Africa-Press – Tanzania. MORE than 3,000 people have received free legal aid services from the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs since the beginning of the 49th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), on June 28, 2025.
This was revealed by the Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, during his visit to the ministry’s pavilion at the fair.
The minister not only inspected the ongoing services but also joined legal officers in providing direct assistance to citizens seeking legal help.
“So far, we have served 3,259 people. These are individuals who physically came here to seek legal support. Among them, 1,899 were women and 1,360 were men,” said Dr Ndumbaro, adding, “I am here today personally assisting citizens and the numbers are still growing. I will be here the whole day and continue offering these services.”
According to the minister, over 500 legal disputes have already been resolved at the fair, most of them involving issues related to land conflicts, inheritance, marriage and divorce, gender-based violence, criminal cases and civil claims.
The initiative is part of the ongoing Samia Legal Aid Campaign, spearheaded by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which aims to bring legal services closer to citizens, particularly those who cannot easily access legal offices due to financial or geographical barriers.
“President Samia has deployed legal professionals to ensure Tanzanians access justice without barriers,” said Dr Ndumbaro.
He added, “This year, the legal aid booth has become one of the most impactful features of the trade fair. It is no surprise we earned first place in the exhibition rankings; it shows how well-prepared our ministry is.”
He also pointed out that legal officers have been strategically stationed in Dar es Salaam to reach communities that otherwise struggle to get legal support.
Dr Ndumbaro cited a success story from the June outreach campaign, where a long-standing land compensation dispute resulted in a court-mediated agreement requiring one party to build a house for the other as part of restitution.
He commended the dedication of legal officers who have been deployed from various parts of the legal sector to serve attendees in Dar es Salaam.
The minister also recalled the same campaign held earlier in June, where several long-standing disputes were resolved, including the case in which a beneficiary won compensation in the form of a house following years of unresolved claims.
He reaffirmed that the government, under President Samia’s leadership, is committed to ensuring that justice is accessible to all Tanzanians and that legal aid will continue to be a key priority in reaching underserved communities.
Numerous attendees expressed gratitude. A resident of Temeke emotionally recounted years of being ignored by local leaders and regional offices before finally receiving assistance at the fair.
“I have been carrying documents everywhere, RCs, DCs and other offices but today, I have finally been heard,” he said.
Another group of 1,952 claimants from Ikwiriri, Kibiti and Mkuranga also used the opportunity to follow up on their pending compensation claims involving Kilwa Energy, dating back to 2011.
Dr Ndumbaro immediately assigned one of his assistants to follow up on their case in collaboration with relevant authorities.
“We have been seeking justice since 2017 with no success. This initiative gives us renewed hope,” said one of the claimants, Athuman Karanda.
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