By Daniel Msangya, The Citizen Correspondent
Dodoma. The government said yesterday that it has no basis of repossessing a 326-acres farm at Mvomero Village in Morogoro region owned by Ms Esther Sumaye.

Deputy minister for Lands, Housing and Settlements Development Goodluck Ole Medeye told the Parliament yesterday that the repossession of the farmland would amount to infringement on property ownership rights stipulated in the Constitution.

He told the lawmakers that Ms Sumaye bought the farm in November 2001 and followed required procurement procedures to own the land.

“The government has no plans to repossess the farm because it is legally owned by Ms Esther Sumaye and the owner has developed the farm as required by the law,” the deputy minister said.

“The government respect all rights of the owner and would not reposses the farm because doing so would lead to infringement of property ownership rights stipulated under section 24 (1) and (2) of the Constitution,” noted Mr Medeye when clarifying on the question raised by Mvomero MP (CCM) Amos Makalla.

According to the deputy minister, the farmland, with certificate number 21919, was first under the ownership of Onasaa Waryaeli Kisanga and Mesaki Josiah Ndanshau under the name of Mvomero Farm Limited.

“Documents available in my ministry show that the farm was first owned by Mvomero Farmers Limited of Morogoro since 1978 up to 1985 when it was transferred to another owner, Wami Company & Magole Farmers Cooperative Society Limited of Morogoro, who in March 1996 changed its business name to Morogoro Farmers Primary Society Limited,” the deputy minister told MPs.

However, he said, by November 27, 2001, the company sold the farm to a new owner, Ms Esther Sumaye, after completion of the procurement process, including payment of transfer fee in 2002, according to the 1999 Land Act number 4.

The deputy minister was reacting to a question by the Mvomero MP who wanted to know why the government had opted to sale the land to Ms Sumaye instead the villagers living the surrounding areas.

Mr Makalla wanted the government to revert the ownership of the land and hand it over to the village, as the land has remained idle for years while the villager face shortage of land.

 In his primary question, the lawmaker said the farm, which was initially owned by a cooperative society and sold to Mr Fredrick Sumaye, has caused disputes between the current owner and villagers who wanted a potion for residential settlement and farming.

He asked the government to explain the procedures used to privatise the farm to Mr Sumaye instead of giving priority to over 12,000 villagers.

The MP also asked the government to issue a statement on the presidential promise to find permanent solution towards the land dispute at Mvomero Village made during last year’s General Election.

In his response, the deputy minister said the villagers requested the land in 1988 through their MP but there were no document was available to support their complaints against the legal ownership of the farm.

“The President had promised to help resolve the disputes, but after he was informed on legal procedures used by the owner to acquire that land, he respects the rights of property ownership,” said Mr Madeye.

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