Public figures reject new Oysterbay plan

Dar es Salaam. Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Davis Mwamunyange and chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Justice (rtd) Damian Lubuva are among the high ranking retired and serving government officials in Oysterbay who are leading a move to shoot down the plan to allow construction of high-rise commercial and residential buildings in the area.

The group has petitioned the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development to shelve the plan which they fear would turn the “first class” residential suburb into a concrete jungle. Other prominent figures opposing the move include former Speaker of the National Assembly Pius Msekwa, permanent secretary in the ministry of East Africa Cooperation, Ms Joyce Mapunjo, Retired Judge Thomas Mihayo and the former Chief of Protocol Joshua Opanga.

In a letter to the director of urban planning and signed by 28 Oysterbay residents, the group wants the ministry to immediately halt the planned review of the existing Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan (2011-2031) to allow construction of high-rise commercial and residential structures of up to 30 or more storeys near their residences.

“To allow construction of structures of up to 30 floors is to disrupt the existing plan. We are rejecting any move to change Oysterbay into another Kariakoo and we want that to be understood,” they say in the letter seen by The Citizen.

The new revelation comes in the wake of reports that some city tycoons and other real estate dealers are steering an underground drive to have authorities change the existing land use plan in areas along Ali Hassan Mwinyi to Mwenge.

The proposed plan will cover a radius of 500 metres along the stretch from Selander Bridge to Mwenge, and will affect some parts of Oysterbay. It is within this radius of 500 metres where houses of the petitioners are located.

The director of urban planning in the lands ministry wrote to the residents exactly two months ago (on 15th October, 2015) to ask for their views on the proposed changes in the Oysterbay Redevelopment Plan as people who will be affected by the new plan.

The director says in his letter referenced CB.87/171/03/71 that some areas in Oysterbay are earmarked to allow structures of between 9 and 14 floors while others areas will allow structures of up to 30 floors.

He says in his letter that the review was necessitated by the fact that the proposed new plan will include parts of Oysterbay already covered under the existing Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan 2011-2031).

The Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan was endorsed in 2011 by the Cabinet chaired by President Jakaya Kikwete and is supposed to remain untouched for at least 5 years. The October 15 letter had requested the residents to file their views on 19 October 2015 when officials from the Lands ministry were due to collect their response. But in their reply, the residents say that the proposed plan would be unacceptable and that it was illegal.

“There is no sufficient and logical explanation as to why in a short period the ministry wants to review the existing plan. At this time when the nation is supposed to be extra careful with international capital that has the tendency of suppressing prosperity of the weak/poor, the Lands ministry, as the overseer and protector of settlements of the citizens should have not taken the leading role to wipe out development of our community,” reads the letter by the group.

“Which one among us or government officials and retirees have the ability to construct the storey buildings rising to 30 floors without selling their freedom and dignity? Where are we headed?” they queried.

“We, the residents of Oysterbay who have signed this letter would like to inform you that the plan that is proposed is illegal and unacceptable,” they say in their letter.

Most of the people occupying plots in Oysterbay are civil servants who bought them from the government late 1990s under a special arrangement and conditions for development of the areas.

The government, in consultation with the owners, initially endorsed Oysterbay a Development Plan for Oysterbay (2007-2011). This was replaced by the Oysterbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan (2011-2031) to prevent congestion of buildings, people and commercial activities at the area.

“Because that plan (Oyserbay-Masaki Redevelopment Plan) was endorsed by the government only four years ago, to review it as stated in your letter could be translated to mean a dirty trick to quietly remove owners of the area,” read the letter.

The ministry of land has, however, ruled out any possibility that it will allow conversion of the existing land use at the area.

“We are not going to review the existing plan. Wananchi have rejected it and the existing plan does not give a room for review until after 5 years,” permanent secretary in the lands ministry, Mr Alphayo Kidata told The Citizen on telephone last week.

Yesterday The Citizen exposed how some city tycoons are leading an underground move to overturn the land use in the prime area in what is seen as a crooked rush to secure real estate deals running into billions of dollars in development. They are seeking government approval to disregard restrictions on the construction of high-rise buildings, especially along Ali Hassan–Mwenge–New Bagamoyo roads. The developers are targeting deals that would see buildings of more than 30 storeys constructed along these roads. According to the present land use plan, only designs of buildings not exceeding six storeys are approved.

The silent move involves a 4km section of the road from Selander Bridge to Mwenge and would cover 500 metres radius along this stretch, affecting Oysterbay, Morroco, Kinondoni, Victoria, Mwenge and Parts of Kijitonyama. The move would be the latest in an on-and-off effort by the tycoons to alter the area’s development master plan. Sources informed The Citizen that officials in the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development are divided on the matter.

Those engineering the move have for the past one year been exerting enormous pressure within government, in which they have powerful backers, to allow the multi-billion real estate projects to take off.

Oysterbay and Masaki are known to be among the few remaining areas that were developed by colonial governments for their officials as well as representatives of international organisations. The area comprises home addresses of many senior and former government officials, including ministers and PSs.