Land investors risk ownership revocation

PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

LAND investors in the Lake Zone who defaulted investment conditions given to them by the government have been served with 90-days notice to explain why they should not have their land ownership revoked.

The Assistant Commissioner for Lands for the Lake Zone, Mr Joseph Shewio told the ‘Daily News’ recently that the notice was served per the government directives on thorough verification to uncover investors who failed to develop acquired land across the country.

According to Mr Shewio, his office was busy finalizing the scrutiny exercise passing through a list of investors who in a way or another defaulted their commitments dully agreed with the authorities.

“We are going on well with the exercise and have already served a notice to the verified investors on why their land should not be re-possessed by the government as they failed to develop them as per agreement,” said Mr Shewio.

However, Mr Shewio said the verification task was not an easy endeavor since there were many steps to be observed before compiling a final list of defaulters.

Besides the task on lazy land investors, Mr Shewio said his office had worked out on some land conflicts that was submitted before the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Mr William Lukuvi when he visited Mwanza Region last year.

He said the task force under his chairmanship discovered a number of irregularities in land management that triggered endless conflicts between responsible departments in the Local Government Offices and the residents.

Out of many suggestions, the task force called for the establishment of the Land Compensation Fund within the district councils so that it becomes easy and quicker to compensate land owners when their land is taken for other public uses.

He was of the view however that the established fund could be centralized but each LGA being obliged to contribute from their budgets to make it vibrant.

“The establishment of this fund could assist in reducing if not ending regular conflicts with residents who complain of the their land being taken without any compensation. It was strictly suggested however that the compensations should not be paid without the approval of the responsible ministry,” he said.

It was further discovered that nearly 70 percent of the reported conflicts were on poor land management with many LGAs experiencing serious shortages of land experts.

Mr Shewio observed that almost all 37 LGAs in his area of administration had shortages of land manpower resulting in poor urban planning among others. He challenged the residents to make sure they contribute the required fee for land surveying before they obtain legal ownership of their land.

The Assistant Commissioner cited a number of challenges that afflict dwellers in informal settlements particularly in Mwanza City and other urban settlements as many fail to contribute statutory charges.