AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements, Mr William Lukuvi has directed city, municipal and district councils in the country to implement land regularisation and allocation.
Also, areas suitable for development should be identified and planned.
“Registered private companies should be involved in this exercise. Squatter plots should be regularized. However, people living on the squatter plots should not be evicted,” he said.
Minister Likuvi issued the directive recently during his tour in Kagera Region.
He challenged leaders in Bukoba Municipality to collaborate with Bukoba District Council on how to extend the municipality area.
“Councils should also set the minimum land area to be occupied by an individual. This will stop tycoons from hoarding big portion of land,” he said.
He tasked Councils in the country to set up by-laws on pattern of buildings and colours on the buildings.
This will make our cities and towns modern and more beautiful, he said.
According to Mr Lukuvi, a committee comprising experts from four Ministries- Lands, Housing and Human Settlements, Agriculture and Livestock, TAMISEMI and National Defence was going around the country to collect data on major land disputes.
After collecting data the committee will forward its recommendations to ministerial level for further action, he said.
“While land regularization on one hand ensures legal recognition of land acquired irregularly, promote security of land tenure and expected to reduce the level of poverty to individual land holders and nation at large, on the other hand it is employed as a methodological approach to illustrate the end of land monopoly to individuals who are in a position to obtain land through legal channels as opposed to majority of disadvantaged population who are unable to obtain land through legal channels.,” he said.
