Dar es Salaam. The government has reiterated its intention to repossess all land for which title deeds have been issued, but which has remained idle for a long time. Speaking at public meetings in Tanga Region on Thursday, President John Magufuli said once the land was repossessed, it would be distributed to people who would use it.
Dr Magufuli said he had already revoked ownership of five estates with a total of 14,000 acres which were left idle for many years.
The
President arrived in the region by road and addressed a number of meetings in
Handeni, Korogwe and Muheza districts. He is expected to officiate at the
laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the 1,400km Hoima-Tanga
oil pipeline alongside his Ugandan counterpart, Mr Yoweri Museveni, tomorrow.
“Here
in Tanga, land ownership has always been a contentious matter, but my
government is determined to end the land disputes. Out of 72 estates that have
been lying idle for years, I have already revoked ownership of five.
“The
commissioner for lands has already issued notice to 12 owners. I’m waiting for
the minister to present the files to me and I will not hesitate to revoke their
ownership,” he said while addressing residents of Mkanyageni in Muheza District.
According
to the President, while majority of the poor residents were struggling for
farming land, estate owners failed to develop the swathes of lands and instead
used the tittle deeds to access hefty loans from local and foreign banks and
run other businesses.
“The people were barred from accessing the lands, and the few times that they tried to they were met with state apparatus. The estates became a breeding ground for snakes, this is unacceptable,” he said.
