Drive-In Socialism: Debating Modernities and Development in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

In May 1966, the first—and perhaps only—socialist drive-in on the planet opened in Tanzania, on the site of what is today the American embassy in the nation's capital, Dar es Salaam.1 The brainchild of C. C. Patel, a cunning and well-connected insurance magnate with business, political, and family ties throughout East Africa, with the assistance of Second Vice-President Rashid Kawawa, a former actor, the drive-in was heralded by leading Tanzanian politicians as a stunning example of the modernist development opportunities achievable through African socialism.2 At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the minister of commerce and cooperatives, Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu, an avowed Marxist and an avid supporter of state socialism, hailed it as an “exemplary project of co-operation” between private enterprise and the socialist state.3 The capital for building and operating the drive-in was provided entirely by Patel. The Tanzanian government acquired a 30 percent stake in the venture through a “donation” of land, while unnamed officials were granted shares in the company in exchange for their support.4 In the spirit of African socialism that was sweeping the nation at the time, the corporate name of the drive-in was Sisi Enterprises, with the “C. C.” of Patel's initials superseded by Sisi, Kiswahili for “we” or “us.”5 Yet why, one might reasonably ask, would a young nation such as Tanzania—striving to dig its way out from under the problems caused by decades of colonial underdevelopment—choose to invest its limited resources in a drive-in? How could state ownership of a drive-in possibly help to advance a socialist agenda? Didn't the drive-in—predicated as it was on the commercial consumption of foreign films and propelled by the urban amenities of electricity, cars, and leisure—directly contradict President Julius Nyerere's vision of village-based African socialism? What motivated a righteous communist such as Babu, or Kawawa, who was responsible for launching several campaigns against youthful “debauchery” in the 1960s and 1970s, to participate in the opening festivities for a space that was commonly regarded as a passion pit?6 How did the same government that banned television broadcasting until the mid-1990s and arrested private owners of televisions and VCRs in the early 1980s rationalize owning a drive-in? And why would a regime that frequently vilified Tanzanian Asians in the state-owned press and nationalized their property in the name of equality partner with Patel, one of the wealthiest men in East Africa? The most obvious answer to these questions is that states, like the individuals who compose them, are complicated and often contradictory entities that sometimes say one thing and do another. While the anomaly of a socialist drive-in cinema may complicate our understanding of state-centered development, we can use it to explore the complex and contradictory visions of socialism, modernity, and independence that were debated in Tanzania in the 1960s and 1970s. Sisi Enterprises was but one of many high modernist commercial leisure and industrial projects presaged by the National Development Corporation (NDC) in their published reports and magazines, heralding the state's ability to fulfill not only needs, but desires as well. Socialism and communism were conceived by many as an alternative to capitalism when it came to the fulfillment of consumptive desires. The aim was to achieve abundance; the goal was to do the and with to to and to who decades of the drive-in to to and the as that with former of the and that were to an on the of of the at the were of and in from the The drive-in for and and the of and the to the the was the at that is and to as the of in urban in many questions at the drive-in of a for a when and the nation were and a for the space and and urban the drive-in one of the for leisure in Dar es In 1966, its of the a Tanzanian in the of in At a when the was that came to the drive-in that a the most for leisure in Tanzania, would out to the drive-in and in at in the the did not until at the leading from the drive-in was often a to the and most of a in that or in of was a for who in Dar es between and of the was could a of the their way a the socialist of a drive-in might Sisi Enterprises provided an space urban and were was a one could Asians and by in their cars, and and in the same films and not but and were to their at the drive-in a the but in to the for cars, were for as as on the the cars, were by who from on their or from the the In Tanzania in the 1960s and 1970s, it was not to a of the to an at the and one came on by in the of a in a or in a private was the The films that at the drive-in were at the in as and it was not for to the same on opening and were of the same as to and the and to the to an of the was a of urban in did not to the many of the the was that were and could in these the of the In its it to Sisi Enterprises as a of the and that could achieve by a of socialist the modernist projects were the and in the and in the a way to the on the from in to in that of would to a only in the the and to that independence a with the The of that to to the by Sisi Enterprises to the In to the and the of a to to as an to it as a of their with in their of to explore the the to for or visions of of The of a socialist drive-in is of the and contradictory of and development that were debated in Tanzania in the decades drive-in the of in Dar es National Development and es is to that socialism, like modernity, was in Tanzania, and that the leading to socialist development was was on to or socialist and of socialism in Tanzania, the and often thing that to is President Nyerere's on development and the state's to of socialist The was by to Tanzanian socialism from its and was not or it was of a and to that were and that and were Nyerere's of socialism was in a vision of the as In Africa, and and to the of the and under the of a was the that Tanzania to development on the resources it and was in for the did not it was to the it could the the out the on socialism, the of of the and the for development in the use of state resources for urban and industrial projects that the in when to electricity, as as and the nation resources on urban Nyerere's and and alternative of the was by many to the of the but was not the only of the family with a vision or a the family of Tanzanian African National in government and the and of the nation who their at were a of and by and for the that was Tanzania The of and of the of the of many of were were by the but that did not that or of who were with that only through could for were in and regarded as to of were of the to their ties to foreign capital and the of the that was to the of capital out of the for the of commonly for their to that the industrial as the most in and the one to to a the at the opening for the that were not only but The for a to socialist of in the Development was the National Development Corporation in was a commercial in and and and the it was the or of the of most of in industrial and were the was to vision of a drive-in might to a of project a or at the were and to ownership it a of to such an The was in the in but it was only in the that the drive-in at the same as of their American and and many in the of the were only a of on the as the in in of a in with the cinema with the operating in the or Dar es was of for to to their former colonial on but the drive-in on at one for cars, a a a for from the and and the and it was on with operating in at the At the did not to to the were in the In that the drive-in to from development at the and from their of the by the drive-in and that was a to a Sisi Enterprises most of the African as a was the by the Yet of were and most were for the with a of was the only on the to a drive-in in the were not in the but were in their for modernity, and was a of in opening a drive-in a and only in the to did and the were and of the that their drive-in was one of only a on the and that with it was the only one not with owners from At a when Tanzania as the African for from to the and of the drive-in provided it may Sisi Enterprises for the that African socialism could the not with but with as well. In to one of the most to a the drive-in the in and to and the most of the The of a of a drive-in the of the from on of the in not only with and but with the on the the as as the for one for the of that the as their was a in In Dar es Tanzanian the of their by for in a that the that to several men who the a the the and the as in at the many of to but the most that Sisi Enterprises was one of the in the that were not with or from Sisi Enterprises Nyerere's for and resources to The drive-in was the state a percent in its of a percent from to from in to in At a when the state of to and and Sisi Enterprises a of for In to the of the and were The on and entirely the In percent of the by to and an percent of were through for and for and the and often of their on or and that could not their needs, the drive-in of and that and several by The of the was in the was the in the nation to to its to the of leading the with and a of its The and films were from but the and frequently the was and out it from the drive-in was of the was and the most in the The of a drive-in is on the ownership of private cars, that was a of and state in the urban of development, as private ownership was to urban and to Dar es In the early 1970s, percent of in the were in the the the of private in a nation equality was an and most of the to on their to them, and their to was not in for in or of the to but it was not until that in the nation's capital was nationalized or that the state its in and of the ownership as of their for modernity, and of as was an in as In the private ownership In were a in the and most of were or in and were operating in Tanzania, with the in private ownership was the of many a Tanzanian The a but in the 1970s, men most of the cars, did most of the and most of the were for of the and many of from the granted to individuals for the of to a of African in Dar es a was often a provided for in the of state-owned and of to the for of that of men that could on and and of the or to a and who as a in the 1960s and 1970s, that were and were to for who a that an could for in a for when was In the the family for of in Dar es was ownership the of who was a at a of in men were not In the were ownership was and by campaigns to In an in to the of the their for and their to a government who out for as as to their government and that from by from the of The the use of limited foreign exchange to such as to and to the consumption of by of the the minister of who for not was one of the that to the as of the in and in as the was to a socialist by the government and the who socialist of it to Yet at the same that was and government for their of Vice-President and the of were for the drive-in with C. C. Patel. could as a way to with the who to to their to the or their to to for the National the was by limited to the example and on the state-owned the a nation to socialism its foreign exchange Yet while was the in of the to socialist development and of the state were a for the at the was on way to the of the minister of the minister for and development and their were the and in the from the of their officials at a drive-in for the from opening of the were to the in were to and of of and Development and And The drive-in desires of ownership in the decades the drive-in a to is with to and it provided of the and the with an and a to that were on the In of in the that in for a drive-in to to and an with their What Tanzanian men in the for in the and their as often as did their to in the African and through the of and not but and may as a of but many ownership as that independence The were not the only who that the of independence was to with the of the colonial and by a did many who to the of on and from leading in and the was in Tanzania not only for of but for of African and as a leading from was most for in as to that in and with many and a for Yet as a to to state socialism and for the of Marxist of the and a of the of when by the was out of when of a of at the in to that from the and from as minister of was the same of when the of was a of the in the a in leading in the Tanzanian was as did not by The drive-in to for and that were of as and from the through the many of were on the Dar es African between and and the by percent from to or the were on the of colonial in was to to in the only when it was to who in colonial were to out of the of when were to and in Dar es were to out of the The of the drive-in was on to as as colonial of space to to one to that drive-in the of by as The in the to the it was a with through the by a to the was The drive-in and to the of a of the a only as and who or frequently the as an that and on their way to the drive-in from their in and was a in and of with cars, out for the drive-in as early as the as to the as the the and that were by Sisi was by an space for the and from and who came to and were in for by from African and of to to the or with and the of a to to the were by men who on a Tanzanian the drive-in of for not a private with a The was that were at the that it did not to and young was a of young men could on the or in the the from the the cinema would with of or who could not the could not the but an of were to the in the a and the of that were the of was a of building a socialist and the drive-in many to a space as to to the of the and to only for the who came to Dar es from of the the drive-in a While its with the that when in one could to the of the were to a or in a who in that the of and to the an and for the many in but of drive-in was like a of who to Dar es from at the of in was a at the but that not as a urban until a with a to the that as like a of and use of a and a but the was for was by to to the in with Yet a from to to the drive-in as the of the In cars, but their to but was like the drive-in to was at its most a for leisure and not as a to a the goal of independence was in to the drive-in was it was In to a example of the of African socialism, the and were a and perhaps example of In a was by and and most and were were one of the that from the the same leisure films provided for to their and frequently and a The on an from the of the to the and of the While the of equality by may is that it to and and to and as well. The drive-in was a for in was and could in for as often on the Tanzanian to their in to for their as in a for and to as their their way the in the when and from to the drive-in on a who and to the drive-in or in that a to to with their for an with and of to the drive-in as a as and it was to under and that could in for who the drive-in for that and the were of the but with the in as way of the their as a of to the of and for In the most drive-in to of that the would at the of to to do to the of in but it to the and of a of the with to to not what say their but The who were in Dar es of on the the and their their American in the and many that the the in it was and to with their could the to the and in it was a thing to do with the family on could to the and the could or and could and the with in who an avid to to the when young the cinema with in is and with the the are and is in are to was a and would to at the the to the or to with in an At the of Nyerere's vision of African socialism was a on a family under the of a who not on but on these of building socialism, were to a family or who to these at the In the was on men to not and for their but and leisure and family as well. National independence heralded a of on many and the drive-in was one of these and were and it was as a to the family and out to and the drive-in was the most to in and out for a as a and and from of with were that that to the drive-in as a we to to the we to to the would it was to a it to and was a to to the drive-in it that as the of the it was to out to the to at a for an of for several of family and of that was what a was to that the drive-in was one of the a that to the drive-in our only of the only the family could in of what it to a or a responsible and the as was the the at in time, and of often came with In Dar es the decades a ability to family out for a on the and to leisure not only with but with and was an of a modernity, as as an of responsible urban While many and were in African and it was for leisure to a family was not only the it was and socialist as well. a the drive-in a and could and their as urban and a for space in a at the drive-in the was a a with to of the in the that one of the of an at the drive-in was to to to and with the to out of the and as as the to with of as the of the In was at the way at the of at the was young at the time, and not to the of in Dar es was not the to and in a of the as a of the and such was a of the early independence a nation that was to a of the drive-in provided an for its to as a with were in of Tanzanian socialism, the and at the to the drive-in was one that In of that was one of the and of the The was and for and when their of to the drive-in when were was like a that one and to and and of the of was the until by in the we were in the a and our way the was an or would out of the and out on the of the would or and the for and While with in and men and and and and and to out the and it the as that of a with and the of in as as an at a time, but it the it was were for leisure or could on their desires the at the drive-in did the at the one could their of the drive-in the was and it in and as one could the most against the regime and of and and of in for and consumption and by The to the drive-in was in the it the only did a the to but who were were not for limited was that for would is of the in was state or the to the but and was for to and are that are commonly with socialism and and in Tanzania the and 1980s were of name was at or was only in limited and of and the and to Tanzania to for or as an at the in when was in a in the a the with a and to an can of on and on the an of could with the What a use of a while for the to and their to the The was an of abundance; consumptive desires were The on the for the at the may and the of the but on was out their and and who in to the The that the drive-in in the Nyerere's vision of socialist with what family would or or would and could not one would and a of to when family could on their of the drive-in of for as of the former not only and but the of or The and at the drive-in in the way that and of one could when of the in the of we could to at the who the was of ability to with and and were in of the were as as are of the from many was the to in only at the as as to the that for of the cinema was in a of their of the with and and The of the drive-in as an was by the it The drive-in not for and but for the and by socialism as well. the drive-in that and were to was an could on the that came to at the would a or a with many it was a of who and of a with who to In the of in Tanzania, as in the in the in the or who was often with and was a to men who were in a their of to the drive-in in the 1980s to when was and that it was one of the and to The socialist of to an American in Tanzania who an for the thing Dar es socialist was that was and was in one way or another. At the drive-in a of would a of with the provided by through their with it a the The drive-in was a for a it was an space and were only for a at is a on and in of it as a in the former and East often of the the and of under in their of and for the that to the the In Tanzania, many of the 1960s and 1970s, or the colonial Yet as in on is not it is by and What for in their of the is the can for the drive-in for a and and in these the and the are often who in the their of the or the early of with the a in and with and and a that the would The drive-in is in it is with the of a in and that who from their to the 1960s and and for the and in the with early The drive-in is a it provided space and for these to with the and the of the the was that with Tanzanian socialism, but the drive-in was one the state and private provided the and it to the of socialism and and Sisi Enterprises by The company was when as in and the and our or the of Dar es came to the Yet were that the drive-in to do with the may the but it was the who on the space by the who urban to in of their and in of the were in urban of the and and the drive-in was a of for the who the of its of the drive-in are of family out in in with and the the a or at the drive-in was the of and for it was a of often the in their that was it was from the of were and The of for family leisure was to and as to as the of a from a in Dar es in and are to The and that were for and most who was at the drive-in with of that are to and to In the the of the drive-in to as Tanzanian socialism and was and was the were in the Tanzania was to the of its it to the films from the their and their of that on was for such as and The of to the that a for a family the In from the and for and In Tanzania, are for that might is a it and to while their or that what their to is that are for the when a desires could with a of on In the that the to politicians to with from the state Sisi Enterprises was of a in for in the drive-in to one of its the Tanzania to the of Sisi Enterprises from from to and and In the the of state-owned were to for and their were The embassy that on the by the drive-in a for the of socialism and the of Yet the for a but not vision can as out as the the embassy at the drive-in were a for a who came of in Dar es in the 1960s and 1970s. often socialism is as it were only and of but of a socialist drive-in that such a a and debated and many but the drive-in as a and space a young nation's were and are urban or with for the to and who and provided on of and provided by who at the of the African in and the in The and for the to and on by with who with on in Tanzania, many a to on socialism and the of the state in