IN THE NEWS: Govt intervention sought to end land conflict killings in Dodoma

By Gerald Kitabu

Following a series of land conflict related killings in several villages in the new Nchemba District, Dodoma Region, villagers and leaders in the district are calling for immediate intervention from the central government.

The villagers of Farkwa, Ovada and Kwamtoro wards have since January this year, seen at least five people ruthlessly killed and more than ten seriously injured as a result of the land conflicts.

They were speaking at the community inception workshop on ‘The state of land based investment and resource conflicts’ organised and conducted by the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) at Kwamtoro ward in the district.

Ovada ward councilor, Pius Majengo told participants from the three wards in the district that the killings occurred in different occasions at Handa and Lahoda villages in Lalta ward, and Bubutole village in Farkwa ward.

He said that similar killings have been going on a daily basis at Msaada, Mrijo and Jangalo wards but no action  is being taken to stop the brutal killings.
“You don’t hear of these killings because some of them occur at the border with Kiteto District and go unrecorded and they are also not broadcasted” he added.
“Some of these killings have been contributed by irresponsive leaders at the village, ward and district level who don’t want to take action in time,” he said.
Citing an example, he said when he was made aware of signs of conflict in Bubutole village, Farkwa ward, he requested the district full council to intervene prevent the killings but the district leaders did not cooperate.

“A few days later, three people of the Sukuma tribe were ruthlessly killed in land conflicts with Sandawe and Barabaig tribes” he said.

According to Kwamtoro ward councilor, John Adolf Konkoli, the most notorious and corrupt leaders are the village and hamlet leaders who call the shots behind the scene and instigate these conflicts.

“These leaders disregard the value of land, whoever comes with money, they use the opportunity for self gain and sell public land without consulting the villagers” he alleged.

On her part, Venancia Gregory from Kwamtoro village, Kwamtoro ward said that the land conflicts are caused by corrupt and selfish leaders who sell their land to foreigners without consultation or knowledge of villagers who then retaliate and conflict starts leading to killings and destruction of property.

Earlier, releasing the research findings, Programme Coordinator for Land based investments for Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF), Godfrey Massay, said that the study by TNRF revealed that among the factors that cause land conflicts in the district are corruption, lack of land use plans, lack of title deeds, influx of immigrants from other district and inadequate land for agriculture.

He advised the villagers and their leaders to respect laws governing land to avoid further conflicts.
The programme which is titled Ardhi Yetu, is funded by CARE international, coordinated by CARE Tanzania and implemented by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF).

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN