Robert Bin Shaaban

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Shaaban bin Robert, also known as Shaaban Robert (1 January 1909 – 22 June 1962), was a Tanzanian poet and author who supported the preservation of African verse traditions. He was born in Vibamba in the country's Tanga Region.

His name brings to mind the fresh memories of this intellectual's immense contribution to the promotion of the Swahili language and the struggle for the dignity of mankind. He was a humanist and fought at every level any injustice or oppression. He agitated for freedom and gender equality, and was against racial and religious discrimination. His was also equal respect for both Muslims and Christians. That is depicted by his two unusual names (Shaaban--Muslim name and Robert, a Christian name).

"This true son of Tanzania has contributed a lot for the development of literature in the country and deserves a befitting tribute for his literary work," remarked Dr Frowin Nyoni, Head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts of the University of Dar es Salaam. Dr Nyoni, who has widely read the books of Shaaban Robert, added that if we had followed appropriately the work of the late prolific writer of prose and poems, Tanzania could have been in different heights today as far as the language of Swahili is concerned.

Tanzania's first preseident, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, had complete admiration for the late Shaaban Robert, and greatly valued and promoted his intellectual work. Perhaps, Mwalimu, himself a poet, missed the legendary writer as he hardly lived after independence. Sheikh Shaaban Robert died on June 22, 1962, and was buried at his Machui birthplace, on the outskirts of Tanga City.

Sheikh Shaaban Robert succeeded to write essay books, prose and poems and some of his literature is part of the must-school and higher education reading. Some of his best books include 'Maisha Yangu na Baada ya Miaka Hamsini', 'Kusadikika' and 'Wasifu wa Siti binti Saad'.

Although he had little formal education, Sheikh Shaaban Robert is reckoned as the great Swahili thinker and writer in East Africa and dubbed as the "Father of modern Swahili literature."

Shaaban Robert received his initial education at the Msimbazi School in Dar es Salaam between 1922 and 1926. He later moved to Tanga where he worked at the colonial civil service as a clerk at the Customs Department in Pangani. He worked there for 18 years until 1944 when he moved to the Wildlife Department.

Between 1946 and 1952 he worked at the Tanga Provincial Commissioner's Office and the Tanga Planning Office. While employed, Sheikh Shaaban Robert had never given up his open and silent struggle to liberate the country from the shackles of colonialism. He worked very closely with the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and Mwalimu Nyerere.

He was married three times and is survived by ten children.^[1]

The capital city of Dar es Salaam is home to a school named after him, the Shaaban Robert Secondary School.

[edit] Bibliography:

Robert, Shaaban (trans.): OMAR KHAYYAM KWA KISWAHILI London: Macmillan, 1952, (Swahili translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, translator's pref. (in Swahili) dated Tanga, 1948.)
Bin Robert, Shaaban: Utubora Mkulima (Diwani Ya Shaaban 8) Nelson, London, 1968
Robert, Shaaban: Koja La Lugha Oxford Univ, Nairobi, 1969