By Business Insider Reporter, Zanzibar
Two former Presidents of Zanzibar, Dr. Amani Abeid Karume and Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, have urged the Vice President’s Office to intensify public education on the Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, stressing that young people must fully understand the foundations and purpose of the Union established by the nation’s founding leaders.
The retired presidents delivered the message separately on December 10, 2025 during courtesy visits by the Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Hamad Yussuf Masauni, who was accompanied by senior officials from the ministry.
Dr. Karume emphasised the importance of strengthening national unity in an increasingly complex global environment, noting that understanding the origins and value of the Union remains essential to Tanzania’s stability.
He said Tanzania’s Union continues to draw admiration – and envy – from other nations, adding that sustaining it requires renewed commitment to cohesion, solidarity, and civic education, especially among younger generations.
“We were fortunate to ask our elders why they created this Union,” he said. “But today’s youth must also be taught its benefits, its foundations and why it exists. Many of them simply do not know. When we took leadership positions, we ensured that unity was something we strengthened, not weakened.”
For his part, Dr. Shein expressed concern that many Tanzanians have forgotten – or were never taught – the circumstances that led to the formation of the Union. He said this gap has given rise to misconceptions and negative statements, particularly among those born long after 1964.
“We have not reminded ourselves often enough about why the Union was formed,” he said. “The Vice President’s Office must help people understand its advantages, because proper education will give clarity to young people who lack sufficient awareness of our Union. Many who were born after 1964 do not fully understand it, and that has contributed to misunderstandings.”
He added that the responsibility to educate the public lies squarely with the Vice President’s Office, particularly regarding the historical foundations laid by the country’s founding fathers.
The Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar was formalised on April 26, 1964 after the signing of the Articles of Union in Zanzibar on 22 April 1964. The agreement was reached between the then President of Tanganyika, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, and the then President of Zanzibar, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume.
The Articles of Union were ratified on 25 April 1964 – by the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council and the Tanganyika Parliament – before being officially signed by Mwalimu Nyerere the following day.
Since then, Tanzania has annually marked April 26 as Union Day, celebrating the political merger that created the United Republic of Tanzania. Both former leaders stressed that a renewed national effort to educate young people about this history is crucial to safeguarding unity and preserving the ideals upon which the nation was built.
