Ownership of 1,870ha of rice fields revoked
The Kapunga rice project. The Lands ministry has revoked ownership of 1,870 out of 7,370 hectares owned by an investor in Mbarali District. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
On Thursday, the Commissioner for Lands at the ministry, Dr Moses Kusiluka, confirmed to have ordered the return of the land for distribution to the villagers
In January 2014, Kapunga Village chairman John Nyoni told the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements, Prof Anna Tibaijuka, that in 1995 villagers provided 5,500 hectares to the National Food and Agriculture Corporation (Nafco) for a special rice production programme. Nafco provided the land to an investor.
Mbarali. The Lands ministry has revoked the ownership of 1,870 out of 7,370 hectares of land owned by Kapunga Rice Project Limited in Mbarali District in Mbeya Region.
It ordered the investor to immediately surrender the land for distribution to villagers.
The land, which was formerly owned by locals, has been at the centre of a dispute between Mbarali residents and the investor for many years.
The villagers had in 1995 given 5,500 hectares to the National Agriculture and Food Corporation (Nafco) for a rice production project. Nafco later gave 7,370 hectares to Kapunga Rice Project. The land covered the whole village, instead of 5,500 only.
The minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Christopher Chiza, made commitment in Parliament in 2009 and 2011 to end the Kapunga farm conflict by returning the land to locals. Over 4,400 residents of Mbarali who heavily depend of rice farming have demanded that the additional land be returned. They have been accusing authorities of neglecting them and favour ing the investor.
On Thursday, the Commissioner for Lands at the ministry, Dr Moses Kusiluka, confirmed to have ordered the return of the land for distribution to the villagers.
Already Mbarali District Council director Adam Mgoyi has received a letter from the ministry requiring him to inform the investor to surrender the land.
Dr Kusiluka told The Citizen on phone that the ministry had also withdrawn a title deed which the investor had presented in a bank to secure a loan for the project development.
He said, however, that the ministry had agreed with the investor that the title deed will be accepted by the bank after rectifications following the surrendering of part of the land and its new evaluation.
According to Mr Mgoyi, the return of the land to the locals will be a permanent solution to the dispute between the villagers and the investor.
