HOUSES' CARE SWITCHES TO CENTRAL FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement, Mr William Lukuvi.

President John Magufuli has directed that all housing units that were being administered by local government authorities should now be administered by the central government, bringing to an end the search for solution to land wrangles pitting tenants and landlords across the country.

After spending years in and outside courtrooms searching for a solution to the volatile situation regarding houses under local government care, the president ruled that all the structures should be handed over to the central government.

The government, through a Government Notice Number 323 of August 9, 1991, authorised local government authorities in 20 regions to take over housing units previously under the National Housing Corporation (NHC) on grounds of redeveloping the structures.

But the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement, Mr William Lukuvi, has said it is unfortunate that since such acquisition, there has been no development made to the said houses.“To makes matters even worse, some landlords had gone on to humiliate tenants,” Mr Lukuvi reported.

Addressing a press conference on the president’s decision following a prolonged wrangle between ex-tenants of Magomeni Kota in Dar es Salaam’s Kinondoni Municipality, the minister said the decision came into effect in July 10. “We cannot be and we shall never brook mischief. You have been in these areas for so long. Some of you have even begot grandchildren while here.

We hope it will be wise for you to continue being either owners or tenants of new structures to be built in the residential quarters,” the minister recalled the president’s statement to the residents during the press conference in the city.

The decision by the government to authorise local governments (city, municipal and town councils) over the houses was to improve settlements and government’s revenue collection. Kinondoni Municipal Council has evicted about 650 tenants in its 33-hectare Magomeni Kota plots to allow construction of multi-purpose complex structures.

Under the same arrangement, the municipal council promised to give first priority to the evictees to acquire residential apartments in the new estate.

For nearly ten years, the project had never come afoot, with tenants taking the matter to court. But after consultations, the tenants and municipal councils agreed to take the matter out of the court -- this time around the latter agreeing to pay rent for the tenants until they move to newly-completed houses.

“This decision hence revokes earlier decisions made between the tenants and the municipal council. All tenants will be subjected to paying rent. The government will give you top priority in buying the affordable houses,” Mr Lukuvi pledged.

He insisted that the president’s decision will also affect any other decision made by the municipal council regarding the land portions now to under the central government care.

“If any council did otherwise to sign agreement regarding developing such areas, it has been put on ice. My ministry will be dispatching a technical team across the country to examine and analyse all former NHC properties,” he told reporters.

He added that they will discuss with NHC on how best to develop all the areas and transform them into modern buildings ready for sale to tenants and interested buyers. Mr Lukuvi warned councils, which were planning to evict tenants, especially elders in the same houses, “to immediately stop it’’.

The Chairman of Magomeni Kota Select Tenants Committee, Mr George Abel, thanked the president for the new decision, promising that they will cooperate with the ministry to finalise the project.

Daily News