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Paul Lazaro Bomani (January 1, 1925  – April 1, 2005) was a Tanzanian politician and ambassador to the
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Biography

Paul Bomani was born in 1925 in Ikuzi, Mara. He served as the Minister of Finance, Agriculture, Economic Affairs and Planning, and Commerce and Industry. He also served as a member of Parliament. Paul Bomani was a very successful business man and was reported to be one of the richest African in Tanzania by 1970. Paul Bomani is among a handful of Tanganyikans/Tanzanians who made significant contributions to the country. He was active in the independence struggle and after Tanganyika/Tanzania won independence, he was one of the main people responsible for finance and development for the country in the 1960s to early 70s. Paul Bomani attended Nassa Primary School in Mwanza from 1936 to 39. He joined the Teacher Training College in Ikizu, Mara from 1939 to 1944. He worked as the Assistant Secretary of Cash Stores of the Williamson Diamonds Limited in Shinyanga between 1945 and 1947. He became the Managing Secretary of Mwanza African Traders Co-operative Society Limited 1947 to 1952. Mwanza African Traders Co-operative Society was a wholesale cooperative started to assist African traders. Bomani founded the Lake Province Cotton Growers Association in 1950. Bomani left Tanganyika to study in England in 1953. He studied Agricultural Economics and Co-operative Laws at Loughborough Co-operative College in England from 1953 to 1954. Bomani returned to Tanganyika and continued with work as an organizer and one of the leaders of the nascent independence movement. He worked as the General Manager of Victoria Federation of Co-operative Unions Limited from 1955 to 1960. Bomani became very active in Tanganyika politics early on; he was elected as the provincial Chairman of the Tanganyika African Association (TAA) from 1950 to 1953. The colonial government appointed him as the member of the Legislative Council in 1954. The appointment came after Chief Kidaha Makwaia left the territory. Makwaia would later resign under pressure. Paul Bomani became a powerful force in the Lake Province with the establishment of TANU as the main political party fighting for independence starting in 1954. Bomani helped to make TANU a powerful force in the Lake Province. Paul Bomani was appointed as a member of the Post Election Committee in 1959 by the Tanganyika Governor, Sir Richard Turnbull. Bomani was among a handful of Africans appointed to the committee; others included Chief John Maruma, Rashidi Kawawa, and L.N. Sijaona. The committee was given the responsibility of making recommendations for the next step for Tanganyika. Tanganyika won Responsible Government in 1960 and Self Government in 1961. Bomani was appointed as the Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives between 1960 and 1962. Paul Bomani’s brother, Mark Bomani, was appointed as the Deputy Solicitor General for Tanganyika in August 1962. Paul Bomani became the Minister for Finance between 1962 and 1965 and the Minister for Economic Affairs and Development Planning from 1965 to 1970. Bomani served as the Minister for Commerce and Industry between 1970 and 1972 and then served as the Tanzania Ambassador to the US. Paul Bomani took on the challenge of finding ways to finance the government after independence; it was a daunting task. The UK was not willing to provide funding necessary for developing a newly independent Tanganyika. The country did not have enough trained men and women to do the necessary work needed to move the country forward. Bomani travelled to East and Western countries asking for funds at the height of the Cold War. It was a difficult assignment that he managed with ease. He had to collect funds needed to educate Tanganyikans who did not have opportunities during the colonial period. This assignment he performed with distinction. Bomani was one of the few leaders who remained active during the army mutiny of 1964. Bomani, Lusinde, and Kambona were among the few leaders who negotiated with the soldiers during the most tense moments of the mutiny between January 20 and 25th, 1964. One day before the British troops landed in Dar es Salaam, Bomani spent all day negotiating with the ringleaders of the mutiny regarding their pay. He knew that a request was made to the British for intervention while he was negotiating. In fact Bomani together with Kambona were the ones who took a letter from Kawawa and delivered it to the UK HIgh Commissioner in Tanganyika; the letter made an official request for British intervention. During those tense hours of negotiations, Bomani is reported to have said he only had a “glass of milk in the morning and a large whisky in the evening.” He worked tirelessly to calm down the soldiers and reassure the public that all was under control. His brother, Mark Bomani, would later lead the government case against the mutineers. Tanzania broke off diplomatic relations with UK in 1965 over the question of Southern Rhodesia. UK reacted by cancelling all aid promised to Tanzania. Tanganyika became Tanzania in October 1964. In 1964, Bomani had been instrumental in securing a 7.5 million Pound loan to Tanganyika from UK in 1964. UK refused to fulfill any financial commitment it made to in Tanzania in 1965 after Tanzania broke off diplomatic relations with the UK over the question of independence for Southern Rhodesia. Bomani once again found himself in a difficult situation. He had to find other ways to provide funds for the Tanzania government. Bomani was among those who negotiated successful agreements with China to provide needed funds for Tanzania in 1966. Bomani became close to many African American leaders in the 1970s and helped attract interest on Tanzania. Bomani was among the organizers of the 5th Pan African Congress held in Tanzania in 1974


Career

In 1960, Bomani became the Minister of Natural Resources and Cooperative Development in the Tanganyika government. He held several other ministerial positions. Between 1972 and 1983 he was the ambassador to the United States and Mexico. From 1992 until his death he was the chairman of
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and Tanzania Distilleries Limited and from 1993 he was chancellor of the
University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is a public university in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was established in 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. The university became an affiliate of the University of East Africa (UEA) in ...
. Bomani described himself in his own words 1961 Minister of Natural Resources and Cooperative Development. 1962 Minister of Finance of the Republic of Tanganyika 1964 Minister of Finance and economic Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania 1965 Minister of economic Affairs and development Planning 1970 Minister of Commerce, Industry and Mining 1972 -1983 Ambassador to the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico 1983 Minister for Mineral Resources and Mining 1984 Minister for Lands, Natural Resources, Tourism and Housing 1986 Minister for Agriculture and Marketing 1988 Minister for Labour and Social Welfare 1989 Minister for Local Government, Marketing, Cooperative and Community Development 1990 Minister President's Office, responsible for the Implementation and Coordination of Cabinet Policy OTHER ASSIGNMENTS AND POSITION 1955 General Manager, Victoria Federation of Cooperative Unions Ltd. Mwanza ( Cotton ginning and Marketing) 1950 President, Lake Province Cotton Growers Association, the cotton farmers mobilization conference, and precursor to the Cooperative Movement 1952 President, Sukuma Union 1954 Member of the Legislative Council (LEGCO) appointed by the British governor-general. 1958 Member of the Rammage Constitutional Reform Committee ( established Universal Franchise. 1961 Member of the Ian Macleod Constitutional Committee ( which ushered in the independence of Tanganyika). 1960 -1985 Member of Parliament 1968 Member of the Philip Commission for the Treaty and establishment of the East African Community 1962 - 1970 Governor of IRBD (World Bank); attended Annual General Meetings of the IMF and IRBD 1965 Member of Makerere University Council and Nairobi University Advisory Council. 1975 - 1982 Councilor, American University Advisory Board 1980 - 1986 President International Cotton Institute; Washington D.C. U.S.A. and Brussels; Belgium. Last held positions 1992 to 2005 Chairman, Tanzania Breweries Limited and Tanzania Distilleries Limited 1993 to 2005 Chancellor, University of Dar es Salaam


References


External links


Official site
BOMANI, Paul Lazaro, MA, Tanzanian diplomat, politician; born January 1, 1925, Musoma, Tanzania; married, Kessi Hildegard, six daughters, three sons; education: Ikizu Secondary School, Loughborough College, England, 1953–54, Johns Hopkins University {{DEFAULTSORT:Bomani, Paul 1925 births 2005 deaths Finance Ministers of Tanzania Ambassadors of Tanzania to the United States Ambassadors of Tanzania to Mexico Alumni of Loughborough University Johns Hopkins University alumni Government ministers of Tanganyika Government ministers of Tanzania People from Musoma