Tanzanian gov't urged to invest in land management plans
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E-mail Xinhua, May 27, 2017
DAR ES SALAAM, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Members of Parliament on Friday urged the Tanzanian government to invest in strategic land management plans that will solve fiery land conflicts across the East African nation.
The MPs from both the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and opposition parties said land conflicts across the country led to loss of lives and property, especially when livestock keepers and farmers clashed over land.
Debating budget estimates for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, the MPs also advised the government to begin a nationwide land survey and repossession of all undeveloped land most of which were owned by investors and politicians.
Joseph Selasini, an MP of opposition Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), said the lack of strategic land plan allowed foreign nationals to grab swathes of land under the guise of investment only to lease them to locals.
Omar Kigua, a CCM MP for Kilindi constituency, told the august House that his constituency was seriously affected with land conflicts mainly between farmers and pastoralists.
"The solution is to survey the country's land as soon as possible and create national land use plan. I know the process has started in Morogoro region but it has to be fast tracked to the rest of the country," he said.
Yusuf Salim Hussein, an MP for Chambani on the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), said only 15 percent of the entire land in the country was surveyed, causing land disputes in the remaining 85 percent of unsurveyed land.
Martha Umbulla, an MP for women's Special Seats for CCM, said demand for land in Tanzania was growing faster as population kept on growing.
William Lukuvi, Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, said the government in cooperation with private sector has embarked on land survey missions across the country using state-of-the-art surveying facilities.
He also assured the MPs that his ministry had started repossession of underdeveloped land, vowing to increase the pace of the exercise. Enditem
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