5. Time-tested friendship: USSR, now Russia and Tanzania

As Tanzania emerged as a free nation, Soviet aid helped Tanzania build schools, hospitals, and industries without colonial baggage. This friendship, Nyerere believed, was based on shared anti‑imperialist values. Today, Russia’s role echoes that legacy: a partner that respects African agency. Together with Madaraka Nyerere, we trace how his father saw such ties as essential to Tanzania’s sovereignty.