Land problems are addressed, Mwinyi states

THE government has allocated funds during the forthcoming fiscal year 2018/2019 to compensate people who were relocated from areas surrounding army barracks in Nachingwea District, Lindi Region, the government explained yesterday.

The Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, gave the position in the National Assembly yesterday, when responding to a basic question by Nachingwea MP, Mr Hassani Masala (CCM), on land disputes between villages and the army in his constituency.

Mr Masala cited the disputes between residents and JKT Nachingwea 843 KJ barracks as well the other pitting villages surrounding Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) 41 KJ Majimaji Barracks in the district. Dr Mwinyi said the government acknowledged the existence of such land disputes in many parts of the country where the land was acquired by the army for broad national interests.

The minister explained that the government was committed to pay compensations in other areas but was held back by shortage of funds. “When the TPDF Majimaji KJ 41 barracks was surveyed in 2005, there were 61 people surrounding it. At 843 KJ (JKT) barracks in 2009, the Nachingwea District Council took the mandate of earmarking the borders of the barracks and Mkukwe village. “At that time, there were nine homesteads surrounding the military camp.

Funds have been allocated this year for valuation and compensation in accordance to the law and regulations covering land compensation,” the minister further explained. In a supplementary question, the MP complained that the residents were being denied access to the land and yet they had planted cashew nuts which they had banked on for sale, to earn incomes for facilitating their livelihoods.

Dr Mwinyi responded that the residents were denied access since some of them subsequently constructed permanent structures which eventually pushed up compensation costs when valuation was conducted. The minister explained that it was not safe for civilians to live near army barracks since they store dangero