Only 13pc of villages under land use plans, says govt

Dar es Salaam. The government said on November 24, that only 1,731 villages out of 12,545 villages, which is equivalent to 13 per cent, have village land use plans (VLUPs).

The National Land Use Planning Commission (NLUPC) director-general, Dr Stephen Nindi, told stakeholders attending a breakfast debate organised by Policy Forum that 49 districts out of over 150 had directives on land use plans (DLUFPs).

“We have trained leaders from 110 districts responsible for land use and planning in districts and villages. Still the government, development partners, the media and members of the public have a long way to go in mobilising resources to ensure the job is completed,” he noted.

During debate under the theme, “People-centred land governance: the solution for protecting the rights of the poor and vulnerable in Tanzania?” Dr Nindi said the government was committed to speeding up land use planning process to reduce land conflicts in the country.

According to him, the government through the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development will ensure all villages are planned, mapped and given ownership in the next 10 years.

“This will benefit the country by reducing land disputes. Citizens will legally be able to protect their land and free to invest in various activities. Environmental protection and conservation will be assured,” he said.

During his presentation entitled, “Tanzania’s Participatory Village Land Use Planning: A Tool for Community Land Protection and People Centered Land Governance”, Dr Nindi suggested that the country needed to address roles and functions of institutions (formal and informal) in support of industrial transformation.

“We are supposed to address how the LUPs connectivity can influence markets, business, equity networks and employment creation and how governance practices (public, non-public and private) can support transformation,” he said.

He noted that the roles of modern technologies and information communication technologies and land use plans should be viewed in strategic plans and policies.