control for the working class in Tanzania. It might be in order to
just mention briefly that dramatic changes were taking place in the
social structure of the country during that time. As it should be
clear from the foregoing, the elements that inherited political
power after independence was won in 1961, were basically those
who had occupied various auxiliary posts in the ocolonial ad-
ministration. Because of the manner in which colonial exploitation
had manifested itself in the country, there had not developed any
strong capitalist elements which might have been possible con-
tenders for political office following independence. The only
sphere in which local capital was considerable was that of trade,
transport, and such other tertiary activities. But because of the
racism which always accompanies colonialism, this sphere was
dominated wholly by a racial minority — the Asian community.
This community, the only local group with considerable economic
power, was no contender to political power as the country was
approaching independence. As a result independence was followed
by a bitter struggle as the petty bourgeosie which controlled state
power began to seek roots in the country’s economy. ' This was
done through the expansion of the state machinery into those
areas of the economy held by the Asian businessmen. The
culmination of this was of course in 1967 with the proclamation
by the ruling party of the Arusha Declaration which pledged the
country to socialism and therefore unleashed extensive
nationalisation of all the ‘commanding heights of the economy’.

With this development, the country’s economy came under the
control of the state, and for the first time individuals who less
than ten years previously had been simple clerks and teachers of
the colonial times now became directors and chairmen of
numerous economic corporations and social and political bodies
which controlled nearly all aspects of life in the country.

It was not surprising therefore that the state took such strong
measures to put the workers under close control. The
rationalisation of this control was of course that the state now
represented the interests of the people at large and there was no
need for any autonomy on the part of the bodies which were sup-
posed to represent them. To the suggestion by the Commission
appointed to look into the trade union organisation that the
leaders of the organisation be elected by the members themselves,
the Government had retorted as follows:

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