sababu CCM nini?…khah.. anyway, there are more other pressing issues than dual citizenship.
So many bla bla regarding the DUAL citizenship by many people(even by some politicians years back) who after leaving their birth place the best country Tanzania are till today interested in the keeping \”GAMBA LA KIJANI\” but the great leader of Tanzania are very busy in running the country and in NO WAY interested in looking into the matter of DUAL citizenship matters.