“Everywhere in the world is your home. It's just that people complicate things”. This pearl of wisdom was delivered by a gently smiling woman stirring a stockpot of okra and tomato. We're in the spartan kitchen of Ambassador Salome Sijoana's beach house south of Dar es Salaam, a simple thatched roof dwelling with postcard views. Drawn to the simmering pot by its luscious scent, I was asked how I was finding Tanzania. “Absolutely wonderful” was my response. “I feel at home, even though I've never been here before”. It turns out the erudite pot stirrer, Alberta, is one of the Ambassador's three oldest friends who've gathered for a social catch up during Her Excellency's one free afternoon in her brief return from Japan. No such formalities today, as you'd expect amongst chums who've known each other since primary school … Alberta, Philberta and Hilda are warm, proud, convivial women , whose own powerful roles in government haven't diminished the banter and outright teasing that peppers their conversation over iced water and equally icy Kilimanjaro beers.
Alberta the pot stirrer! This softly spoken former District Commissioner won my respect through her intellect, and my heart through her cooking.
As we eschew cutlery and tuck in with our fingers to a monumental feast including freshly despatched and chewily flavoursome chicken and giblets, beef curry, roti, cassava, a polenta like dish called ugali and the aforementioned okra – all accompanied by a stingingly hot chilli sambal – talk ranges from indigenous land rights and economic independence to the strengths and challenges of the reformed East African trade bloc. It was a remarkable political and social insight for this novice, and especially appreciated given the considerable efforts that were being made to secure me an interview with President Jakaya Kikwete. Even when discussing international issues, some understanding of the local political landscape is prudent. When I arrived back in Dar that night my belly and my mind were both bulging!
As much as I love my amazing job, this was the one day I was able to put duty aside and simply enjoy the fine company I found myself in.
Over the next couple of days it seemed the likelihood of the Presidential interview was increasingly shaky. Domestic politics had seen Mr Kikwete send his justice minister to represent him at the UN, so that he could oversee his ruling party's internal leadership selection processes in Dodoma, ahead of national elections. If he's not able to make time for the UN because of local issues then he's not likely to have time for me, I thought. My focus was shifting to interviews with other government ministers and heads of departments instead.
At around this time we met up with an Australian film team scouting for locations for “Black Honeymoon” a feature they're hoping to produce next year.
With movies such as Strictly Ballroom, Master and Commander, Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet and Happy Feet to their credit, they're no lightweights! Writer John Collee and co-producers Martin Brown and Steve Van Mil had been to South Africa and were now checking out Tanzania as a potential location for this romance thriller set in the Congo (a tad too challenging to film there!)
The movie industry often brings with it promotional and tourism opportunities, an element I might be able to work into my news coverage. It emerged that not only were they looking for a location, but at least two other international film makers were too – and that there might be some advantages to shared facilities and crews.
Perhaps Tanzania is on the threshold of an international film industry? It was fascinating to sit in on the meetings and get an insight into what makes large scale film-making tick. The team was impressed with Dar, and was now heading north to Mwanza, Tanzania's next largest city on the shores of Lake Victoria, to see if it held the necessary visual and infrastructure elements for the movie.
Just a few days remained on my magical mystery tour of Tanzania; a day in Dar es Salaam, an overnight trip to the Ambassador's home village of Msindo, and then back to Dar before flying out the following lunchtime. I'd resigned myself to missing the President and was contemplating whether I could return to the refugee camp for extra footage and capture the film team scouting for locations in Mwanza on the way… then the phone rang.
I had clearly underestimated the influence of the Ambassador! The President was returning from Dodoma that morning and would meet us at 1pm. The invitation had been extended to include John Collee and Steve Van Mil – they had landed in Mwanza an hour earlier but before they could get a glimpse of the place they were in another taxi headed straight back to the airport for a return flight to Dar. It was so tight a turn around that John didn't even have time to grab a jacket and tie!
We arrived at the Presidential grounds an hour before our appointment to allow time to pass through security, set up my equipment and receive protocol briefings. Tourism Goodwill Ambassador Casta Tungaraza reminded me to use the formal greeting “shikamoo” when presented to the President, not the overly familiar “jambo” or hello. But then Salvator, the President's communications director had a quiet word in my ear. “Be respectful but fun. Say shikamoo mumbo!” Mumbo is roughly equivalent to g'day, so I'd be introducing myself to the President something along the lines of “hail Your Excellency, g'day”, which of course appealed to my sense of mischief! When the magic words were uttered, there was a gasp from Casta … and a huge grin from “the Prez”! Salvator was right – this broke the ice and relaxed everyone.
Interviewing President Kikwete, after my “g'day Excellency” moment!
I figured on 15, maybe 20 minutes if I was lucky, and had 4 issues foremost – tourism, conservation and poaching, cultural heritage and refugees. I might squeeze in a question about tanzanite trade if time permitted and possibly education, something I knew was close to Mr Kikwete's heart. My opening question about tourism (which was, after all, the reason the Tanzania government had brought me here) elicited an altogether unexpected response. Some 23 minutes later, the President concluded his answer. “Crikey, I won't have time to tackle anything else” I was silently fretting, calculating how I could better steer the interview without rudely interrupting. Segue Karen! Use tourism to open discussion on poaching, use the cultural impacts of poaching to move onto cultural heritage, jump to the tanzanite black market on the premise of cultural theft and then conclude with a question about Tanzania winding back its refugee camps - just as I was getting the wind up signal. 15 minutes became 40 minutes, and any thought that the President's lengthy first reply might have been a tactic to avoid other questions was unfounded.
Even when pressed on the thorny issue of Kenya's trade in a gem it doesn't mine, Mr Kikwete remained engaging, though extra diplomatic. You don't get to this level of politics without being very, very good at what you do – clearly the President is a polished operator; even so, I was struck by the passion that animated his features when we touched on issues he was obviously committed to.
It was smiles and charm as the Black Honeymoon team of John Collee and Steve Van Mil explained their project – perhaps a cameo could be found for the President? By the end of the conversation even the language had subtly shifted from the realm of possibility to probability – and when Mr Kikwete himself suggested a photo session, well, I think it sealed the deal. I'd sure love to be back in Tanzania next year when filming begins! No time for daydreams though – have to process this interview pronto, before heading south to the Ambassador's home village of Msindo.
