Tibaijuka issues yet another threat

By Sylivester Ernest,  The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. She put land grabbers on notice 10 months ago, seemingly with little effect. Yesterday, minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Anna Tibaijuka was at it again—threatening to evict people who have grabbed public land, including open spaces.This time, though, she declared that the ministry would launch an operation to repossess the grabbed plots.
The minister told the land grabbers to immediately surrender their ill-gotten plots or risk eviction and legal action.

Speaking at a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Prof Tibaijuka announced the beginning of what she termed an ‘Operation to Restore Urban Order’ in which the general planning schemes, master plans, interim land use plans and detailed layouts available in the four cities, 17 Municipals and 90 townships would be followed in developing construction projects.

The tough-talking minister said there was no way she would allow people to abuse the laws of the country and occupy plots supported by fake title deeds.Asked what had triggered her comments, Prof Tibaijuka said she was alarmed by the report of the commission formed by the former regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, Mr William Lukuvi, which established that the city was violating the law by allowing invaders to build in open spaces that had been set aside for other uses.

The minister said 88 areas out of 110 (equivalent to 80 per cent) of open spaces in Kinondoni, 11 out of 30 (37 per cent) in Ilala and five out of 14 (30 per cent) in Temeke have been invaded.“We can’t continue seeing things go like this,” Prof Tibaijuka said. “It is within my jurisdiction to rescind all the fake title deeds. The President will deal only with those that are valid.”

The former executive director of UN-Habitat said enough was enough and she wanted to see the law take its course. She added: “The honeymoon is over... I didn’t come all the way from the UN to solve land disputes here, this is not a small issue and many will be affected… let everyone abide by the prevailing laws or face them.”

She cautioned the public against receiving land ownership documents from unknown people. “The public should follow the procedures,” she added. “We will continue dealing with those officials who are corrupt.”

Public servants found to have dished out title deeds illegally can expect to be prosecuted, if Prof Tibaijuka has her way.  While revealing that some councils, which she did not name, had been abusing the delegated mandate to distribute lands, the South Muleba MP (CCM) said such authorities would soon be stripped of their powers.

“Some councils have been the source of all these disputes and the cases in courts... it is about time they lose their powers… all the allocations and title deeds will be provided by my office,” she added.
On August 29 this year, the ministry directed local authorities to demolish all centres that were being used illegally as unauthorised garages, pubs and restaurants.

The minister was quick to add, though, that human rights would be upheld during the exercise, including giving ample time to encroachers to leave the areas if they had developed them.

During the meeting with reporters yesterday, the minister gave examples of areas whose use had been changed. They include Mikocheni stabilisation ponds. Her deputy, Mr Goodluck ole Medeye, identified 10 such areas in Mbezi and Kawe. The ministry rescinded the ownership documentations with immediate effect.
When moving her budget speech in the just-concluded Bunge session in Dodoma, Prof Tibaijuka wa confronted by enraged MPs who accused her of losing steam.

Debating budget estimates for the ministry last month, some MPs suggested Prof Tibaijuka’s pace of work in dealing with cases of corruption had been slowed down by shady cliques.

Said Halima Mdee (Kawe-Chadema), who is the Shadow Minister in the docket:  “When you were appointed to the Lands portfolio, you worked very hard to sweep away questionable deals involving land allocations but that speed has been slowed down by forces beyond your control.”

Pauline Gekut (Special seats—Chadema), backed Ms Mdee’s views, and added: “The minister (Prof Tibaijuka) is not working the way she used to when she was appointed to lead the ministry. She might have been silenced by big shots who own large chunks of land.”