It was not accidental that, by the time of his death, Mwalimu Nyerere had translated into Kiswahili Plato’s Republic. He had finished proofreading the manuscript for publication when he died. It is a pity that it got misplaced or hidden, hopefully not destroyed and will some day resurface. It would be a major instrument in this region, where Kiswahili is a major language, to teach philosophy with a new touch.
Kila mmoja kwa nafasi yake kadri ya uwezo alio nao. Si Plato tu, Mwalimu Nyerere katika falsafa yake ya Ujamaa hayuko mbali na Plato. Anatumia dhana ya kiafrika ya kaya, ambayo anaisimika katika neno la Kiswahili jamaa linalotoka katika lugha ya kiarabu, na kulitumia kama dhana ya falsafa ya siasa ya kiafrika. Fikra hizo ziliendelea kutawala kwa muda mrefu hadi yalipojitokeza Mapinduzi ya fikra na siasa ya kileo ambapo dhana ya Kujiendesha (uhuru) inatawala.