Browsing by Author "Swai, Ferdinand Saudari"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The intergration of the millitary to the political system in Tanzania
    (Swai, F. S (1982) The intergration of the millitary to the political system in Tanzania, masters dissertation. University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx?parentpriref= ), 1982) Swai, Ferdinand Saudari
    Military governments are a common phenomenon in most African countries. Only 35% of all African countries have had no experience of a military government, Tanzania is one of them. The explanations given for military intervent on focus on the political environment in which the military operates and the organizational and professional characteristics of the military. AlI these point the weaknesses that make it impossible for the civilians to have effective control over the military. Our contention is that military intervention or non-intervention is very much dependent on the degree of military integration in the political system after independence. Here the specific history of each country is crucial. In Tanzania stability has been enjoyed because of the success in integrating the army in the political system through politicization of the military and militarization of society. Tanzania's experience was rather unique in that the suppression of the military-mutiny in 1964 and the subsequent dismantling of the military establishment gave the political leadership a golden chance to mould a new military establishment. From the start, there was established political control over the army and its personnel. Initially all the new recruits and recalled soldiers were required to be members of the ruling party and had to undergo political education. Later, we encounter the institutionalization of party cadres as political education officers at all levels of the command structure. There was further a replication of party organs in the army under the control of the party headquarters. Besides, the cooptation of military personnel into various civilian posts and the general militarization of society served as further political control of the military. In this way Tanzania has, one may say, eliminated the chances of negative military intervention into politics.