Author: AMBROSE WANTAIGWA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Tarime District Council’s Land Department has launched an investigation into a land dispute at Somba Nyasoko Village where 10 residents are claiming to have been robbed of 80 acres by a resident without their consent.
This came about after the residents, including six widows, complained at a village meeting that the land they had been using for agriculture and animal husbandry for more than 30 years was taken by one of them without involving them.
According to the residents, tampering with documents, including increasing the size of boundaries after the decision was made by the relevant bodies, went against their right to own land.
Village Chairman Chacha Fanusi said although land was owned by the residents, one of them filed a case at ward tribunal where the decision was allegedly made and later a new claim emerged that he might have changed the boundaries.
“I know the decision was made at ward level, but thereafter came a complaint from one resident that one of them added to the boundaries different measurements from that was determined by the responsible authorities.”
Tarime District Land Officer, Privatus Mafuru said he had already instructed all parties to submit to him the evidence of ownership of the disputed land before appropriate action was taken, including visiting the disputed plot.
He said he had directed the submission of decision documents of Komaswa Ward Tribunal where the village was located to satisfy himself and if he discovered that there was any fraud, including changing boundary measures legal action would be taken against the culprit.
“If after investigation we find out there was a malicious intent to alter information and change the boundaries in the documents used to acquire this land, legal action will be taken against the culprit as an act like this one deprives people, especially villagers, of their right to own land.”
