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Tanzania adopts Swahili to unite the country

After Tanzania's independence in 1961, the country's leader, Julius Nyerere, made Swahili the national language to unite its people. Walter Bgoya recounts how the country changed.

After Tanzania, then called Tanganyika, became independent from Britain in 1961, the country's leader, Julius Nyerere, made Swahili the national language to unite its people.

Walter Bgoya tells Ben Henderson about his conversations with Nyerere and how the policy changed Tanzania.

(Photo: Julius Nyerere. Credit: Keystone via Getty Images)

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9 minutes

Last on

Fri 1 Dec 202303:50GMT

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  • Thu 30 Nov 202308:50GMT
  • Thu 30 Nov 202312:50GMT
  • Thu 30 Nov 202318:50GMT
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  • Fri 1 Dec 202303:50GMT

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