THE confidence Tanzania enjoys globally is a result of strong foundation laid under leadership of founding leader Julius Nyerere, retired president Jakaya Kikwete has said.

He made the remarks in Coast Region at the weekend while inaugurating a symposium dubbed 'Mwalimu Nyerere and the Liberation Movement: Reflecting on Solidarity, Leadership, Pan-Africanism and African Unity'.

Kikwete said one of the proper ways to honour the nation's founder is by continuing his development efforts, particularly in good leadership.

"Mwalimu was the kind of a person who lived by his words. He dedicated his life to the lives of others. We cannot talk about freedom and development in this region of Africa without mentioning him as there is still much to learn from him. The only way to honour him is by doing what he taught us during his lifetime," he said.

“Nyerere was a true freedom fighter and African patriot, which is why the first African liberation symposium was held at the University of Dar es Salaam in 1974.”

He further noted the symposium that gathered people from various countries was also a reflection on Mwalimu who proved to the world that people can live with mutual respect and that racism, neocolonialism and all forms of social injustices can only be fought through unity and shared purpose.

He also said that Nyerere remained unwavering in his beliefs and never lost hope in the fight for the country's independence, despite facing challenges like court trials, fines and being mocked by colonialists.

"Nyerere went through a lot while being questioned and asked to choose between his teaching job, which provided him a salary or continuing his struggle for the country's freedom," he said.

According to him, the goal was to build leadership capacity across six friendly parties: CCM (Tanzania), FRELIMO (Mozambique), ANC (South Africa), ZANU PF (Zimbabwe), SWAPO (Namibia) and MPLA (Angola) in collaboration with the Communist Party of China.

He urged leaders to dispel the notion that the school belongs to a particular party, stressing that it serves all six liberation movement parties.

Moreover, he insisted that those in charge of the school's administration should continue to maintain its infrastructure and resources.

Principal of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School (MJNLS) Prof Marcellina Chijoriga said the dialogue aimed to honour life of the late Nyerere and discuss his contributions to Africa's liberation.

Colonel (rtd) Rungemela Lubinga, former CCM Secretary for Political Affairs and International Relations, emphasized the need to teach the history of Africa's liberation struggles from primary school through to universities.

Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe from  Zimbabwe praised Mwalimu Nyerere as the ‘Father of Africa’ for uniting Africans through Kiswahili in the fight for independence.

He also mentioned Tanzania's exemplary role in welcoming refugees from countries such as DR Congo, Mozambique, Burundi, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

He noted that Zimbabwe has started teaching Kiswahili in schools and higher education institutions, creating opportunities for Tanzanians to teach the language there.

Mwalimu Nyerere was Tanzania's first President from 1961 until 185 and passed away on October 14, 1999 after leading the country for 24 years.