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4,000 Coast villagers face land loss to investor
By Waryoba Yankami
27th March 2013
Dispute over land is again threatening the livelihood of over 3,800 Matipwili villagers in the historic district of Bagamoyo, Coast Region, following a commotion with an investor.
The villagers who are already facing land shortage after that they occupied for many years was taken over by Saadani National Park, without compensation, are facing a further squeeze to meet the needs of the investor.
The current village land is approximately 24,815.74 ha, part of which apparently the government plans to offer to the investor for expansion of farming.
Speaking to The Guardian recently in Bagamoyo, they said that the land dispute has been caused after the neighbouring village of Fukayosi committed almost all of its land to the investor and extended to Matipwili, something that has caused the quarrel for land to grow.
Apparently, after an initial acquisition of 4,000 ha of the village land, Agro EcoEnergy which is the investor firm needs an additional 2,000 ha for sugarcane plantation.
The government has acknowledged the villagers concerns, but says that the initial acquisition was done in accordance with the law and that the villagers had no cause to be suspicious.
The villagers are however claiming that they were first moved to make way for the expansion of the Saadani National Park without any form of compensation then and were now being asked to make way for the sugar farms.
Speaking to The Guardian recently in Bagamoyo, the villagers revealed that clashes are emerging in the area as those marginalised begin to occupy each others already limited land, citing Fukayosi villagers, who have lost most of their land to the investor and are now forced into Matipwili village.
Further, the villagers admit that such cases arise in part because some of the villages readily agree to the investors demands only to find themselves with no land, becoming refugees as is now the case with Fukayosi villagers.
Agro EcoEnergy is looking to expand sugar cane farming in the area, having first acquired land from the Ranch of Zanzibar in Bagamoyo (Razaba).
Matipwili village chairman Mrisho Kipindula said when explaining the issue. He claims that the government gave the investor the right to farm at Razaba, but took the land from neighbouring Fukayosi and in turn gave them Biga ward, an act he said was unfair to Matipwili residents.
He pointed out that in the last years national census, Biga residents were counted as part of the Matipwili village community. But this argument held no water against the authoritys explanation that in planning, they do not consider these administrative boundaries.
The plight of Matipwili residents does not end with the government or with the agricultural firm, but they also have an issue with the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa), who they accuse of cheating them out of their rightful land.
The villagers also accuse the Bagamoyo District Council authorities of recreating and declaring a new boundary between the two villages, a task empowered to the Prime Ministers Office alone.
The ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development acknowledged that the government is planning to acquire more land from Matipwili to be given to Agro EcoEnergy in response to the latters request to expand its plantations.
Nonetheless, the Assistant Commissioner for village lands, Suma Mbyopyo attempted to reassure the villagers that the government intends to adopt a participatory approach and have the villagers fully involved in the whole process and even leave the final choice, to move and give the land to the investors or stay to them.
Physical Planning Department director Albina Burra, also clarified that according to the Village Land Act Number 5, the village government is the only entity with the power to decide whether the land is to be given to the investor or not.
However Burra said the president has executive powers to decide based on benefits of the investment outweighing the gain of letting the villagers stay.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
By Waryoba Yankami
27th March 2013
Dispute over land is again threatening the livelihood of over 3,800 Matipwili villagers in the historic district of Bagamoyo, Coast Region, following a commotion with an investor.
The villagers who are already facing land shortage after that they occupied for many years was taken over by Saadani National Park, without compensation, are facing a further squeeze to meet the needs of the investor.
The current village land is approximately 24,815.74 ha, part of which apparently the government plans to offer to the investor for expansion of farming.
Speaking to The Guardian recently in Bagamoyo, they said that the land dispute has been caused after the neighbouring village of Fukayosi committed almost all of its land to the investor and extended to Matipwili, something that has caused the quarrel for land to grow.
Apparently, after an initial acquisition of 4,000 ha of the village land, Agro EcoEnergy which is the investor firm needs an additional 2,000 ha for sugarcane plantation.
The government has acknowledged the villagers concerns, but says that the initial acquisition was done in accordance with the law and that the villagers had no cause to be suspicious.
The villagers are however claiming that they were first moved to make way for the expansion of the Saadani National Park without any form of compensation then and were now being asked to make way for the sugar farms.
Speaking to The Guardian recently in Bagamoyo, the villagers revealed that clashes are emerging in the area as those marginalised begin to occupy each others already limited land, citing Fukayosi villagers, who have lost most of their land to the investor and are now forced into Matipwili village.
Further, the villagers admit that such cases arise in part because some of the villages readily agree to the investors demands only to find themselves with no land, becoming refugees as is now the case with Fukayosi villagers.
Agro EcoEnergy is looking to expand sugar cane farming in the area, having first acquired land from the Ranch of Zanzibar in Bagamoyo (Razaba).
Matipwili village chairman Mrisho Kipindula said when explaining the issue. He claims that the government gave the investor the right to farm at Razaba, but took the land from neighbouring Fukayosi and in turn gave them Biga ward, an act he said was unfair to Matipwili residents.
He pointed out that in the last years national census, Biga residents were counted as part of the Matipwili village community. But this argument held no water against the authoritys explanation that in planning, they do not consider these administrative boundaries.
The plight of Matipwili residents does not end with the government or with the agricultural firm, but they also have an issue with the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa), who they accuse of cheating them out of their rightful land.
The villagers also accuse the Bagamoyo District Council authorities of recreating and declaring a new boundary between the two villages, a task empowered to the Prime Ministers Office alone.
The ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development acknowledged that the government is planning to acquire more land from Matipwili to be given to Agro EcoEnergy in response to the latters request to expand its plantations.
Nonetheless, the Assistant Commissioner for village lands, Suma Mbyopyo attempted to reassure the villagers that the government intends to adopt a participatory approach and have the villagers fully involved in the whole process and even leave the final choice, to move and give the land to the investors or stay to them.
Physical Planning Department director Albina Burra, also clarified that according to the Village Land Act Number 5, the village government is the only entity with the power to decide whether the land is to be given to the investor or not.
However Burra said the president has executive powers to decide based on benefits of the investment outweighing the gain of letting the villagers stay.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
