Everyone who reads this column knows I have a love affair with Tanzania. It’s a political romance forged in the crucible of ideology. I couldn’t enjoy the blessings I have today were it not for the United Republic of Tanzania. In 1981, when the Kanu state forced me into exile in Tanzania, it was President Mwalimu Nyerere who accepted me — and other Kenyans — with open arms. Among them were MPs James Orengo and Chelagat Mutai. We were out and naked in the cold, and Mwalimu clothed and fed us, and put a roof over our heads. He angered Kenya, but his commitment to freedom — and revulsion of repression — were larger than the often silly and rote inanities of diplomacy.

I believe we were the first Kenyan refugees in Tanzania. Our presence there was no accident. Mwalimu sacrificed the lives and treasure of his republic in the cause of liberty and freedom. Tanzania — with Dar es Salaam as the epicenter — became the Black Mecca of freedom fighters. Every liberation group or individual with a legitimate grievance found refuge in Tanzania. Foremost among these were South African groups led by the ANC and the PAC, Namibia’s SWAPO, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, Angola’s MPLA and UNITA, and Zimbabwe’s ZANU and ZAPU. The PLO had an office there. It was home to exiled African-American civil rights activists. It didn’t matter whether you came from a colony, or a former colony. Tanzania welcomed you if you were legit. That’s why I am writing this column today. I need to call attention to an incident that can only sully the reputation of Tanzania as one of the most progressive countries in the world. Over the last two decades, Tanzania has grown tremendously. Private enterprise thrived than never before. But as President John Pombe Magufuli has publicly stated, the economy is under threat from cartels of corrupt and unethical civil servants in cahoots with the private sector. Enclaves of exclusion are developing, and the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. I saw this first hand last Sunday at the Sunrise Beach Resort in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam. We were subjected to treatment that was racist, discriminatory, and totally inexcusable.

I arrived at Sunrise Beach Resort with a party of eight around one O’clock in the afternoon. There was no live band. In my party were my daughter and son and an African-American civil rights activist who is my relative by marriage. Trouble started at the gate where we were required to pay an individual cover charge of 10K TZS to enter, or 15K TZS to swim at the beach. I’ve heard of cover charges to hear a live band, but never to go into a restaurant to eat. Nor did I know hotels can charge patrons to use public beaches. We reluctantly paid the cover charges. The cover charge, an apartheid-like device, is a barrier to exclude blacks.

Once on the grounds, I noticed we were the only black patrons on the premises. Most of the clientele was of South Asian descent with a sprinkling of whites. Predictably, all the servers — as well as the gatekeepers — were black Africans. We were refused the first thatched booth we attempted to occupy. The usher mumbled something to the effect that it was taken although there was no evidence of human habitation. She showed us another booth which was in disarray. We helped her put it in order and took our seats. It took over one hour before a server came to take our orders for drinks and another one hour before our order for food.

In the meantime, I noticed that other parties — Asian and white — would be served as soon as they sat down. Waiters zipped past us in a haze with trays of drinks and food for Asian and white patrons who had found us there. There was much grumbling in my party. My daughter visited the kitchen at least two times to inquire about our order. When the drinks and food finally came — many hours later — the order was grossly wrong. They brought us several dishes we hadn’t ordered, and forgot others. Some of us ate with bare hands because they didn’t bring enough silverware. Then they abandoned us. The servers were evasive, argumentative, and unapologetic when we remonstrated with them. Eventually my son went and fished out the Asian manager from the bowels of the premises. We strongly registered our displeasure and told him we felt discriminated against. He offered a tepid apology and a discount of 25 per cent. I told him this wasn’t the issue because the problem appeared to be institutional. He promised to do better. We left — our afternoon ruined. I suspect Sunrise Beach Resort isn’t the only offender. President Magufuli should crack the whip against apartheid-era practices in the hospitality industry.