Tarime police warns village leaders against property confiscation

POLICE in Tarime district has issued a strong warning to village leaders in the district not to take law in their hands by confiscating their people’s properties in place of the contribution required of them to pay for the construction of secondary schools ward laboratories. The police warning has come in the wake of reports that, some untrustworthy village leaders in some villages like Gamasara village in Nyandoto ward who have ordered a family that fails to pay the amount of Sh. 20,000 required of them by end of this week, would have their properties confiscated. Tarime Special Zone Police Commander, ACP Lazaro Mambosasa issued a warning when he spoke in a telephone interview yesterday and called on whoever would be affected to immediately report the matter top his office for further legal actions. “I am warning village leaders who would dare to confiscate people’s properties in place of their people’s contribution would face legal action”, he said. The commander of a special zone to confirm the legality of having people’s properties snatched for those who fails to contribute whenever a communal development project is to be undertaken in some villages in Tarime district and which normally is insisted by village elders according to traditional custom. Two weeks ago, this paper reported villagers of Gamasara village located at Nyandoto ward in Tarime district, Mara region are at risk of having their properties confiscated after some of them proved to be unable to raise such amount of money required of them in order to construct a secondary laboratory facility in their ward.  Confirming the incident to the Guardian, the chairman of the Nyasebe hamlet in the village Deus Ngera said that, village leaders had received directives from the council authorities in the district which required villagers to contribute to the construction of such a laboratory facility. He further narrated that, the amount of money to be contributed by each family was among the deliberations which were proposed and agreed unanimously in their meetings. He further disclosed that,  the meeting had also passed a resolution as a warning to the family that failed to accomplish the task without concrete reasons will have their properties snatched and sold, but couldn’t specify what type of the property when asked in a telephone interview. Commenting on the issue, the Director of Tarime Town Council (TTC), Venance Mwamengo said in a telephone interview this week and affirmed that, each ward in his jurisdiction has been asked to arrange on how their people could contribute to this important development project currently being spearheaded by the President. He said construction of secondary school laboratories is an historic event that every individual must participate at all cost wherever is required. The move is part of the implementation of President Jakaya Kikwete’s order who has requested directors of all district councils in the country to ensure that, ward secondary schools in their areas are equipped with modern State-of-the-art laboratory facilities for students by end of this year”, he said. However, he said that his council will contribute 90 percent of the total cost to be incurred for the laboratory construction in each ward and the rest to be accomplished by villagers in areas where such laboratories are to be built. Meanwhile, the media reported early this week another warning issued by senior officials in Tarime district against anyone who will be found opposing the construction of laboratories, will face legal stern measures. It was earlier rumored that, “some members of the opposition political parties in the district were against President’s order. Meanwhile, in the wake of growing disputes, the government has directed councils in the country to seek consent of public workers before they deduct their salaries to fund the Presidential ordered construction of laboratories in public secondary schools before the end of this month. The Deputy Minister for Regional Administration and Local Government Kassim Majaliwa made a concern last week in Bukoba during a fundraising event for the construction of laboratories for secondary schools in Bukoba He said workers should first be educated on the need to contribute towards construction of laboratories and allowed to contribute voluntarily. He said and emphasized that the government is not forcing public servants to contribute towards the construction of laboratories.