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Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA
Shortly after Mwanakwetu heard the news of Professor Mmari’s death, two images came to mind.
The first image:
“An elderly, gentle man who liked wearing spectacles and short-sleeved blue jackets with large pockets.”
The second image:
“When I was a student at Tumaini University Iringa between 2005 and 2010, I used to see this elderly man at some internal meetings and public meetings of the Tumaini universities that I attended in my capacity as Vice President of the Students’ Government at Tumaini University Iringa. Was this the same man who served as Provost of Tumaini Dar es Salaam?”
After these two images, other smaller memories began to come alive. I remembered two journalists: first, Hon. Godwin Gondwe, who is a District Commissioner, and Mohammed Kherefu, a broadcaster, editor, and journalist with the German international broadcaster.
“Godwin Gondwe studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism at Tumaini University Iringa from 2003 to 2006. At one point, he served as an assistant lecturer at TUDARCo. Professor Mmari worked with Gondwe.”
Mwanakwetu said to himself:
“Knowing Godwin Gondwe as I do, I believe he will attend Professor Mmari’s burial.”
My train of thought continued. Another thought came to mind:
“Mohammed Kherefu, a journalist, broadcaster, and editor with the German international broadcaster, was Vice President of the Students’ Government at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam. Let me check his social media pages to see whether he has written anything about this bereavement. Mohammed Kherefu and I used to meet alongside these professors at some meetings, and Kherefu would sit close to Professor Mmari.”
After this thought crossed my mind, I became occupied with work and did not get the opportunity to check Mohammed Kherefu’s social media pages.
At around midday on October 13, 2026, I received the following message from Lukas Masunzu in Tabora:
“Brother Makwega, how are you? As I read your article about Professor Mmari, there is a teacher sitting beside me who says, ‘She was taught by Professor Mmari’s wife at Bungo Primary School in Morogoro Region in 1983.’
This woman is my fellow teacher. She says:
‘Professor Mmari’s father was a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, and his wife’s father was also the child of a pastor of that same church. Therefore, Professor Mmari was brought up in a church environment.’”
After receiving this message, I revisited Professor Mmari’s biography.
Professor Mmari served as Vice-Chancellor at three universities in Tanzania.
At the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), he served as the first Vice-Chancellor, becoming the founding head of the university, from 1984 to 1988. At the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), he served as Vice-Chancellor from 1988 to 1991. At the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), he served as Vice-Chancellor from 1993 to 2005.
Later, from 2005 to 2013, he also served as Provost at Tumaini Dar es Salaam College, also known as TUDARCo, which is now known as DarTU.
What does Mwanakwetu have to say today?
First, when you examine this scholar’s biography, you will discover that his academic career and life appear to have had a special connection with society. Consider this:
“Adeladius Francis Makwega (MwAnAkWeTu) and Mohammed Kherefu served as Vice Presidents of the Students’ Governments at the Tumaini universities in Iringa and Dar es Salaam, respectively. This was during the same period when Professor Mmari was serving at the Church’s universities. Also, consider the information about Professor Mmari’s wife, who taught at Bungo Primary School in Morogoro. During the years mentioned, you can see Professor Mmari operating within those same environments in Morogoro (SUA) and Dar es Salaam (UDSM).”
Finally, when you are a young person from a Christian family, and especially when you are the child of a pastor, it does not necessarily mean that you, too, must become a pastor. But wherever life takes you, do you represent your Church well? How do you represent Jesus Christ? What contribution do you make to your Church?
Indeed, Professor Mmari, as the son of a pastor, made an effort to represent the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania well. Few Tanzanians can claim a record comparable to his.
“To serve at SUA, then UDSM, and later OUT, holding the same position of Vice-Chancellor at all three institutions? And, on top of that, to have your contribution help advance your Church’s ambition of establishing several universities within a relatively short period? That is a remarkable achievement.”
Mwanakwetu, this is what I have to say:
“Professor Mmari was a Good Shepherd of Education in the United Republic of Tanzania. While serving as Provost of Tumaini Dar es Salaam College, he continued to make a valuable contribution to education in Tanzania. In this way, he firmly established his role as a shepherd within Tanzania’s education sector.”
For those who remember, in 2005, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania owned more universities than any other religious institution. It also had the largest number of university students among religious institutions that year.
All of this was part of Professor Mmari’s contribution.
Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:
PROFESSOR MMARI: A GOOD SHEPHERD OF EDUCATION IN TANZANIA
I wish you a pleasant day.
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