Moro councils directed to procure satellite images for land surveying

ALVAR MWAKYUSA in Ifakara

MOROGORO Regional Commissioner Dr Stephen Kebwe has directed district councils here to procure satellite images to enable proper land surveying and planning in a bid to do away with recurring land conflicts in the region.

In a related development, he warned that the government will repossess idle land and redistribute it to villages for productive undertakings.

“It is a known fact that some people, including public servants, are hording large chunks of idle land, the government will see into it that the land is identified and reallocated for productive activities.

“With such, every district council should use their own revenues to procure satellite images to make land surveying and planning efficient. I am told the images cost between 80m/- and 100m/-, “ Dr Kebwe stated.

He made the remarks here yesterday during a stakeholders meeting on land use planning to be implemented through the Land Tenure Support Programme (LTSP). He was positive as well that the satellite images will enable the local government authorities to collect more property taxes from buildings and businesses in district councils.

“There have been many land disputes in Morogoro due to among others lack of proper land planning and increased pressure on land given vast opportunities in the agriculture sector,” he noted.

Speaking earlier at the same occasion, an official with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Swagile Msananga, said the initiative seeks to provide Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy to some 300,000 residents in three districts.

The districts to benefit include Kilombero, Ulanga and Malinyi which have been facing recurring land disputes to increased pressure on land for economic activities, mainly farming and livestock keeping.

“Among other benefits, the residents will be able to use the customary land deeds to secure credit facilities from financial institutions,” he elaborated.

The three-year programme is being supported by the United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DfID) in addition to Denmark and Sweden through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), respectively.

During discussion of the blueprint, majority of local councillors here tasked the government to identify and take actions against land owners with large chunks, whom they accused of acquiring the land illegally.