Sandawe ethnic group in central Tanzania Mainland have asked authorities to put in place measures that protect their environment, identity and culture citing economic activities by other communities that threaten their very survival.

The Sandawe who inhabit Chemba and Kondoa districts, in Dodoma Region, are predominantly a hunter-gatherer tribe who earn their living from the surrounding environment.

They said unlike in the past, their unique life and culture are at risk of disappearing owing to unabated invasion of their areas and degradation of the environment by ‘immigrants.’

The tribesmen were speaking this week during a community inception workshop on the state of land based investment and resource conflicts organized and conducted by the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) at Kwamtoro Ward in the district.

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.