Tribute to a thorough scribe (PETER TINDWA)

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Peter Tindwa is remembered at The Guardian newspaper in Dar es Salaam as a keen fighter and a committed captain who would never abandon his vessel whatever the storm. He passed away on September 14, 2009 after a long illness.

As a reporter at The Guardian, he never stopped until he had checked and counter-checked with his sources and satisfied himself that the story had no holes in it. Then he would happily go out for his dear bottle, assured of the lead story in the following day’s edition.

On the other hand, as a fighter for rights, Tindwa was one guy who would not gloss over any act of deprivation. Where rights of individuals were concerned he would systematically make sure that they were secured.

I was with Tindwa at The Guardian from 1996 and I knew him to be cool and kind hearted but came to learn of his other virtue sometime in 1999 when we were together in Dodoma covering Parliament. One night at a popular pub ,an army officer made eyes at Tindwa’s girlfriend. That was when I the guy’s fury and manly pride.

But unless he was provoked, Tindwa was cool and jovial. “He wasn’t panicky. He did his homework of fact-finding thoroughly and took action when he believed he had enough ground for his case,” Lwaga Mwambande, a close friend of the late journalist explains. And that’s why he was successful in any struggle.

One example is when he was at the University of Dar es Salaam in the final year 1993/94. ‘Captain’ Tindwa led a committee that was following up students’ claims for allowances until they were paid.

Even when he was at The Guardian, Tindwa continued to fight for the rights of individuals. It was due to his unwavering stand and his readiness to serve others that he was one of three people appointed to draft IPP Media workers’ complaints and forward them to the Executive Chairman, Mr. Reginald Mengi. For that, his close buddies still call him as ‘Captain Tindwa’.

After university in 1994 tindwa was employment in the Tanzania News Agency (Shihata). Lwaga says that during their days at Shihata, Tindwa was a dependable reporter and was one of the key journalists who covered the first multi-party elections in 1995. His efforts contributed to raising the image of Shihata among the media organizations in Tanzania.

Due to fast learning and hard work, he was appointed Shihata Features Editor. But it was at The Guardian Limited – publishers of Guradian and Nipashe newspapers - that he proved his worth.

He reported so much on the political crisis in Burundi because he spoke fluent French. For that reason he won many friends in Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. He was successful not only as a journalist but also as a responsible family man.

Peter Tindwa was born on May 11, 1964 at Mbamba Bay in the Tanzanian Southern Highlands Region of Ruvuma. He began his education in Dar es Salaam and went for secondary education at Milambo High School in Tabora before proceeding to university. He died of malaria.