Lukuvi issues demolition order

Morogoro. The Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, has directed town planners and land officers to immediately demolish without notice houses built in unplanned areas.

He issued the directive on Saturday when addressing residents of Bigwa in Morogoro District before handing over title deeds.

Mr Lukuvi said this was part of a formalisation exercise being carried out throughout the country, and which was aimed at enabling all people to own land.

“The first people to be given priority in relocation are those displaced by urban planning development. They were living in areas which the government decided to turn into towns. These must be given priority when surveying land and providing title deeds,” he stressed. Mr Lukuvi warned however that not all those who had built houses or other structures in urban areas qualified for title deeds. “There are some who have built structures without following procedures. This means that they have invaded land meant for schools and hospitals. Such people’s houses must be demolished immediately,” he told town planners and land officers.

Mr Lukuvi criticised town planners and land officers for “sleeping on the job” and allowing people to build houses and other structures haphazardly.

He said the majority of town planners were spending most of the time in the comfort of their offices instead of being in the field.

“To ensure that you work according to the public’s expectations, I will introduce logbooks for each officer to sign and indicate what he or she has lined up for that particular day. If you will underperform for six months to a year, consider yourself jobless,” the minister said before handing out 33 title deeds.

Morogoro Region Land Commissioner Juliana Pilla said 1,863 title deeds had been prepared since July 1, ready to be presented to recipients in various parts of the region.