Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE iconic Selander Bridge Police Station would pass for an ‘ideal place’ for the wrongdoers to cool their heels during cold nights.
However, unknown to many people, the historic cell which sits along the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road in Dar es Salaam, was once a hotel.
The facility had to hurriedly but meticulously be turned into a police station, thanks to the liberation movement, with Tanzania leading from the front.
“The Boers were very upset with countries that led the liberation struggles during that time, it was actually here where South African commandos pitched camp at Kigamboni before proceeding to set a bomb at the Selander Bridge,” revealed former President Jakaya Kikwete at a symposium to mark the 40th anniversary since the establishment of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which was organized by the University for Dar es Salaam (UDSM).
Dr Kikwete, who served the country between 2005 and 2015, further revealed how the 92 year-old bridge was too strong for the explosive to detonate, adding that there was a book that will delve on the details of the liberation struggles and Selander bridge survival.
“The threat raised an alarm and called for beefing up of security in the area, hence the police station we see to date,” he disclosed.
The bridge was named after John Einar Selander, Tanganyika’s first Director of Public Works.
So volatile was the situation back then, that people living around the bridge weren’t allowed to switch on their lights
“There was a time where people living in the surrounding Selander Bridge were not allowed to switch on their lights, lest they get exposed to any potential threat.
He added: Some of the front liners, including Tanzania grappled with difficult moments but they still soldiered on and accomplished the mission.
Leading the mission from the front, Tanzania bore the most brunt, including threats to its infrastructure and its people.
The country played a crucial role in its support of Southern African Liberation Movements.
It was closely involved in several groups and organizations that aided the liberation struggle.
Of these, the most well-known was the then Organization of African Unity (OAU).
