The State and the peasantry in Tanzania: lessons from Sungusungu-Basalama of Shinyanga

The emergence of Sungusungu/Basalama traditional defence groups was received with varying views. Some of the people, even within the intelligensia of this country's ignored it as a social phenomenon that emerged out of primitive and pre-political people. So, it did not attract a thorough scientific study. We are of the opinion that it is essential and important to have a thorough study of this social phenomenon because it emerged out of the people who still make up the majority of the country's population i.e. the peasants. Therefore, it is important to analyse the post-independence socio-economic formation of Tanzania in order find out the forces which led to its emergence and how those in political power managed to manipulate the situation. We have begun in chapter one to explain who are thSungusungu/Basalama, their origin and objectives. The questions raised in chapter one guides the research in finding out the facts which led to the emergence of the movement, why did it emerge at that particular time and place? Was it accidental? Why the Party and Government got interested and involved in the Sungusungu/ Basalama and deduced strategies to coopt them rather than to crush them using coercive state instruments? To furnish adequate answers to the questions raised in chapter one, requires a scientific methodology in approaching the question, our methodology in this research is dominated by a materialist outlook. We have approached the question by analysing the prevailing socio-economic relations of various social classes wihin the framework of the present Tanzanian social formation. This has more been concentrated in chapter five. Using the materialistic method we have concluded that the emergence of Sungusungu/Basalama was a result of contradictory relations between the post-independence state and the peasantry in Tanzania. The dissertation also deals with other important issues, such the economic and social life of the Sukuma and how it played a role in 'the Sungusungu/Basalama question. This is found in chaper two. Chapter three mainly concentrates on the findings of the research. In chapter four we tried explain what is traditionally found within Sungusungu/Basalama as they claim to be. We have also tried to answer the question, is this social phenomenon unique to Tanzania. Chapter six winds up the dissertation with our suggestions which are of course conclusive.