The late Chachage Seithy Loth was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania. He had a PhD in sociology from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and an MA and BA in Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam. Prof Chachage researched, consulted, and published extensively on this field.
Prof Chachage headed the UDSM department of Sociology at various periods and was an Associate Dean of Research and Publications at UDSM from 2000 to 2003. He was the chairperson of the CODESRIA Scientific Committee from 1995 to 1998 and also a member of CODESRIA’s executive committee from 2005 until his death in 2006. He had also written a number of Kiswahili novels, the most famous ones being “Makuadi wa Soko Huria” and “Sudi ya Yohana”.
He was a distinguished member of the University of Dar es Salaam Academic Staff Assembly (UDASA) and leader who strongly believed and consistently fought for the academic freedom of African intellectuals. He served UDASA in various capacities and in honour of his commitment to advancing academic freedom and social justice in Tanzania and beyond, a Chachage Scholarship was launched by UDASA in 2012 which provides an opportunity for candidates with academic potential to pursue a postgraduate degree in any academic field at UDSM.
