Author: ALEXANDER SANGA, Mwanza
AfricaPress-Tanzania: MWANZA Regional Commissioner (RC) John Mongela has advised residents to turn up in large numbers legal aid during Legal Aid Week launched on Thursday in the region.
He said lawyers of all levels are in the city’s Gandhi grounds to listen and provide legal aid to residents.
Speaking in the city, the RC said legal aid would involve public education, raise awareness of their rights and how they could access legal services.
“I commend nongovernmental organisations involved in the provision of legal aid to help Mwanza residents know their rights and how to claim them,” said the RC.
He also applauded the Judiciary in the region for the timely dispensation of justice and provision of legal services.
For his part, Tanzania Law Society (TLS) Chairman in the region Lenin Njau advised people to build a culture of writing a will, saying it would to a large extent serve widows and other women access justice and avoid being stuck in long time disputes with the relatives of their spouses.
“According to various studies women are victims when it comes to enforcement of customary laws. The laws seem to be oppressive in nature. Thus, the will, which is a legal document that states how the deceased’s properties will be distributed, has a big role to play when the father of the house has gone.”
Managing Director of Kivulini Women’s Rights Organisation Yassin Ally commented that his association’s main task was the provision of legal aid, especially to vulnerable members of society.
He noted that between 2016 and 2020 Kivulini set aside 256m/- for the provision of legal education to Mwanza residents.
A lawyer with Wote Sawa Young Domestic Workers Joseph Mukoji noted that that the NGO had provided legal aid to about 100 domestic workers so far and successfully resolved three cases in courts in favour of domestic workers.
