Manji pulls out of Coco Beach ownership row

Quality Group chairman Yusuph Manji

What you need to know:

  • In an advert ran in some newspapers yesterday, Quality Group chairman Yusuph Manji, said the decision was in compliance with President John Magufuli’s directive for the area to be left for public use.
  • Mr Manji apologised to President Magufuli for any inconvenience.

Dar es Salaam: Q-Consult, a subsidiary of Quality Group Limited, has said has it has seceded ownership of the Coco Beach ownership area along the Indian Ocean.

In an advert ran in some newspapers yesterday, Quality Group chairman Yusuph Manji, said the decision was in compliance with President John Magufuli’s directive for the area to be left for public use.

Mr Manji apologised to President Magufuli for any inconvenience.

In 2005, the Kinondoni Municipal Council announced a tender for the development of the area.

Q-Consult won the tender and in 2007 a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the company and the municipality.

However, in 2009 Q-Consult filed a case at the High Court Land Division after the municipality delayed to implement the MoU.

The court ruled in favour of Q-Consult and ordered the municipal council to honour the MoU.

After President Magufuli’s directive, the attorney general’s office appealed against the decision.

However, Mr Manji said he had directed his lawyers to pull out of the appeal, which was filed by the AG’s office.

“Recognising the government’s directive, we obey the order and leave the area for public use,” said Mr Manji in a statement. “We also apologise for any inconveniences we have caused to all parties whom we offended during the legal dispute of more than a year, something which was unexpected and we are very saddened by that. We won’t ask any repayment of the costs we have incurred because our financial interests aren’t bigger than the public’s.”

He also commmended President Magufuli’s efforts in ensuring proper management of the country’s resources.