Ukombozi

Interview Sabatho Nyamsenda Part II

Jason Stearns and Fred Bauma Season 1 Episode 8

Karibuni. This week, we are excited to be joined by Sabatho Nyamsenda, an African scholar, writer and thinker. Sabatho is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Dar es Salaam. He is involved in both scholarship and activism in matters pertaining to the agrarian question, pan-Africanism, the struggles of the working people, as well as political-economic relations between Tanzania and the industrialized countries. 

This interview was our first to be recorded in person––the windows were open in the university, so you can hear some birds and cars in the background. Our apologies; we are seeking to improve our sound quality. The interview was also quite long, so we have split it into two parts: the first focusing largely on the history of social movements in Tanzania; the second on the legacy of President Magufuli and the struggles of contemporary social movements, especially among peasants.

Check out Sabatho's music recommendations––a good intro to underground, conscious  Tanzanian hip-hop:

- Watunza Misingi
- The Makanta crew (Maskini katika Nchi Tajiri)
- Dambwe la Hip Hop

And, of course, Vitali Maembe, the Tanzanian poet-songwriter.

Sabatho's essay on Magufuli (from 2018) can be found here, and his analysis of MVIWATA is here.

Feel free to reach out at jason underscore stearns at SFU dot CA and baumafred at gmail dot com.