Kibanga Ampiga Mkoloni
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 9, 2007
- 18,697
- 8,843
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SWAHILI VERSION:
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Wapendwa Waheshimiwa,
Re: Mtawala wa Eneo la Kuondoa Eneo la Mita 60 ni Muda na Hauwezekani Kwa Miji Yetu
Ni kwa heshima na uvumilivu mkubwa kwamba ninakutana nanyi kupitia vyombo vya habari kwa njia ya barua ya wazi leo. Ninafanya hivyo kwa sababu ya hali ya umma ya jambo ambalo napenda kukuelezea na pia kwa matumaini kwamba washiriki wengine wa umma wanaweza kuwa na michango muhimu sana ya kuongeza kwenye mazungumzo.
Suala hilo linalohusiana na uharibifu unaoendelea na uliopangwa wa miundo na majengo ambayo yamekuwa yamejengwa kinyume cha sheria. Kama sheria ya kudumu na ya kuendelea na raia, ninaelewa na kuunga mkono kwa moyo wote kanuni kuu ya nyuma ya mpango huu mgumu lakini muhimu.
Pia ninaunga mkono uharibifu wa miundo yote ambayo imehukumiwa kuwa salama au imejengwa kwa usahihi au ukiukwaji wa amri wazi kutoka kwa mamlaka zisizoendelea.Nasaidia kuondolewa kwa uharibifu au njia nyingine, ya miundo yote ambayo imejengwa kwenye nafasi zilizopangwa wazi au ardhi ya umma kama hifadhi za barabara.
Hata hivyo, nina matatizo makubwa na njia isiyo ya maana ambayo zoezi la uharibifu linafanyika na hasa, nina wasiwasi na ukosefu wa mantiki wazi juu ya shida gani hasa zoezi hili lina lengo la kutatua na ikiwa ni jinsi gani endelevu matokeo itakuwa. Hasa, nina mashaka makubwa juu ya mipango ya uharibifu ambayo inajenga miundo ambayo imejengwa juu ya ardhi ambayo inaitwa na viongozi wa jiji na mazingira kama mbuga / beach katika miji mikubwa kama Dar es salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, nk. Dar es Salaam kwa mfano ni jiji la watu milioni 5 leo na inakua kwa kasi ya haraka sana, inayotarajiwa kuwa mojawapo ya miji yenye wakazi wengi ulimwenguni na idadi ya zaidi ya milioni 8.5 mwaka wa 2032 kulingana na takwimu zinazotolewa na Serikali miaka mitatu iliyopita.
Idadi ya watu wa mji huu imeongezeka mara 20 kati ya 1965 na 2015 kutoka kwa wakazi milioni 250 hadi milioni 5. Hii inalingana na kiwango cha wastani cha idadi ya watu wa mji wa 6%, mara mbili ukuaji wa idadi ya watu. Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, bila shaka unafahamu kwamba kukomesha kwa Mamlaka za Serikali za Mitaa kati ya 1972-1984 na Serikali kunamaanisha kwamba mji wa Dar es Salaam ulipata ukuaji mkubwa wa idadi ya watu wakati hakuna mtu aliyekuwa na mamlaka ya wazi ya mipango ya mji mkuu. Vile mbaya zaidi, hapakuwa na fedha wakati huu kwa ajili ya miradi iliyopendekezwa katika mipango ya awali iliyochapishwa mwaka wa 1968 na 1979. Nimesoma hati ya 2013 iliyofadhiliwa na Wizara ya Mazingira, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi ya Binadamu yenye jina la "Dar es Salaam Masterplan 2012 -2032 "ambayo hufanya mapendekezo mengi mazuri kwamba ikiwa kutekelezwa kwa wakati unaoweza kuisaidia kuboresha ubora wa maisha katika mji huu.
Tatizo hata hivyo ni kwamba toleo nililolisoma ni rasimu na sijui ilikamilishwa au sehemu yoyote ikiwa imewekwa. Kwa kuangalia kwa mambo haikuwa, kwa sababu moja muhimu ya mapendekezo katika waraka huo ni ushirikishwaji wa wakazi wa jiji kwa idhini na utekelezaji wa mpango huo na miradi yake mingi. Leo, jiji ni nini kwa sababu ya kushindwa kwa serikali kwa serikali, sio kutokana na kushindwa kwa sehemu au njama kwa wakazi wa jiji. Kwa hiyo, huenda bila kusema kwamba itakuwa dhahiri kwa haki kwa Serikali kulazimisha watu milioni 5 kuishi kulingana na mji mkuu wa mji ambao kwa sababu zote na malengo haipo.
Inaweza iwezekanavyo kwamba Serikali inafanya kazi kwa mpango ambao haujafanywa kwa umma na hivyo ni haki ya kufanya uharibifu huu chini ya kipindi cha kisheria kilichopo. Hii hata hivyo haitoi kwa sababu yoyote kusonga mbele kwa hatua kama hiyo ya uharibifu na isiyoweza kurekebishwa bila kusimamisha kutafakari kama tumeifunika misingi yetu yote. Ikiwa hatuwezi kufanya hivyo na hasa, kama wakazi wa jiji hawaelewi na kununua katika dhana kwa ajili ya maendeleo yao wenyewe, mradi huu unabidi kuwa kushindwa hata zaidi kuliko kuishi bila masterplan mji wa kazi kwa miaka hamsini. Uhifadhi Endelevu wa Mifuko ya Mto katika Miji Yetu Idadi kubwa ya uharibifu imewekwa katika maeneo ambapo wananchi wanashutumiwa kuwa wamejiunga na hifadhi ya mto.
Ingawa maeneo hayo yanayoitwa salama hayatafafanuliwa kulingana na hati yoyote inapatikana kwa umma, viongozi wa Manispaa na huduma wanadai kuwa chini ya mita 60 zihifadhiwe kwa pande mbili za maji ambayo hupita miji yetu. Hii inafanyika kwa namna ya kiholela sana. Bado bado hakuna tofauti kati ya mito ya asili kama Msimbazi na msimu wa msimu kama vile Mbezi. Mshtuko mkubwa umefanywa na mafuriko ya mara kwa mara katika miji yetu kama sababu kuu ya hatua ya hivi karibuni ya Serikali. Hata hivyo, wakati mafuriko yanaathiri wilaya kuu ya biashara ya Dar es Salaam kama vile vibaya,
Wafanyakazi wa jiji na huduma wanaamua tu kuguswa na mafuriko katika mabonde ya Msimbazi na Jangwani huku wakiangalia macho ya moto kama vile Bibi Titi Road karibu na Morogoro Rd, Ohio Street karibu na ATC House na Makao makuu ya Wizara ya Holland House, Ocean Barabara, Avenue ya Ghana na wengine ambapo mafuriko yanaweza kutokea baada ya mvua dakika tano.
Sasa tunajua kwamba mafuriko mengi katika CBD yanasababishwa na mfumo wa mifereji ya maji ya dhoruba iliyozuiwa ambayo haijaenea ili kufanana na mahitaji ya mji mkuu wa kukua kwa kasi kwa miaka. Na mafuriko katika bonde la Jangwani sio sana husababishwa na wakazi wa bonde kama ilivyo kwa mamilioni ya tani za takataka ambazo zinatupwa mto na wakazi wa maili mbali ya mto wa Msimbazi. Wakati serikali inasisitiza kwamba tatizo hili litatatuliwa tu kwa kuhamisha wakazi wa Bonde la Jangwani kwenda maeneo mengine, inasababisha kuongezeka kwa tuhuma kati ya idadi ya watu kuwa zoezi hilo haliko kwa uchambuzi sahihi na wa kina wa sababu na matokeo yake yanaweza Kwa hiyo usiwe na endelevu hata wakati mfupi. Waziri Waheshimiwa, Katika historia ya wanadamu, jamii zinazoendelea hazijawahi kukimbia kutoka kwa maji.
Badala yake, huunda njia nzuri za maji ili kupitisha salama kwa njia yake kuelekea bahari. Wao huimarisha baharini na uvuvi ikiwa ni lazima na kuunda njia za kupumua kwa bahari ili kuhakikisha kuwa wanadamu wanaweza kulala bila hofu ya kuingizwa na bahari ya uvimbe katikati ya usiku. Wao huimarisha mabenki ya mto na kuharibu vitanda vya mto ili kuwafanya zaidi (si pana).
Wanajenga mabwawa kukamata maji ya mafuriko mto na kupunguza kasi ya maji kama inapita chini kwa njia yake kuelekea miili kubwa ya maji ya asili ya uongo. Kwa maneno mengine, badala ya kuepuka maji au kuharibu mali ya gharama kubwa, huweka wahandisi wao, wataalamu, wanasayansi wa mazingira na wabunifu wa jiji kufanya kazi na kuhakikisha wanapata ufumbuzi endelevu kwa ustawi wa baadaye wa miji na watu wao. Inakwenda bila kusema kuwa ikiwa unakimbia, maji daima hufuata na hatimaye kukupata. Ya 60m iliyowekwa katika kanuni zetu sio busara wala halali hasa katika mazingira ya mipango ya jiji kwa wakati huu. Sisi sote tunatambua vizuri kwamba kushoto kwa vifaa vyao wenyewe, maji ya mto Msimbazi na mito ya msimu wa Mlalakuwa na Mbezi ambayo huvuka mjini kuelekea Bahari ya Hindi itaongezeka zaidi na kwa kasi, si ndogo na polepole.
Hii ni kwa sababu vilima vyenye DAR (Makongo, Boko / Goba, Mbezi Juu, Pugu, hata Mabwepande) vinakujengwa kwa kiwango cha haraka na mafuriko ambayo tumekuwa nayo katika DAR ambayo yanazidi kuwa mbaya zaidi kila mwaka yanaendeshwa na hizi mpya maendeleo Katika kipindi cha miaka thelathini iliyopita, kozi za mito hizi na mito zimehamia kwa mita 50-100 katika sehemu fulani kutoka maeneo yao ya asili kutokana na maendeleo ya asili ya binadamu ikiwa ni pamoja na miundo ya umma kama barabara, madaraja na mabomba ya maji, kuhama kinachojulikana kama hifadhi ya mto katika mchakato, na kugeuza miundo ya awali salama ndani ya vibaya na maeneo ya awali yaliyotumika katika mitego ya kifo. Vile vile huenda kwa mkondo wa msimu ambao unashambulia mji mjini Mwanza kila mwaka na nina uhakika kuwa hivi karibuni Arusha itakabiliwa na shida sawa ikiwa tunapendelea chini ya njia hii.
Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, Ikiwa Uholanzi ikifuatia utawala wa 60m hakutakuwa na Amsterdam au Rotterdam leo kwa sababu nchi nzima iko chini ya usawa wa bahari. Uingereza, Mto Thames huvuka kupitia jiji la London lakini mbali na kuiweka mita 60 mbali (ambayo haiwezekani kabisa), Wahanders wamejenga miundo nzuri juu yake, pamoja nayo na hata chini yake. Sisi pia tunaweza kufanya hivyo. Katika Amsterdam na Cape Town, mtu anaishi ndani ya kugusa mbali na bahari na ni nzuri kwa njia hiyo. Sisi pia tunaweza kufanya hivyo na kwa kweli tumefanya hivyo zaidi ya maisha yetu. Sio miaka mingi iliyopita, tulikuwa na vijiji vizuri vya hoteli ya pwani kaskazini mwa Dar iitwayo Africana, Beach ya Kunduchi na Bahari Beach ambazo zililawa na Bahari ya Hindi chini ya macho yetu yasiyotokana na maendeleo. Hivi karibuni maendeleo ya ubunifu na kukubalika kwa ardhi kwa wajasiriamali hata hivyo zimehifadhi mabwawa hayo , alifanya mazingira katika maeneo hayo kuwa na nguvu na kuishi tena. Ikiwa tungekuwa na utawala wa mita 60, Bahari ya Hindi ingekuwa iko ndani ya mita za barabara ya Bahari Beach, ikiwa siyo leo hivi karibuni.
Inachofuata basi kwamba katika mji ambako mamilioni wanaishi na kwenda juu ya biashara zao za kila siku, katika mji ambako idadi ya watu itaendelea kuongezeka kwa kiwango cha juu, utawala wa mita 60 ni wazo la zamani ambalo halijaungwa mkono na sayansi yoyote na kama kutumiwa kwa sababu isiyo ya maana kama ilivyo sasa, itasababisha uharibifu usio lazima na kupoteza mali isiyohamishika ya kweli. Itakuwa kuharibu maisha na kusababisha kutokuwepo. Zaidi ya hayo, mbali na kutatua shida ya mafuriko, itafanya kuwa mbaya zaidi. Jambo ambalo ninajaribu kufanya hapa ni kwamba Mungu alitoa
akili za mtu ili apate kuimarisha asili kwa faida yake mwenyewe, kuunga mkono maisha yake mwenyewe, si kukimbia kutoka kwa maji, joto au baridi. Hakuna mtu mwenye busara anaweza kushindana na ukweli kwamba wapangaji wa mji wetu wamekuwa wamelala kwenye kazi kwa miongo kadhaa. Mji wa DAR Es Salaam sasa ni ukubwa XXL lakini wao (viongozi) wanajaribu kuimarisha katika mpango wa wakuu wa mji wa XXS ambao wamekuwa wakiketi kwa miongo kadhaa bila kufikiri ya kutekeleza au kuboresha.
Hii haikubaliki Tunastahili bora na tunaweza kufanya vizuri zaidi. Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, najua una kazi ya kufanya na katika kipindi hiki cha Hapa Kazi Tu, huna muda mwingi wa kuifanya. Ingawa ninaelewa kabisa uharaka, ninakuomba kwa heshima kuruhusu wakazi wa miji hii na serikali yao kuwa na mjadiliano wazi juu ya masterplans mji wao kama jamii ya kistaarabu kufanya. Hebu tuwe na mjadala huu kwa ajili ya maendeleo na kwa ajili ya vizazi vijavyo vya Watanzania. Hebu kukubaliana jinsi tunavyotaka kusimamia miji yetu, ambapo tunataka kujenga nini, jinsi ya juu, jinsi pana na kwa namna gani, kwa maneno mengine tunakubaliana juu ya sheria mpya za ukandaji, vipimo vipya vya ujenzi, sheria mpya zinazofaa kwa kisasa wanaishi katika karne ya 21. Hebu kukubaliana juu ya maeneo ya wazi ya maeneo, matumizi ya ardhi, njia za maji na muhimu zaidi, hebu tuwe na bidii katika kutekeleza kanuni za mipango ya jiji mara moja kukubaliana.
Na wakati watu wengine wanaweza kupata aina nzuri ya kuridhisha kutokana na kuendesha gari kubwa katika vitongoji vya jiji na kugonga miundo wanayodai wamejengwa bila ruhusa, hatupaswi kusahau miundo hii haikujengwa wakati wa usiku. Ulikuwa wapi serikali wakati yote haya yalitokea? Ni nani aliyekuwa akifanya ofisi inayoongoza juu ya fujo hili na ni nini kilichofanyika kushikilia kila mmoja wa maafisa wa serikali kuwajibika? Tatizo hili ni la kale kama Tanzania yenyewe ina maana kwamba ikiwa tunarudi kutafuta watu wote wanaohusika na fujo hili hatutakuwa na wakati wa kitu kingine chochote. Kurejea kwenye hatua yangu kuu, hebu tujenge Dar es Salaam na miji mingine kwa kuzingatia mipango ya ushahidi wa baadaye, sio amri ambazo huwa na maafisa ambao huja baada ya msimu wa mvua.
Na acheni mipango hiyo ipatikane mahitaji yetu ya sasa na ya baadaye, sio njia nyingine. Baadhi ya miundo muhimu ambayo imewekwa kwa ajili ya uharibifu leo hivi sasa inaweza kuzingatiwa katika mipango mpya ya ubunifu mpya, ya ubunifu na ya mbele na kwamba tuliweza kuepuka uharibifu wa thamani na uhitaji wa thamani. Kanuni mpya, za ubunifu na za kutekelezwa kwa mazingira pamoja na matumizi mazuri ya uhandisi na usanifu wa jirani zinaweza kufanya iwezekanavyo kwa wakazi wa bonde kuendelea kuishi maisha bila kuingiliwa kwa lazima. Mito inayoendelea kupitia maeneo ya makazi inaweza kurudi baharini kwa uhandisi wa ubunifu na usimamizi endelevu wa mazingira. Hatupaswi kusahau miji hii ni ya sisi sote, tajiri na si matajiri sana.
Na hatimaye, utawala wa kimya wa 60m unaweza kufanywa kwenye kumbukumbu za historia ya kale ya kikoloni ambapo iko
Wako mwaminifu
Ali A. Mufuruki
Mkazi wa Dar es Salaam
This is An Open Letter to Hon William Lukuvi, Minister of Lands And Human Settlements And Hon January Makamba, Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Environment and Union affairs.
Written by Ali A. Mufuruki
Source: http://ali-ea-foundation.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Open-Letter-to-Ministers.pdf
MY TAKE:
Huyu jamaa anaisoma number kwa vyovyote, Hivi nchii hii ina KM ngapi za Beach? je ni ngapi zimeendelezwa ndani ya Mita 60 ? By the way zilizoendelezwa ndani ya 60M tukisema leo marufuku kuendeleza tena kama wanavyotufanyiaga huku kwetu uswahililini wakitwaa maeneo, baada ya maika 50, majengo yote hayo si yatakuw ahayapo na 60M zote zitakuwa free.
Kifupi hawa wa masaki na Oysterbay na kawe beach naona wamelewa Utajiri na wanatuona sisi ni wajinga, hope Magufuli hatakubali haya, Ila nimeona kwenye lile tamko la jana la Wizara kama vile wamesema hawa wa KISHUA na MaHoteli yao hakuna kubomolewa.
Karibuni!
Open Letter to
Hon William Lukuvi
Minister of Lands And Human Settlements
And
Hon January Makamba Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Environment and Union affairs
Dear Hon Ministers,
Re: The 60 Meter Exclusion Zone Rule is Outdated and Impractical For Our Cities
It is with much respect and forbearance that I address you both through the media by way of an open letter today. I am doing so because of the public nature of the matter I wish to bring to your attention and also in the hope that other members of the public may have many useful contributions to add to the conversation.
The issue at hand has to do with the ongoing and planned nationwide demolition of structures and buildings that have allegedly been constructed illegally. As a law abiding and progressive citizen, I understand and wholeheartedly support the general principle behind this difficult yet necessary initiative.
I also support the demolition of all structures that have been condemned as being unsafe or have been built in blatant defiance or violation of clear orders from authorities not to proceed.I support the removal by demolition or other means, of all structures that have been built on planned open spaces or public land such as road reserves.
However, I have serious difficulties with the irrational manner in which the demolition exercise is being carried out and in particular, I am troubled by the absence of a clear logic on what problem exactly this exercise is intended to solve and if so how sustainable the outcome will be. Specifically, I have serious doubts about demolition plans that are specifically targeting structures that have been built on land that is termed by city and environmental officials as river/beach reserves within large cities such as Dar es salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, etc. Dar es Salaam for example is a city of 5 million people today and is growing at a very fast pace, projected to be one of the world's most populous cities with a population of well over 8.5 million by the year 2032 according to statistics released by the Government three years ago.
The population of this city has grown 20 times between 1965 and 2015 from roughly 250,000 to 5 million residents. This equates to an average annual city population growth rate of 6%, twice the national population growth. Hon Ministers, You are no doubt aware that the abolition of LGAs between 1972 -1984 by the Government meant that the city of Dar es Salaam experienced tremendous population growth while no one was bearing a clear mandate for city master plans. Worse still, there was no funding during this period for projects that were proposed in earlier master plans published in 1968 and 1979. I have read a 2013 document sponsored by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development titled "Dar es Salaam Masterplan 2012-2032" that makes a number of excellent recommendations that if implemented in a timely manner could have helped improve the quality of life in this city.
The problem however is that the version I read is a draft and I am not sure it was finalised or any part if it implemented. By the look of things it was not, because one key recommendation in that document is the involvement of the city residents in the approval and subsequent implementation of the plan and its numerous projects. Today, the city is what it is because of a collossal failure by government, not as a result of a failure on the part of or conspiracy by city residents. It goes without saying therefore that it would be manifestly unfair for the Government to force 5 million people to live according to a city masterplan that for all intents and purposes is nonexistent.
It may well be possible that the Government is indeed working off some plan that has not been made public and as such is justified in carrying out these demolitions under the prevailing legal dispensation. This however does not in any way provide an excuse for moving ahead with such destructive and irreversible action without pausing to reflect if we have covered all our bases. If we don't do that and specifically, if the city residents do not understand and buy into the concept for the sake of their own development, this project promises to be an even worse failure than living without an operational city masterplan for fifty years. Sustainable Protection of River Reserves in our Cities A significant number of demolitions is earmarked to take place in areas where residents are accused of having encroached on so called river reserves.
Although these so called protected areas are not defined according to any document available to the public, Municipal and ministry officials are demanding that a minimum of 60 meters be reserved on both sides of waterways that pass through our cities. This is being done in a very arbitrary manner. Worse still no distinction is made between natural rivers such as Msimbazi and seasonal streams such as Mbezi. Quite a big fuss has been made of the frequent floods in our cities as the main reason behind the most recent Government action. However, while flooding affects the central business district of Dar es Salaam just as badly, city and ministry officials choose only to react to flooding in the Msimbazi and Jangwani valleys while turning a blind eye to such flooding hot spots as Bibi Titi Road near the Morogoro Rd crossing, Ohio Street near ATC House and Works Ministry headquarters at Holland House, Ocean Road, Ghana Avenue and others where flooding can occur after hardly five minutes of rain.
Now we know that most of the flooding in the CBD is caused by the blocked storm water drainage system that has not been expanded to match the needs of a fast growing metropolis over the years. And the flooding in the Jangwani valley is not so much caused by the valley residents as it is by the the millions of tones of garbage that are thrown into the river by residents miles away upstream of the Msimbazi. When the government insists that this problem will be solved merely by relocating the Jangwani Valley residents to other places, it gives rise to the growing suspicion amongst the population that the exercise is not based on a correct and thorough analysis of the causes and its outcome may therefore not be sustainable even in the near term. Hon Ministers, Throughout human history, progressive societies have never ran away from water.
Instead they create resilient pathways for water to pass safely on its way to the oceans. They fortify beachfronts with levees if necessary and create breathing channels for the oceans to make sure that humans can go to bed without fear of being drowned by swelling seas in the middle of the night. They strengthen the river banks and dredge the river beds to make them deeper (not wider).
They build dams to catch the flood waters upstream and to reduce the speed of water as it flows down on its way to larger, lower lying natural water bodies. In other words, instead of running away from the water or demolishing expensive properties, they put their engineers, technician, environmental scientists and city planners to work and make sure they find sustainable solutions for the future wellbeing of their cities and people. It goes without saying that if you run away, the water will always follow and eventually catch up with you. The 60m prescribed in our regulations is therefore neither sensible nor appropriate especially in a city planning context in this time and age. We all know very well that left to their own devices, the waters of the Msimbazi river and the Mlalakuwa and Mbezi seasonal streams that cross the city on their way to the Indian Ocean will get bigger and faster, not smaller and slower.
This is because the highlands surrounding DAR (Makongo, Boko/Goba, Mbezi Juu, Pugu, even Mabwepande) are being built up at a fast rate and the floods we have been experiencing in DAR that are getting worse every year are driven by these new developments Over the past thirty years, the courses of these rivers and streams have moved by as much a 50-100 meters in some places from their original locations due to natural human developments including public structures such as roads, bridges and water pipelines, shifting the so called river reserves in the process, turning previously safe structures into illegal ones and previously livable areas into death traps. The same goes for the seasonal stream that wreaks havoc in Mwanza city every year and I am sure Arusha will soon face the same problem if we continue down this path.
Hon Ministers, If The Netherlands followed the 60m rule there would be no Amsterdam or Rotterdam today because that entire country is below sea level. In the UK, The Thames River crosses through the city of London but far from keeping it 60 meters away (which is technically impossible anyway), Londoners have constructed beautiful structures above it, alongside it and even underneath it. We too can do the same. In Amsterdam and Cape Town, man lives within touching distance of the sea and it is good that way. We too can do the same and indeed have done so most of our lives. Not so many years ago, we had beautiful beach hotel villages in the north of Dar called Africana, Kunduchi Beach and Bahari Beach that were eaten up by the Indian Ocean under our helpless gaze Recent innovative developments and land reclamations by entrepreneurs however have reclaimed those beaches, made the environment in those areas resilient and habitable again. If we had maintained the 60 meter rule, the Indian Ocean would be lurking within meters of the Bahari Beach road, if not today then very soon.
It follows then that in a city where millions live and go about their daily business, in a city where the population will continue to rise at a high rate, the 60 meter rule is an antiquated idea that is not backed up by any science and if applied unreasonably as is currently the case, it will lead to unnecessary destruction and loss of valuable real estate. It will disrupt lives and cause discontent. What is more, far from solving the flooding problem, it will make it worse. The point I am trying to make here is that God gave man brains so that he may be able to tame nature to his own advantage, to support his own survival, not to run from water, heat or cold. No reasonable person can dispute the fact that our city planners have been sleeping on the job for decades. The city of DAR Es Salaam is now size XXL but they (officials) are trying to force it into a size XXS city master plan that they have been sitting on for decades without any thought of enforcing or improving.
This is not acceptable We deserve better and can do better. Hon Ministers, I know you have a job to do and in this era of Hapa Kazi Tu, you don't have much time to get it done. While I totally understand the urgency, I respectfully ask you to allow the residents of these cities and their government to have an open debate on their city masterplans as civilized societies do. Let us have this debate for the sake of progress and for the sake of future generations of Tanzanians. Let's agree on how we want to manage our cities, where we want to build what, how high, how wide and in what ways, in other words let us agree on new zoning regulations, new building specifications, new rules that are fit for modern living in the 21st century. Let's agree on open spaces locations, land uses, water pathways and most importantly, let's be diligent in enforcing city planning regulations once agreed.
And while some people may derive a perverse kind of satisfaction from driving giant bulldozers into city neighborhoods and knocking down structures they claim have been built without permission, we shouldn't forget these structures were not built overnight. Where was the government when all this happened? Who was holding what office presiding over this mess and what has been done to hold each and everyone of these government officials accountable? This problem is as old as Tanzania itself meaning that if we go back to looking for all who are responsible for this mess we won't have time for anything else. Going back to my central point, let's build Dar es Salaam and other cities based on future proof master plans, not some arbitrary decrees that officials come up with after every rainy season.
And let those plans fit our current and future needs, not the other way round. Some valuable structures that are earmarked for demolition today now can be accommodated in new, innovative and forward looking master plans and that was we can avoid costly and unnecessary destruction of value. New, innovative and enforceable environmental regulations as well as smart application of engineering and neighborhood architecture can make it possible for valley residents to continue living their lives without unnecessary disruptions. Rivers that are coursing through residential areas can be rerouted to the sea by innovative engineering and sustainable management of the environment. We shouldn't forget these cities belong to all of us, the rich and not so rich.
And finally, the silly 60m rule can be consigned to the archives of ancient colonial history where it belongs
Yours sincerely
Ali A. Mufuruki
Dar es Salaam Resident
SWAHILI VERSION:
Copy and paste:
Wapendwa Waheshimiwa,
Re: Mtawala wa Eneo la Kuondoa Eneo la Mita 60 ni Muda na Hauwezekani Kwa Miji Yetu
Ni kwa heshima na uvumilivu mkubwa kwamba ninakutana nanyi kupitia vyombo vya habari kwa njia ya barua ya wazi leo. Ninafanya hivyo kwa sababu ya hali ya umma ya jambo ambalo napenda kukuelezea na pia kwa matumaini kwamba washiriki wengine wa umma wanaweza kuwa na michango muhimu sana ya kuongeza kwenye mazungumzo.
Suala hilo linalohusiana na uharibifu unaoendelea na uliopangwa wa miundo na majengo ambayo yamekuwa yamejengwa kinyume cha sheria. Kama sheria ya kudumu na ya kuendelea na raia, ninaelewa na kuunga mkono kwa moyo wote kanuni kuu ya nyuma ya mpango huu mgumu lakini muhimu.
Pia ninaunga mkono uharibifu wa miundo yote ambayo imehukumiwa kuwa salama au imejengwa kwa usahihi au ukiukwaji wa amri wazi kutoka kwa mamlaka zisizoendelea.Nasaidia kuondolewa kwa uharibifu au njia nyingine, ya miundo yote ambayo imejengwa kwenye nafasi zilizopangwa wazi au ardhi ya umma kama hifadhi za barabara.
Hata hivyo, nina matatizo makubwa na njia isiyo ya maana ambayo zoezi la uharibifu linafanyika na hasa, nina wasiwasi na ukosefu wa mantiki wazi juu ya shida gani hasa zoezi hili lina lengo la kutatua na ikiwa ni jinsi gani endelevu matokeo itakuwa. Hasa, nina mashaka makubwa juu ya mipango ya uharibifu ambayo inajenga miundo ambayo imejengwa juu ya ardhi ambayo inaitwa na viongozi wa jiji na mazingira kama mbuga / beach katika miji mikubwa kama Dar es salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, nk. Dar es Salaam kwa mfano ni jiji la watu milioni 5 leo na inakua kwa kasi ya haraka sana, inayotarajiwa kuwa mojawapo ya miji yenye wakazi wengi ulimwenguni na idadi ya zaidi ya milioni 8.5 mwaka wa 2032 kulingana na takwimu zinazotolewa na Serikali miaka mitatu iliyopita.
Idadi ya watu wa mji huu imeongezeka mara 20 kati ya 1965 na 2015 kutoka kwa wakazi milioni 250 hadi milioni 5. Hii inalingana na kiwango cha wastani cha idadi ya watu wa mji wa 6%, mara mbili ukuaji wa idadi ya watu. Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, bila shaka unafahamu kwamba kukomesha kwa Mamlaka za Serikali za Mitaa kati ya 1972-1984 na Serikali kunamaanisha kwamba mji wa Dar es Salaam ulipata ukuaji mkubwa wa idadi ya watu wakati hakuna mtu aliyekuwa na mamlaka ya wazi ya mipango ya mji mkuu. Vile mbaya zaidi, hapakuwa na fedha wakati huu kwa ajili ya miradi iliyopendekezwa katika mipango ya awali iliyochapishwa mwaka wa 1968 na 1979. Nimesoma hati ya 2013 iliyofadhiliwa na Wizara ya Mazingira, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi ya Binadamu yenye jina la "Dar es Salaam Masterplan 2012 -2032 "ambayo hufanya mapendekezo mengi mazuri kwamba ikiwa kutekelezwa kwa wakati unaoweza kuisaidia kuboresha ubora wa maisha katika mji huu.
Tatizo hata hivyo ni kwamba toleo nililolisoma ni rasimu na sijui ilikamilishwa au sehemu yoyote ikiwa imewekwa. Kwa kuangalia kwa mambo haikuwa, kwa sababu moja muhimu ya mapendekezo katika waraka huo ni ushirikishwaji wa wakazi wa jiji kwa idhini na utekelezaji wa mpango huo na miradi yake mingi. Leo, jiji ni nini kwa sababu ya kushindwa kwa serikali kwa serikali, sio kutokana na kushindwa kwa sehemu au njama kwa wakazi wa jiji. Kwa hiyo, huenda bila kusema kwamba itakuwa dhahiri kwa haki kwa Serikali kulazimisha watu milioni 5 kuishi kulingana na mji mkuu wa mji ambao kwa sababu zote na malengo haipo.
Inaweza iwezekanavyo kwamba Serikali inafanya kazi kwa mpango ambao haujafanywa kwa umma na hivyo ni haki ya kufanya uharibifu huu chini ya kipindi cha kisheria kilichopo. Hii hata hivyo haitoi kwa sababu yoyote kusonga mbele kwa hatua kama hiyo ya uharibifu na isiyoweza kurekebishwa bila kusimamisha kutafakari kama tumeifunika misingi yetu yote. Ikiwa hatuwezi kufanya hivyo na hasa, kama wakazi wa jiji hawaelewi na kununua katika dhana kwa ajili ya maendeleo yao wenyewe, mradi huu unabidi kuwa kushindwa hata zaidi kuliko kuishi bila masterplan mji wa kazi kwa miaka hamsini. Uhifadhi Endelevu wa Mifuko ya Mto katika Miji Yetu Idadi kubwa ya uharibifu imewekwa katika maeneo ambapo wananchi wanashutumiwa kuwa wamejiunga na hifadhi ya mto.
Ingawa maeneo hayo yanayoitwa salama hayatafafanuliwa kulingana na hati yoyote inapatikana kwa umma, viongozi wa Manispaa na huduma wanadai kuwa chini ya mita 60 zihifadhiwe kwa pande mbili za maji ambayo hupita miji yetu. Hii inafanyika kwa namna ya kiholela sana. Bado bado hakuna tofauti kati ya mito ya asili kama Msimbazi na msimu wa msimu kama vile Mbezi. Mshtuko mkubwa umefanywa na mafuriko ya mara kwa mara katika miji yetu kama sababu kuu ya hatua ya hivi karibuni ya Serikali. Hata hivyo, wakati mafuriko yanaathiri wilaya kuu ya biashara ya Dar es Salaam kama vile vibaya,
Wafanyakazi wa jiji na huduma wanaamua tu kuguswa na mafuriko katika mabonde ya Msimbazi na Jangwani huku wakiangalia macho ya moto kama vile Bibi Titi Road karibu na Morogoro Rd, Ohio Street karibu na ATC House na Makao makuu ya Wizara ya Holland House, Ocean Barabara, Avenue ya Ghana na wengine ambapo mafuriko yanaweza kutokea baada ya mvua dakika tano.
Sasa tunajua kwamba mafuriko mengi katika CBD yanasababishwa na mfumo wa mifereji ya maji ya dhoruba iliyozuiwa ambayo haijaenea ili kufanana na mahitaji ya mji mkuu wa kukua kwa kasi kwa miaka. Na mafuriko katika bonde la Jangwani sio sana husababishwa na wakazi wa bonde kama ilivyo kwa mamilioni ya tani za takataka ambazo zinatupwa mto na wakazi wa maili mbali ya mto wa Msimbazi. Wakati serikali inasisitiza kwamba tatizo hili litatatuliwa tu kwa kuhamisha wakazi wa Bonde la Jangwani kwenda maeneo mengine, inasababisha kuongezeka kwa tuhuma kati ya idadi ya watu kuwa zoezi hilo haliko kwa uchambuzi sahihi na wa kina wa sababu na matokeo yake yanaweza Kwa hiyo usiwe na endelevu hata wakati mfupi. Waziri Waheshimiwa, Katika historia ya wanadamu, jamii zinazoendelea hazijawahi kukimbia kutoka kwa maji.
Badala yake, huunda njia nzuri za maji ili kupitisha salama kwa njia yake kuelekea bahari. Wao huimarisha baharini na uvuvi ikiwa ni lazima na kuunda njia za kupumua kwa bahari ili kuhakikisha kuwa wanadamu wanaweza kulala bila hofu ya kuingizwa na bahari ya uvimbe katikati ya usiku. Wao huimarisha mabenki ya mto na kuharibu vitanda vya mto ili kuwafanya zaidi (si pana).
Wanajenga mabwawa kukamata maji ya mafuriko mto na kupunguza kasi ya maji kama inapita chini kwa njia yake kuelekea miili kubwa ya maji ya asili ya uongo. Kwa maneno mengine, badala ya kuepuka maji au kuharibu mali ya gharama kubwa, huweka wahandisi wao, wataalamu, wanasayansi wa mazingira na wabunifu wa jiji kufanya kazi na kuhakikisha wanapata ufumbuzi endelevu kwa ustawi wa baadaye wa miji na watu wao. Inakwenda bila kusema kuwa ikiwa unakimbia, maji daima hufuata na hatimaye kukupata. Ya 60m iliyowekwa katika kanuni zetu sio busara wala halali hasa katika mazingira ya mipango ya jiji kwa wakati huu. Sisi sote tunatambua vizuri kwamba kushoto kwa vifaa vyao wenyewe, maji ya mto Msimbazi na mito ya msimu wa Mlalakuwa na Mbezi ambayo huvuka mjini kuelekea Bahari ya Hindi itaongezeka zaidi na kwa kasi, si ndogo na polepole.
Hii ni kwa sababu vilima vyenye DAR (Makongo, Boko / Goba, Mbezi Juu, Pugu, hata Mabwepande) vinakujengwa kwa kiwango cha haraka na mafuriko ambayo tumekuwa nayo katika DAR ambayo yanazidi kuwa mbaya zaidi kila mwaka yanaendeshwa na hizi mpya maendeleo Katika kipindi cha miaka thelathini iliyopita, kozi za mito hizi na mito zimehamia kwa mita 50-100 katika sehemu fulani kutoka maeneo yao ya asili kutokana na maendeleo ya asili ya binadamu ikiwa ni pamoja na miundo ya umma kama barabara, madaraja na mabomba ya maji, kuhama kinachojulikana kama hifadhi ya mto katika mchakato, na kugeuza miundo ya awali salama ndani ya vibaya na maeneo ya awali yaliyotumika katika mitego ya kifo. Vile vile huenda kwa mkondo wa msimu ambao unashambulia mji mjini Mwanza kila mwaka na nina uhakika kuwa hivi karibuni Arusha itakabiliwa na shida sawa ikiwa tunapendelea chini ya njia hii.
Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, Ikiwa Uholanzi ikifuatia utawala wa 60m hakutakuwa na Amsterdam au Rotterdam leo kwa sababu nchi nzima iko chini ya usawa wa bahari. Uingereza, Mto Thames huvuka kupitia jiji la London lakini mbali na kuiweka mita 60 mbali (ambayo haiwezekani kabisa), Wahanders wamejenga miundo nzuri juu yake, pamoja nayo na hata chini yake. Sisi pia tunaweza kufanya hivyo. Katika Amsterdam na Cape Town, mtu anaishi ndani ya kugusa mbali na bahari na ni nzuri kwa njia hiyo. Sisi pia tunaweza kufanya hivyo na kwa kweli tumefanya hivyo zaidi ya maisha yetu. Sio miaka mingi iliyopita, tulikuwa na vijiji vizuri vya hoteli ya pwani kaskazini mwa Dar iitwayo Africana, Beach ya Kunduchi na Bahari Beach ambazo zililawa na Bahari ya Hindi chini ya macho yetu yasiyotokana na maendeleo. Hivi karibuni maendeleo ya ubunifu na kukubalika kwa ardhi kwa wajasiriamali hata hivyo zimehifadhi mabwawa hayo , alifanya mazingira katika maeneo hayo kuwa na nguvu na kuishi tena. Ikiwa tungekuwa na utawala wa mita 60, Bahari ya Hindi ingekuwa iko ndani ya mita za barabara ya Bahari Beach, ikiwa siyo leo hivi karibuni.
Inachofuata basi kwamba katika mji ambako mamilioni wanaishi na kwenda juu ya biashara zao za kila siku, katika mji ambako idadi ya watu itaendelea kuongezeka kwa kiwango cha juu, utawala wa mita 60 ni wazo la zamani ambalo halijaungwa mkono na sayansi yoyote na kama kutumiwa kwa sababu isiyo ya maana kama ilivyo sasa, itasababisha uharibifu usio lazima na kupoteza mali isiyohamishika ya kweli. Itakuwa kuharibu maisha na kusababisha kutokuwepo. Zaidi ya hayo, mbali na kutatua shida ya mafuriko, itafanya kuwa mbaya zaidi. Jambo ambalo ninajaribu kufanya hapa ni kwamba Mungu alitoa
akili za mtu ili apate kuimarisha asili kwa faida yake mwenyewe, kuunga mkono maisha yake mwenyewe, si kukimbia kutoka kwa maji, joto au baridi. Hakuna mtu mwenye busara anaweza kushindana na ukweli kwamba wapangaji wa mji wetu wamekuwa wamelala kwenye kazi kwa miongo kadhaa. Mji wa DAR Es Salaam sasa ni ukubwa XXL lakini wao (viongozi) wanajaribu kuimarisha katika mpango wa wakuu wa mji wa XXS ambao wamekuwa wakiketi kwa miongo kadhaa bila kufikiri ya kutekeleza au kuboresha.
Hii haikubaliki Tunastahili bora na tunaweza kufanya vizuri zaidi. Mawaziri wa Mawaziri, najua una kazi ya kufanya na katika kipindi hiki cha Hapa Kazi Tu, huna muda mwingi wa kuifanya. Ingawa ninaelewa kabisa uharaka, ninakuomba kwa heshima kuruhusu wakazi wa miji hii na serikali yao kuwa na mjadiliano wazi juu ya masterplans mji wao kama jamii ya kistaarabu kufanya. Hebu tuwe na mjadala huu kwa ajili ya maendeleo na kwa ajili ya vizazi vijavyo vya Watanzania. Hebu kukubaliana jinsi tunavyotaka kusimamia miji yetu, ambapo tunataka kujenga nini, jinsi ya juu, jinsi pana na kwa namna gani, kwa maneno mengine tunakubaliana juu ya sheria mpya za ukandaji, vipimo vipya vya ujenzi, sheria mpya zinazofaa kwa kisasa wanaishi katika karne ya 21. Hebu kukubaliana juu ya maeneo ya wazi ya maeneo, matumizi ya ardhi, njia za maji na muhimu zaidi, hebu tuwe na bidii katika kutekeleza kanuni za mipango ya jiji mara moja kukubaliana.
Na wakati watu wengine wanaweza kupata aina nzuri ya kuridhisha kutokana na kuendesha gari kubwa katika vitongoji vya jiji na kugonga miundo wanayodai wamejengwa bila ruhusa, hatupaswi kusahau miundo hii haikujengwa wakati wa usiku. Ulikuwa wapi serikali wakati yote haya yalitokea? Ni nani aliyekuwa akifanya ofisi inayoongoza juu ya fujo hili na ni nini kilichofanyika kushikilia kila mmoja wa maafisa wa serikali kuwajibika? Tatizo hili ni la kale kama Tanzania yenyewe ina maana kwamba ikiwa tunarudi kutafuta watu wote wanaohusika na fujo hili hatutakuwa na wakati wa kitu kingine chochote. Kurejea kwenye hatua yangu kuu, hebu tujenge Dar es Salaam na miji mingine kwa kuzingatia mipango ya ushahidi wa baadaye, sio amri ambazo huwa na maafisa ambao huja baada ya msimu wa mvua.
Na acheni mipango hiyo ipatikane mahitaji yetu ya sasa na ya baadaye, sio njia nyingine. Baadhi ya miundo muhimu ambayo imewekwa kwa ajili ya uharibifu leo hivi sasa inaweza kuzingatiwa katika mipango mpya ya ubunifu mpya, ya ubunifu na ya mbele na kwamba tuliweza kuepuka uharibifu wa thamani na uhitaji wa thamani. Kanuni mpya, za ubunifu na za kutekelezwa kwa mazingira pamoja na matumizi mazuri ya uhandisi na usanifu wa jirani zinaweza kufanya iwezekanavyo kwa wakazi wa bonde kuendelea kuishi maisha bila kuingiliwa kwa lazima. Mito inayoendelea kupitia maeneo ya makazi inaweza kurudi baharini kwa uhandisi wa ubunifu na usimamizi endelevu wa mazingira. Hatupaswi kusahau miji hii ni ya sisi sote, tajiri na si matajiri sana.
Na hatimaye, utawala wa kimya wa 60m unaweza kufanywa kwenye kumbukumbu za historia ya kale ya kikoloni ambapo iko
Wako mwaminifu
Ali A. Mufuruki
Mkazi wa Dar es Salaam
This is An Open Letter to Hon William Lukuvi, Minister of Lands And Human Settlements And Hon January Makamba, Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Environment and Union affairs.
Written by Ali A. Mufuruki
Source: http://ali-ea-foundation.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Open-Letter-to-Ministers.pdf
MY TAKE:
Huyu jamaa anaisoma number kwa vyovyote, Hivi nchii hii ina KM ngapi za Beach? je ni ngapi zimeendelezwa ndani ya Mita 60 ? By the way zilizoendelezwa ndani ya 60M tukisema leo marufuku kuendeleza tena kama wanavyotufanyiaga huku kwetu uswahililini wakitwaa maeneo, baada ya maika 50, majengo yote hayo si yatakuw ahayapo na 60M zote zitakuwa free.
Kifupi hawa wa masaki na Oysterbay na kawe beach naona wamelewa Utajiri na wanatuona sisi ni wajinga, hope Magufuli hatakubali haya, Ila nimeona kwenye lile tamko la jana la Wizara kama vile wamesema hawa wa KISHUA na MaHoteli yao hakuna kubomolewa.
Karibuni!
Open Letter to
Hon William Lukuvi
Minister of Lands And Human Settlements
And
Hon January Makamba Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Environment and Union affairs
Dear Hon Ministers,
Re: The 60 Meter Exclusion Zone Rule is Outdated and Impractical For Our Cities
It is with much respect and forbearance that I address you both through the media by way of an open letter today. I am doing so because of the public nature of the matter I wish to bring to your attention and also in the hope that other members of the public may have many useful contributions to add to the conversation.
The issue at hand has to do with the ongoing and planned nationwide demolition of structures and buildings that have allegedly been constructed illegally. As a law abiding and progressive citizen, I understand and wholeheartedly support the general principle behind this difficult yet necessary initiative.
I also support the demolition of all structures that have been condemned as being unsafe or have been built in blatant defiance or violation of clear orders from authorities not to proceed.I support the removal by demolition or other means, of all structures that have been built on planned open spaces or public land such as road reserves.
However, I have serious difficulties with the irrational manner in which the demolition exercise is being carried out and in particular, I am troubled by the absence of a clear logic on what problem exactly this exercise is intended to solve and if so how sustainable the outcome will be. Specifically, I have serious doubts about demolition plans that are specifically targeting structures that have been built on land that is termed by city and environmental officials as river/beach reserves within large cities such as Dar es salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, etc. Dar es Salaam for example is a city of 5 million people today and is growing at a very fast pace, projected to be one of the world's most populous cities with a population of well over 8.5 million by the year 2032 according to statistics released by the Government three years ago.
The population of this city has grown 20 times between 1965 and 2015 from roughly 250,000 to 5 million residents. This equates to an average annual city population growth rate of 6%, twice the national population growth. Hon Ministers, You are no doubt aware that the abolition of LGAs between 1972 -1984 by the Government meant that the city of Dar es Salaam experienced tremendous population growth while no one was bearing a clear mandate for city master plans. Worse still, there was no funding during this period for projects that were proposed in earlier master plans published in 1968 and 1979. I have read a 2013 document sponsored by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development titled "Dar es Salaam Masterplan 2012-2032" that makes a number of excellent recommendations that if implemented in a timely manner could have helped improve the quality of life in this city.
The problem however is that the version I read is a draft and I am not sure it was finalised or any part if it implemented. By the look of things it was not, because one key recommendation in that document is the involvement of the city residents in the approval and subsequent implementation of the plan and its numerous projects. Today, the city is what it is because of a collossal failure by government, not as a result of a failure on the part of or conspiracy by city residents. It goes without saying therefore that it would be manifestly unfair for the Government to force 5 million people to live according to a city masterplan that for all intents and purposes is nonexistent.
It may well be possible that the Government is indeed working off some plan that has not been made public and as such is justified in carrying out these demolitions under the prevailing legal dispensation. This however does not in any way provide an excuse for moving ahead with such destructive and irreversible action without pausing to reflect if we have covered all our bases. If we don't do that and specifically, if the city residents do not understand and buy into the concept for the sake of their own development, this project promises to be an even worse failure than living without an operational city masterplan for fifty years. Sustainable Protection of River Reserves in our Cities A significant number of demolitions is earmarked to take place in areas where residents are accused of having encroached on so called river reserves.
Although these so called protected areas are not defined according to any document available to the public, Municipal and ministry officials are demanding that a minimum of 60 meters be reserved on both sides of waterways that pass through our cities. This is being done in a very arbitrary manner. Worse still no distinction is made between natural rivers such as Msimbazi and seasonal streams such as Mbezi. Quite a big fuss has been made of the frequent floods in our cities as the main reason behind the most recent Government action. However, while flooding affects the central business district of Dar es Salaam just as badly, city and ministry officials choose only to react to flooding in the Msimbazi and Jangwani valleys while turning a blind eye to such flooding hot spots as Bibi Titi Road near the Morogoro Rd crossing, Ohio Street near ATC House and Works Ministry headquarters at Holland House, Ocean Road, Ghana Avenue and others where flooding can occur after hardly five minutes of rain.
Now we know that most of the flooding in the CBD is caused by the blocked storm water drainage system that has not been expanded to match the needs of a fast growing metropolis over the years. And the flooding in the Jangwani valley is not so much caused by the valley residents as it is by the the millions of tones of garbage that are thrown into the river by residents miles away upstream of the Msimbazi. When the government insists that this problem will be solved merely by relocating the Jangwani Valley residents to other places, it gives rise to the growing suspicion amongst the population that the exercise is not based on a correct and thorough analysis of the causes and its outcome may therefore not be sustainable even in the near term. Hon Ministers, Throughout human history, progressive societies have never ran away from water.
Instead they create resilient pathways for water to pass safely on its way to the oceans. They fortify beachfronts with levees if necessary and create breathing channels for the oceans to make sure that humans can go to bed without fear of being drowned by swelling seas in the middle of the night. They strengthen the river banks and dredge the river beds to make them deeper (not wider).
They build dams to catch the flood waters upstream and to reduce the speed of water as it flows down on its way to larger, lower lying natural water bodies. In other words, instead of running away from the water or demolishing expensive properties, they put their engineers, technician, environmental scientists and city planners to work and make sure they find sustainable solutions for the future wellbeing of their cities and people. It goes without saying that if you run away, the water will always follow and eventually catch up with you. The 60m prescribed in our regulations is therefore neither sensible nor appropriate especially in a city planning context in this time and age. We all know very well that left to their own devices, the waters of the Msimbazi river and the Mlalakuwa and Mbezi seasonal streams that cross the city on their way to the Indian Ocean will get bigger and faster, not smaller and slower.
This is because the highlands surrounding DAR (Makongo, Boko/Goba, Mbezi Juu, Pugu, even Mabwepande) are being built up at a fast rate and the floods we have been experiencing in DAR that are getting worse every year are driven by these new developments Over the past thirty years, the courses of these rivers and streams have moved by as much a 50-100 meters in some places from their original locations due to natural human developments including public structures such as roads, bridges and water pipelines, shifting the so called river reserves in the process, turning previously safe structures into illegal ones and previously livable areas into death traps. The same goes for the seasonal stream that wreaks havoc in Mwanza city every year and I am sure Arusha will soon face the same problem if we continue down this path.
Hon Ministers, If The Netherlands followed the 60m rule there would be no Amsterdam or Rotterdam today because that entire country is below sea level. In the UK, The Thames River crosses through the city of London but far from keeping it 60 meters away (which is technically impossible anyway), Londoners have constructed beautiful structures above it, alongside it and even underneath it. We too can do the same. In Amsterdam and Cape Town, man lives within touching distance of the sea and it is good that way. We too can do the same and indeed have done so most of our lives. Not so many years ago, we had beautiful beach hotel villages in the north of Dar called Africana, Kunduchi Beach and Bahari Beach that were eaten up by the Indian Ocean under our helpless gaze Recent innovative developments and land reclamations by entrepreneurs however have reclaimed those beaches, made the environment in those areas resilient and habitable again. If we had maintained the 60 meter rule, the Indian Ocean would be lurking within meters of the Bahari Beach road, if not today then very soon.
It follows then that in a city where millions live and go about their daily business, in a city where the population will continue to rise at a high rate, the 60 meter rule is an antiquated idea that is not backed up by any science and if applied unreasonably as is currently the case, it will lead to unnecessary destruction and loss of valuable real estate. It will disrupt lives and cause discontent. What is more, far from solving the flooding problem, it will make it worse. The point I am trying to make here is that God gave man brains so that he may be able to tame nature to his own advantage, to support his own survival, not to run from water, heat or cold. No reasonable person can dispute the fact that our city planners have been sleeping on the job for decades. The city of DAR Es Salaam is now size XXL but they (officials) are trying to force it into a size XXS city master plan that they have been sitting on for decades without any thought of enforcing or improving.
This is not acceptable We deserve better and can do better. Hon Ministers, I know you have a job to do and in this era of Hapa Kazi Tu, you don't have much time to get it done. While I totally understand the urgency, I respectfully ask you to allow the residents of these cities and their government to have an open debate on their city masterplans as civilized societies do. Let us have this debate for the sake of progress and for the sake of future generations of Tanzanians. Let's agree on how we want to manage our cities, where we want to build what, how high, how wide and in what ways, in other words let us agree on new zoning regulations, new building specifications, new rules that are fit for modern living in the 21st century. Let's agree on open spaces locations, land uses, water pathways and most importantly, let's be diligent in enforcing city planning regulations once agreed.
And while some people may derive a perverse kind of satisfaction from driving giant bulldozers into city neighborhoods and knocking down structures they claim have been built without permission, we shouldn't forget these structures were not built overnight. Where was the government when all this happened? Who was holding what office presiding over this mess and what has been done to hold each and everyone of these government officials accountable? This problem is as old as Tanzania itself meaning that if we go back to looking for all who are responsible for this mess we won't have time for anything else. Going back to my central point, let's build Dar es Salaam and other cities based on future proof master plans, not some arbitrary decrees that officials come up with after every rainy season.
And let those plans fit our current and future needs, not the other way round. Some valuable structures that are earmarked for demolition today now can be accommodated in new, innovative and forward looking master plans and that was we can avoid costly and unnecessary destruction of value. New, innovative and enforceable environmental regulations as well as smart application of engineering and neighborhood architecture can make it possible for valley residents to continue living their lives without unnecessary disruptions. Rivers that are coursing through residential areas can be rerouted to the sea by innovative engineering and sustainable management of the environment. We shouldn't forget these cities belong to all of us, the rich and not so rich.
And finally, the silly 60m rule can be consigned to the archives of ancient colonial history where it belongs
Yours sincerely
Ali A. Mufuruki
Dar es Salaam Resident
