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Critical Analysis of the Land Laws- A study

Salma Maoulidi
September 2004

Table of Contents
Foreword
I. The Context
A. Introduction
..1
B. The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters
C. The National Land Policy ..5

1
..3

II. The Legal Framework
A. The Laws
..8
1. The Land Act, Act No. 4 of 1999 ..9
2. The Village Land Act, Act No. 5 of 1999 ..10
3. The Land (Amendment) Act 2004 ..10
B. Land, Gender and the Rights of the Marginalized
..11
1. Women and Land Rights in the 1999 legislation ..11
2. Land Rights of Pastoralists and Peasants ..12
C. Land Acquisitions
..13
1. Acquisitions under the 1999 legislation ..12
2. Land Acquisitions Act No. 47 of 1967
..14
3. Available Reliefs .. 14
4. Adjudication
..15

8

III. Implications of the land regime
A. Security of Tenure
..16
1. The Radical Title ..16
2. Compulsory Acquisitions ..17
B. Governance
..19
1. Accountability
..19
2. Information and Participation
..20
3. Adjudication
..21
C. Gender Equality
..22
D. Land ownership in the changing political economy of Tanzania ..24

16

IV. Lessons from the Land Advocacy Process
A. The issues and approach
B. The advocacy process
..29
C. The movers
.. 30
D. Unexplored Dimensions
..31

28
..28

V. Conclusion

33

References

35

Abbreviations

39

Appendix
Terms of Refrence

Foreword
The task at hand entails the critical review of the Land Laws of Tanzania, chiefly Act
No.4 and Act No.5, 1999 and their subsequent revisions. This could not be done out of context, or by confining oneself solely to the statutes. It was pertinent to review the factors and processes that informed the legislation. Towards this end, an extensive literature review on various aspects related to land reforms in Tanzania was done.
A reasonable amount of references were available for review, most being by academics and researchers. The bulk of the work is thus technical and

References: bell hooks (2000) Feminist theory: from margin to center (2nd ed), Pluto Press, London. Bertha Koda (1998) “Changing land tenure systems in the contemporary matrilineal social system: the gendered dimension”, in the making of a periphery; economic C.S.L Chachage (1996) “The tenure in national parks, games and forest reserves”, paper presented at workshop on the National Land Policy held at British Council Dar Demere Kitunga (2003) “Gender and Democracy in Land Matters: Call for a people‟s land law”, in Against Neo Liberalism: Gender, Democracy and Development, E.R. Hardy Ivamy (1988) Mozley & Whiteley Law Dictionary 10th ed., Butterworths. Fimbo, G.M., (1996), "Land Tenure and Land Relations: Restatement or Reform through Case Law", (Mimeograph), University of Warwick. Gender Land Task Force (1988) “Comments on the Status of the Land Bill with a Gender Perspective”, paper presented at the Land Forum June 20th, 1998. Georgios Hadjivayanis (1995) Ardhi ni Uhai- Muhtasiri wa Taarifa ya Tume ya Rais ya Uchunguzi juu ya Masuala ya Ardhi Tanzania, Oxfam. Hakiardhi (2004)“Bunga Bongo: Uthamanishaji wa rasilimali”, in Ardhi ni Uhai, issue 1, p Henry Campbell Black (1991) Black’s Law Dictionary 6th ed., West Publishing Co. Ibrahim Juma (1996) “The policy paper in the context of existing land law and practice”, paper presented at workshop on the National Land policy held at British Issa G. Shivji (1998) Not yet Democracy: Reforming Land Tenure in Tanzania, IIED/HAKI ARDHI/Faculty of Law University of Dar es Salaam. Issa G. Shivji (1996b) “Village Democracy: True root in Civil Society”, from Family Mirror first issue December 1992 edited in Kivutha Kibwana, Chris Maina Peter and Issa Shivji (2004) “Njama za Kikabaila dhidi ya Wanyonge?” in Ardhi ni Uhai, issue 1 Jael Silliman (2001) “Gender Silences in the Narmada Valley”, in Eye to Eye: Women Practicing Development across Cultures, Susan Perry and Celeste Schenck in Kegara Region, North Western Tanzania” downloaded on August 26, 2004. Liz Willy (1998) A look at the Land Act 1998 Bill, DFID 27 May 1998 Marja-Liisa Swantz (1998) “Notes on research on women and their strategies for Marjolein Benschop (2002) Rights and Reality: are women’s equal rights to land, housing and property implemented in East Africa, United Nations Human Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development & Scandinavia Institute of African Studies (1994) Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Land matters, Vol. I Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (1995) National Land Policy National Bureau of Statistics (2003), Tanzania in figures 2003, Central Printing Works, Dar es Salaam. Ng‟waza Kamata (2003) “The Land Bill Act 1988 and Rural Producers”, in Against Neo Liberalism: gender, democracy and development, Chachage S.L and Marjorie Mbilinyi (eds.), Tanzania Gender Networking Programme, pp. 196-203 Rie Odgaard (1999) “The scramble for women‟s land rights in Tanzania”, Center for Rights & Claims” downloaded on www. whoseland.com Ringo Willy Tenga (1996.) “Monstrous Land Bill to make most Tanzanians landless”, Salma Maoulidi (2004a) “the Land Fiasco: On yeah, agriculture is the backbone of this country!” The African Saturday February 14, 2004 p Salma Maoulidi (2004b) “Land suite- what is happening at ground zero?” The African Saturday February 21, 2004 Salma Maoulidi, (1998)“A review of the Land Act 1998 Bill”, paper commissioned by Haki Ardhi. Tenga, R.W. (1993), "Notes on a Report Entitled: The Implications of the Regulation and Natural Resources Management and Conservation," (Mimeograph), Land Tenure (2002) Tanzania Wants $1.7bn to Promote Land Markets, The East African p. 9, September 11-17, 2000. Tumaini Elisamia Silaa, Rehema Kerefu Sameji, Lucy Tesha Merere (2002) Beyond the Radical Title- Women and Land Rights in Tanzania, The Eastern African Subregional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI).