An NGO calls for land law reform

A Non- Governmental Organization which stands for the rights of pastoralists in the country has appealed to the recently appointed constitutional review commission tasked to collect opinions from the general public for the national constitution amendment to review a clause in the current Land Act in order to defend pastoralists and farmers in the country. The Executive Director of the Arusha based PINGO’s Forum, Edward Porokwa said in an exclusive Interview early this week that, “there are various inhuman acts which are frequently done to pastoralists as there is no specific law which defends their right of land ownership’.Mr. Parokwa is on the view of the fact that, the current Land Act should be amended in order to give priority to the indigenous people especially pastoralists who do not have permanent places to stay of their right ownership of the natural wealth in the country. However, he says there are some clauses which do not defend the rights of pastoralists when it comes to the issue of the land privatization an aspect that they are massively subjected to eviction, adding that this is the abuse of human rights which is against the UN Habitat conventions. He noted that issues that touches pastoralists in the country are repudiated by the government authorities at a certain level in decision making, adding that the most affected ethnic group are those who lives in bushes and feeds on wild fruits and meat from their livestock. According to him, little attention is given to the affected ethnic groups the majority of whom can be found in regions like Arusha, Manyara and Singida. Most of these ethnic groups are not given special attention like other Tanzanians when it comes to the issue of land ownership. He further noted that, even the village land Act of 1999 and the policies of the land ownership introduced recently does not empower pastoralists in the sense that it does not provide them with safety whenever is required of them as citizens. Livestock policy of the year 2006 talks about products or commodities but doesn’t talk about better life for pastoralists, however, he is amazed to see that this is contrary to the government’s policies which requires better meat, hide skins and the benefits people gets from pastoralists who provides their livestock for meat and milk and nothing else. “This is contrary to the constitution of other countries such as Kenya and Uganda which talks into details about the land ownership to its people in their respective countries” he said adding that in Tanzania pastoralists are subjected to humiliations and denial of their rights to ownership. Way back in 2006, the government issued an eviction order to pastoral communities residing in Usangu basin from Ihefu valley which is located in Mbarari district, Mbeya region in the southern highlands region which was inhuman and affected a lot of innocent people. The eviction of pastoralists from Usangu and other parts in the country has always been executed violently without due regard and respect to human and the land rights of the livestock owners. It is very amazing to note that the victims of evictions have not been compensated. The government through the Ministry of Livestock Development admitted to have committed a mistake by not providing an alternative land for evictees. It was thus officially announced that the evicted pastoralists were to move to Lindi and coastal regions respectively The inbuilt societal stereotypes and negative perceptions over pastoralists in the country have often been the basis of policies. Laws and orders that directly affect majority pastoral communities and the wellbeing of their mode of livelihood. Some of the basic perceptions characterize them as destructive of environment, sources of animal disease, and enemies of wildlife heritage and practice an economically unreliable mode of livelihood. Worse enough, there are attitudes that have been dogmatized in mainstream policies which apply without being challenged even when they stand in sharp contrast with scientific proofs.