K`ndoni municipality suspends land survey projects indefinitely

Manispaa ya Kinondoni jijini Dar es Salaam  has indefinitely suspended land survey projects due to compensation contradictions caused by outdated land legislation.

Sheria ya ardhi ya mwaka 1999’s provisions do not match with compensation requirements.

Kinondoni district public relations officer Sebastian Mhowera said that they had not surveyed new plots for over six months.

“We have suspended the exercise for over six months now because the law requires us to pay the amount, which does not match with the market price. Ilala and Temeke residents are facing a similar problem,” he noted.

He noted that in Dar es Salaam the current market price for one hectare was at least 12m/- but the law required one to pay 3m/-. He said most land owners refused to vacate surveyed areas saying compensation did not match with their land value.

“We have suspended land surveying to avoid conflicts with people especially when it comes to compensation,” he said.

He, however, cautioned members of the public against disqualified private surveyors, when applying for title deeds, as they were not recognised by the municipal council and did not follow the district master plan.

He advised land owners to consult municipal land officers before surveying their plots, faulting the private surveyors for inflating the cost to 400,000 per plot, while the actual land surveying was only 5,000/-.

Mhowera said private land surveyors were required to survey plots in accordance with the municipal master plan, saying failure to comply with applicable regulations would make one fail to acquire title deeds.

He said previously people were allowed to use private surveyors or agents and get the title deeds, something, which he said had contributed to increased land disputes in the district.

“This new system has helped us reduce land conflicts especially those of double and multiple allocations. We have banned the use of agents and private surveyors,” he said.