Yes, In My Lifetime: Selected works of Haroub Othman

“When he was completely disheartened, when the prospects for change seemed remote, Haroub would say ‘not in my lifetime’. But while he was occasionally disheartened, Haroub was never disillusioned, and he rejoiced with the rest when victory and unity were scored by or for the African people and all other oppressed people of the world. Consequently, Haroub also made the same statement when affirming his belief in the resilience of the people, their struggles and their desire for freedom, solidarity and unity.

This book is about the events and the people that left a lasting stamp on Haroub’s life. There were many instances of yes, in my lifetime, which Haroub witnessed and which strengthened his unshakeable faith in the ability of the people to overcome.” Yes, In My Lifetime is a collection of selected articles and essays by Haroub Othman, written over the span of his career of nearly four decades. Originally appearing in a wide range of fora, the writings reflect Othman’s growth as an intellectual and an activist. They also encapsulate his life’s passions – the plight of the people and their struggles for their rights, the state of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and international solidarity with the oppressed the world over. A child of Zanzibar, Othman, fought long and hard for the unity of those islands, and for their continued presence in the Union, and the set of articles in that section pay homage to that work. Haroub Othman was a professor of development studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, having specialised in international law and political science. He was still working with the University when he passed away in 2009. His many Kiswahili writings are unfortunately not included in this book.

About the author
Saida Yahya-Othman is a recently retired associate professor of language and linguistics at the University of Dar es Salaam. She was Haroub Othman’s lifelong partner.

International availability:
This book is internationally distributed by African Books Collective