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The Samatta I Know Joseph Sinde Warioba32 One day someone approached me and said he wished to have a word with Chief Justice Samatta. “But the man always wears a serious and intimidating look and I am rather scared to accost him,” he said. I jokingly told him that “the Chief Justice is an elephant and you are one blind man who has touched a part and you think it is the whole elephant.” I have known Judge Barnabas Albert Samatta for almost fifty years. We met at Tabora Secondary School in 1961. We joined the University of East Africa, Dar es Salaam Campus (Dar es salaam University College) in 1963. We joined the Attorney General’s Chambers on the same day, April 5, 1966. We rose through the ranks and Samatta became Director of Public Prosecutions and I became Attorney General. B.A, as we who were close called him, is a man of compartments. In class he listened keenly and with a lot of attention. He captured the essence of the lesson or lecture. At leisure time he was completely relaxed and enjoyed whatever was in front of him with complete abandon. He was jovial and jocular. At one time at Tabora School he played the role of Mac Beth in a drama production. He looked so serious and intimidating one would have thought he was the real Mac Beth! At another time when we were at the University he became the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Students’ Union. We then had the habit of installing leaders and then toppling them. We toppled 32.Judge Warioba served in different capacities in the government of the United Republic of Tanzania: Prime Minister, Attorney General and Minister for Justice. He also served as Judge at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea from 1996-1999. Between 2001 and 2006 he served as a Judge of the East African Court of Justice. 34 RULE OF LAW VERSUS RULERS OF LAW the President and the Speaker acted as President during the interim. Efforts to topple him failed miserably. He was keen and forceful. We used all the rules and tricks to try and topple him and he used the same rules and defeated us at every turn. At the end of the debate in the student union or lecture for that matter, we would go to our watering hole at Yenu Bar located not far from the University, at Ubungo. B. A. would be relaxed and joking with all, even those who had constantly but plotted the abortive coups. He would jokingly impose a “fine” if one did not order the “correct” drink. It was great fun. At work in the Attorney General’s Chambers, B.A behaved in a similar fashion. As young prosecutors we used to prepare very carefully for court appearance, including holding sessions or conferences where some would act as devils’ advocates. B.A. was good at this. Prior to appearing before a judge he would master all the issues in the case, including what constituted exonerating circumstances. As DPP he made sure those under him did the same. As a judge he performed his duties with utter seriousness and at leisure time he was the same relaxed and jovial B.A. B.A. has maintained his life by focusing on the things he is doing at that particular time. At work he concentrated all his faculties to the issue before him. He would look serious and sometimes intimidating but would fundamentally transform thereafter, or during the breaks. Those who saw him at study sessions or at work would think he is a “wooden” man. Those who socialized with him at leisure time certainly enjoyed his jokes. He is an elephant among blind men. On a serious note, Justice Samatta is a brilliant individual. He performed very well at school and university and he distinguished himself in his professional life. He rose to the utmost peak in his profession and as Chief Justice he was head of one of the three pillars of the State. However, he still remained humble and ordinary. He has never been a show-off. Justice Samatta is a very moral man and also a man of proper etiquette. He is neither mean nor a lavish spender. He has always dressed well according to the occasion but avoided extravagance. JusticeSamattahasbeenabastionofintegrity.Heistotallyincorruptible in every sense of the word. He is a fervent believer in the rule of law and justice...

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