Nkrumah Hall: Post-Colonial Heritage Making and Ideological Legitimacy in Tanzania

Abstract

This article examines the gradual making of Nkrumah Hall into a national heritage of Tanzania by investigating the historical and social processes that converted a university building into an edifice of national importance. Through direct observation and by using data obtained from interviews and secondary sources, the article analyses the dynamics of ideological discourse and pan-African sentiments, and their centrality in the popular image of Nkrumah Hall. It as well examines the role of charismatic leadership in heritage production, analysing the intricate relationship between the hall and some key personalities that have been associated with it. The article also reflects on how the importance attached to the hall stressed its physical quality, that is, the elegance and unique architectural design. Furthermore, it argues that the iconic status of Nkrumah Hall is facilitated and entrenched by the centrality of knowledge in both the earliest and contemporary quests for ideological legitimacy in Tanzania. The article concludes by situating the heritage status of Nkrumah Hall in the context of the socially-embedded university.