People with land disputes flock to Makonda’s office

Dar es Salaam. Hundreds of people have been turning up at the offices of the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner, Mr Paul Makonda, seeking help in solving land disputes, property inheritance problems, unemployment and other challenges they were facing.

While most of the folk are Dar es Salaam residents, others come from neighboring districts of the Coast region who have somehow made it necessary for the RC’s office in Dar es Salaam to formulate special procedures for them.

Speaking to The Citizen in Dar es Salaam, some of the citizens said most of the land disputes in their areas are caused by officials of local government authorities whom they accused of taking bribes in order to favour the rich.

A Chasimba resident, Bakari Mussa, said he won case against a person who invaded his plot of land, but another person re-surfaced just as soon, claiming to have been sold the same piece of land by the person he defeated in court!

"I’m looking for legal assistance after the court stopped development of the land following objections filed at the court by this other claimant. However, I hope the RC will provide a lasting solution to this,” Mussa said.

Ms Shadia Bakari who couldn’t control her tears said she's been seeking justice for more than 17 years after winning a case on a plot of land that was invaded. But, her efforts have so far been in vain.

“I have suffered during all these years – and my hope now remains with your office; please help me,” Ms Bakari told Mr Makonda who assured her that her will be attended to.

Commenting on the matter, Ms Georgia Kamina – who leads a team of 150 legal experts from a school of law, social welfare, labour offices, police and independent lawyers – said Tanzanians have responded in large numbers to the regional commissioner’s initiative.

Promising that all of them will be attended to as appropriate, Ms Kamina confirmed that most of the complainants who had been attended to so far had land dispute problems, while others were facing inheritance and unemployment problems.

Stressing that “everybody will be attended to, and be provided with professional advice on the best way of solving their problems,” Ms Kamina said "we will provide this service upto February 2 this year. We have volunteered to assist the RC by doing this job,” she said.

Earlier on, Mr Makonda had cautioned lawyers in general to avoid making judgements on cases the cases which they were working on. They should instead just provide professional advice and related assistance, after which they should prepare a report and hand same to him as the regional commissioner and initiator of the program.

“Your report should propose measures to be taken within my jurisdiction (as RC, Dar es Salaam region), and those outside my authority. You are not magistrates to make judgement on the people’s problems; listen to them as you listen to your employer, because citizens are really our employer,” he said.

 (Written by Peter Elias, Hellen Nachilongo and Gladys Mbwiga)