Friendly Intelligence Services
Every morning he stands there, on a little patch of green grass at the corner of Toure Drive (which follows the Indian Ocean) and Ali Hassani Mwyni Road (linking the north of Dar es Salaam to Downtown). It is the spot past which all the rich and wealthy living on the peninsula have to pass when they want to reach their office Downtown.
He is hard to overlooked, wearing a neatly ironed Nyerere-style suit in brownish colors, a shiny silver chain hanging from his pocket to which his mobile phone is attached, and on his head sporting a huge cowboy hat! I often wondered what exactly he was doing there; shouting instructions to the policeman standing in the middle of the chaotic early morning traffic jam, and occasionally waving at a passing car with the characteristic short numbers of high level government officials.
The other day while I was cycling home, along he came towards me in his usual outfit but obviously not on duty. I spontaneously stopped and told him that I watch him each morning and was wondering about his job. He laughed, claimed that he did not speak a single word in English, and then introduced himself as Captain M. working for the Tanzanian intelligence service! However now he would be on his way to Friday evening beers with friends and would I like to join him? There I stood in full biking kit: helmet, glasses and shorts, trying to imagine his friends’ reaction had we continued to the beers together. I thanked him warmly for the invitation, and since then each morning we wave to each other. I am possibly the only cyclist in Tanzania who gets the attention of the intelligence services daily!
Every morning he stands there, on a little patch of green grass at the corner of Toure Drive (which follows the Indian Ocean) and Ali Hassani Mwyni Road (linking the north of Dar es Salaam to Downtown). It is the spot past which all the rich and wealthy living on the peninsula have to pass when they want to reach their office Downtown.
He is hard to overlooked, wearing a neatly ironed Nyerere-style suit in brownish colors, a shiny silver chain hanging from his pocket to which his mobile phone is attached, and on his head sporting a huge cowboy hat! I often wondered what exactly he was doing there; shouting instructions to the policeman standing in the middle of the chaotic early morning traffic jam, and occasionally waving at a passing car with the characteristic short numbers of high level government officials.
The other day while I was cycling home, along he came towards me in his usual outfit but obviously not on duty. I spontaneously stopped and told him that I watch him each morning and was wondering about his job. He laughed, claimed that he did not speak a single word in English, and then introduced himself as Captain M. working for the Tanzanian intelligence service! However now he would be on his way to Friday evening beers with friends and would I like to join him? There I stood in full biking kit: helmet, glasses and shorts, trying to imagine his friends’ reaction had we continued to the beers together. I thanked him warmly for the invitation, and since then each morning we wave to each other. I am possibly the only cyclist in Tanzania who gets the attention of the intelligence services daily!
