My journey into this beautiful, often unfathomable world began in February 1947
I am Mussa Khamis Mussa. Most people know me by my nickname Baucha.
I was born in Zanzibar in February 1947 as the fifth child of my parents - Khamis Mussa and Khadija Osman.
At that time, Zanzibar was a Sultanate and colonized by the British Crown.
In the year I was born, Sayyid Sir Khalifa II bin Harub was Sultan of Zanzibar. Until the revolution in 1964, I was to experience two more sultans - Abdullah ibn Khalifa and Jamshid ibn Abdullah.
During my childhood and before Zanzibar was a British protectorate until 1964.
This meant that all political and economic decisions were made
[Me (3rd from left) and some of my siblings and friends on the roof top of Malindi house]
by the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northan Ireland through the British Resident (*) in Zanzibar.
In the year I was born Sir Vincent Glenday was the British Resident. The Sultan of Zanzibar had more of a representative role at that time.
After 1947, more siblings were born in our family, making twelve brothers and sisters.
At that time we lived in Makunduchi in the south of Unguja (Zanzibar). In 1952 we shifted to Stonetown after my father retiered from his post as a Regional Commissioner for the British Protectorate.
(*) The head of the British administration in Zanzibar held the title of British Resident , not Governor.